The narrative of a 4-year-old girl’s epic journey to receive life-saving treatment amidst the war-torn region of Gaza introduces a semi-tragic yet hopeful vantage that punctures the thriving warfare.
Dina, a radiant 4-year-old Palestinian girl, unknowingly stands as a beacon of hope in the humbling face of human resilience. Born with a congenital heart defect which often renders her unconscious, her condition worsens with each passing day. Gaza’s strained health services, devastated by long years of war and embargo, are ill-equipped to provide the high-risk surgery that could save her life. As such, her family takes a desperate decision to avail of medical help beyond the confines of their homeland.
What unfolds next is a race against time, playing out against the backdrop of escalating violence and hostile checkpoints, where her dear life dangles on a thread. The very air in Gaza vibrates with the sounds of roaring jet engines, sporadic gunfire, and distant explosions, every one of them carrying a painfully tangible reminder of the perilous journey they are about to undertake.
The family’s journey to the Israeli border from their derelict home in Gaza City is fraught with uncertainty. Streaks of fear and bright glimmers of hope simultaneously dance in the eyes of Dina’s parents as they present their papers at the Erez crossing, waiting for the approval to step into the foreign land that potentially holds the key to their daughter’s survival. However, the sad reality of war bears down upon them. Dina’s mother is barred from crossing, leaving the father to embark on the harrowing journey alone with his little girl.
Dina’s father carries her frugally lithe form into an ambulance that whisks them away towards Tel Aviv. The trip is far from comforting, with Dina’s father clutching her, every jolt and speed bump heightening his alarm as he watches his little girl battle every breath.
However, amidst these uncontrollable circumstances, the spirit of unity and human compassion can be found in unexpected places. Israeli medical professionals – strangers tied to Dina only by the shared thread of humanity – instantly undertook Dina’s case. They played their part in battling her heart condition with awe-inspiring determination, demonstrating an undeniable conviction in the sanctity of human life above all differences.
A kind-hearted hospital porter took the extra mile to comfort Dina’s father during his time of anxiety, constantly encouraging him that everything would indeed be alright.