Raslouw Private Hospital hosted a press conference yesterday (Thursday) to introduce the “Gift of Mobility” initiative, a collaborative project by the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund (PCRF) and MEAL SA.
This initiative provides life-changing medical care to Palestinian children injured in the Gaza conflict, offering them a chance at a better life.
The event saw a strong media presence, with questions reflecting global interest in the initiative. Two of the first beneficiaries, Lina Zyiad Hasan Abu Ea’mar (17) and Mira Baher Khaled Ayash (9) were present, symbolizing the human cost of conflict and the transformative power of medical intervention.
Representatives from DIRCO and Ambassadors from the Turkish, Iraqi, Jordanian, Norwegian, and Palestinian embassies also attended, underscoring the international importance of this project.
Insights were shared into the planning and collaboration involved, the challenges of transporting the children to South Africa, and the dedicated care they will receive at Raslouw Private Hospital.
As Mira and Lina prepare for their treatments, their stories will stand as powerful testaments to the impact of this initiative. The “Gift of Mobility” is not just a medical mission but a symbol of resilience, compassion, and the belief that every child deserves a future full of possibility.
Raslouw Private Hospital CEO Dr Iftikhar Ebrahim said “Part of our core values is to give back charity in the form of healing, health and wellness. Firstly to benefit our local communities but also in this instance where there a genocide being committed and tens of thousands of children maimed and killed to benefit those who are most in need. We thank PCRF, Meal SA, The Norwegian Embassy, Palestinian Embassy and Dirco for assisting us in this endeavour.”
Ghada Elgharably, PCRF’s international pediatric healthcare and patient affairs coordinator, said the initiative is part of their Treatment Abroad Program. “We had been working on evacuating children from Gaza before the border closed, sending them from Egypt to other countries, including the United States, Lebanon, and now South Africa,” Elgharably said.
She added that they had already helped over 100 children through the programme: “We are responsible for the logistics and sort out all the required documentation.” The PCRF handled the logistics for the first patients of the Gift of Mobility Project: 9 year-old Mira Baher Khaled Ayash, who arrived last week for critical medical treatment involving a specialised skin graft procedure for a severe leg injury sustained in an explosion, and 17-year-old Lina Zyiad Hasan Abu Ea’mar, who suffered a severe femoral fracture in an explosion on December 5. Lina has been diagnosed with avascular necrosis and requires surgical intervention and specialised care. Lina’s father, Baher, expressed gratitude that his daughter could receive the care she needed, thanking everyone involved. When asked what he would say to the world about the situation in Gaza, Baher replied: Do not believe what Israel is saying. They are lying. We are peaceful; our children are not military children. They are just kids with dreams, hopes, and the desire to learn and become something in the future. “Please help us ensure they live a normal life like other children,” Baher said. He added: “What we have faced is too much for us. Let us take some rest… It is genocide, it truly is genocide. We are tired of this,” Baher said.
Dr Iftikhar told the Laudium Sun that they would be receiving a third patient tomorrow, a two-year-old boy with phosphorus burns, who might have scarring of his trachea and kidney issues. “We are expecting a complex case, but we have our pediatric team on it. Hopefully, we will return these children to Gaza in a mobile and healthy condition, after much counselling and ready to face whatever challenges may lie ahead when they return.” Mira and Lina’s consulting doctor, Dr Nabeel Mohamed, who is the treating doctor for the two patients, said Mira, who arrived last week, was injured in December last year, but was treated by her parents at home as there were no doctors at her home place. Her leg was injured and upon her arrival to South Africa it was discovered that her leg had an infection, which they were treating and that they had consulted a plastic surgeon due to the severe injuries to her leg.