Warning: content may distress some readers.
The family’s situation
I recently spoke to Heba-Al Madhoun, a dedicated and loving mother and wife whose family have suffered immense loss as a result of the current situation in war-torn Gaza. Heba has a GoFundMe campaign set up as, like many of those in Gaza, her family face famine and starvation every day. In addition to this, her husband has an injured foot, and her son, Adam, has fused fingers. The surgery to fix this is expensive, so naturally, the family cannot afford it. The children have been exposed to malnutrition and anaemia too.
Then there is the fact that Heba’s brother-in-law sadly died, as did his wife, while they were searching for food for their children. This utterly heartbreaking loss has not just brought along with it the massively significant burden of grief, but has given an already-struggling family eight more mouths to feed. On top of this, Heba is pregnant with her and Hussein’s third child. The struggles they face daily are beyond what many of us could possibly comprehend.
Heba describes her daily life:
My daily life has become a struggle for survival. There is no normal routine anymore. We wake up to the sound of drones, and sometimes to the sound of bombings. We spend the day trying to find clean water, there’s no electricity most of the time, and the internet rarely works. Food is scarce. Everything — sleeping, going outside, even thinking — has become part of a battle. Life is suspended between one moment and the next.
Our daily life is like hell. There is no safety anywhere. We struggle with death and losing our loved ones at every moment.
Lost dreams
This is no way to live-not for adults, but let alone for young, innocent children, many of who have been tragically killed by the IDF. Many lives have been lost, and many dreams have been shattered. When I questioned Heba on what dreams and goals she and her family previously held, and how these have been changed, she stated that,
I used to dream of finishing my studies, getting a job, traveling, and living a normal life. I wanted to become someone my family and people could be proud of. But after October 2023, my dreams became much simpler: to survive, to keep my loved ones alive, to see my homeland free. The obstacles are endless — the siege, the bombings, the loss of loved ones, the destruction, and at times, the loss of hope.
I was dreaming of a house and my dream came true. I worked hard to get this house, but the war came and destroyed everything. It destroyed my beautiful home that I had waited for years.
My dream is to arrange a surgical operation on my son Adam who suffers from clubbed fingers, but I cannot do so because I do not have the money for the surgery. My dream is to travel abroad with him so that I can arrange the operation for him and my heart and mind can rest from thinking about the matter.
I dream of a normal life. Of clear skies without drones. Schools without rubble. Hospitals with medicine. A home that we’re not afraid will collapse on us. I dream of a free homeland, and a safe childhood for our children.
Strength and resilience
What has struck me, during this interview process and throughout this time of increased violence in Palestine, is the incredible amount of resilience not only from the Al-Madhoun family, but from Palestinian people as a whole. I mentioned this to Heba.
She said:
My people are brave, but we have been shattered, and our dreams were shattered. We became displaced, homeless and without shelter. We are resilient despite all the tragedies we are going through.
We’ve lost so many. Those who were killed, those who were displaced, those who lost limbs, and those whose faces have changed from trauma. Children are no longer children. Young people grow up too fast. People try to appear strong, but grief lives inside everyone.
I wondered about whether there was a sense of community to guide Palestinians through, given the extent of the horrors which they have been facing daily.
We do not feel that we belong to our community. We want to leave and travel away from this cursed war that has stolen everything from us.
This is the heartbreaking reality of what people in Palestine must endure. On top of their many struggles and concerns, they are isolated and needing to flee from the imminent danger which they find themselves in.
The impact of the violence
This would suggest a significant impact on those affected, which of course makes complete sense, given the horrific, nightmarish situation which they’ve been forcibly trapped in.
Heba explains:
It has affected us and our psychology a lot. We have become tired and exhausted, with pale faces and thin bodies. We suffer from malnutrition, with no cleanliness, no safety, no food, and no clean drinking water.
We survive because of each other. People share food, shelter, even pain. Despite everything, we haven’t lost our humanity. This sense of solidarity is what keeps us going. The pain is indescribable, but it’s become familiar. There’s a constant feeling of loss, fear, and sometimes anger. Yet somehow, deep inside, there’s still this strange determination to survive, to resist, to hold onto life and dignity.
She then goes on to point out that,
The war has affected everyone we live with. I lost my brother-in-law and his wife. I became responsible for their children, 8 children, struggling with life. This has been very difficult for us. We hold on tightly to those who are still here, as if they are all we have left. But at the same time, there’s always this feeling that any moment could be our last. It brings us closer, but it’s emotionally exhausting.
Given all these struggles, I was wondering what specifically the people of Palestine were fighting for, at least from Heba’s perspective.
We are fighting for our dignity, our right to live in safety and freedom, our homeland. We are not just resisting occupation — we are resisting erasure. We are fighting to exist.
Faith and the Palestinian struggle
“The Palestinian people are struggling for a dignified and safe life, free from violence,” she says, then continues to discuss her family’s dreams, which are so basic and simple to many people, it can be incredibly jarring, and difficult to process for some of us. “We dream of a beautiful house,” she begins. “I dream of educating my children. I dream of buying clothes for them. I dream of feeding them. I dream of performing surgery for my son Adam so that he can continue his life like others.”
Continuing life like others seems to be exactly what Heba’s family, and many like their own, are aiming for. Yet, not everyone understands this, especially with media bias. I ask her what she would say, if she could, to those who twist what is going on or blatantly lie to the media or other governments about it. Heba’s response was straight-to-the-point, unflinchingly so.
We say that whoever denies the facts will be punished by God.
A very strong statement, and undoubtedly a testament to the strength of Heba’s faith.
The GofundMe campaign
I asked her directly about her GoFundMe page. Heba said, “The (GoFundMe) link is our source of livelihood, the source of food for my hungry children and the source of…clothes.”
She added that she was “collecting donations.” It is ‘“to save my sick son and husband and buy food for my children,” Heba explained, and went on to emphasise that the family requires a lot of money.
“We need $200 a day,” she stated.
Despite such a dire situation, Heba’s positivity, and the kindness and respect which she has given me throughout our conversation stand out to me as truly admirable and beautiful qualities to have, especially in such an urgent situation. Resilience and faith are getting the family through the difficulties they have to deal with daily on a spiritual level. But, in a more practical sense, they are desperate for the money and urgently need the donations. They need them for Adam and Hussein’s health, for the ten little mouths Heba has to feed, for the pregnant, incredibly strong woman that is Heba Al-Madhoun.
They need clothes, food, surgery and shelter. They want to live their normal lives, just like anyone else, with dignity and the knowledge that they will be safe. Donating will not guarantee safety nor normal lives, but it will help ease some of the financial burden added to the danger of the violence they find themselves constantly under. If you are in a financially comfortable enough position to do so, consider donating. It would help a grieving, sick, young family greatly. If not, sharing helps too. We need to do what we can, as fellow human beings, to look after each other.
Heba’s words for the outside world
To those who are supporting the war:
You are supporting oppression and murder — whether through weapons, silence, or justification. You are standing against justice and freedom. One day, you’ll be asked: What did you do when a people were being wiped out? And your conscience — if you have one — will be your judge.
About the media outlets who only show one side of the story:
Much of the Western media either ignores the truth or distorts it. They portray us as numbers, or as a threat — not as human beings. They rarely show our pain, and instead focus on the occupier’s narrative.
She would say to those media outlets:
You are complicit in the crime. Your silence and your lies kill us, just like the bombs do. You strip us of our humanity and justify our suffering. You have a moral responsibility — and history will not forgive you.
To everyone, including the readers, at Bylines Network:
Thank you for listening. For opening even a small window to our voice. We just want to be seen, to be understood. We are human. We love, we dream, we fear, we live — despite everything. And we believe that freedom will come, no matter how long it takes.
The interview ends
I’ll leave you with Heba’s own words, from the GoFundMe:
From One Mother to the World: I’m pleading with you – from under the rubble of war – to stand with us. Please help my son Adam live the life every child deserves. Help us reclaim a bit of safety, dignity, and hope.
With all my heart,
Heba Al-Madhoun – Gaza.
The GoFundMe link can be found here.
