“I graduated from high school almost six years ago, and those moments were miraculous alive with joy, laughter, and boundless hope. After that radiant time, I sat alone with the questions that would shape my life: what I yearn to become, how I will influence those around me, and what I will change in my community.
The first answer that brightened my path was unmistakable: I would become a doctor. Choosing that noble, humane calling would make me the first doctor in my family, a clarity that answered the question of impact I longed to wield to be a guide, a reference, and a steadfast ally for my family whenever they needed me.
That conviction has lingered with me across six years, and I cannot forget how many relatives sought my counsel because I am the family’s sole physician. God be praised, I have stood as their pillar through those hardships.
Yet another, deeper imprint on my mind is the way wars in my country and dwelling place shaped my purpose. The images of medical teams marching through war zones stirred in me a profound reverence for this work and an immense, indescribable capacity to help my people amid ruin, especially given the acute shortage of medical staff. This reality hammered home the necessity of this path and resonated as waves of memory that refused to fade.
When I joined as a volunteer doctor on the seventh day of the last conflict, I revisited that day and the reasons I chose this path, despite the overwhelming pain and sorrow. The loss of thirty members of my family and uncles on day five haunted me, yet a fierce pride rose within me and a voice quiet but insistent told me I had done it, that I had become what I aspired to be. My body carried the weight of hours spent tending the injured, and a small, steadfast voice whispered that I had succeeded: I was becoming a beacon of relief and healing for my family first, and then for my people. I cannot deny the happiness I felt, the pride that walked hand in hand with solidarity toward everyone I served.
Those days and nights were tempered by the encouragement and support of those around me, pushing me to persist in giving.At the end of my university journey, I reminded myself of the choice I made and of the father and family who encouraged and supported me, grateful beyond measure. I want to thank you all for your unwavering support.
Now I am suffused with pride and joy that I chose to become a doctor, and I stand here living the dream I had envisioned.Finally, I am grateful to my brother Mounir, my sister Tjitske and leke, and all who helped us become doctors in the Gaza Strip. Without that support and this remarkable initiative, I would not have finished my studies or continued to realize all I have stated, nor could I have contributed to improving our situation or enabling us. I send you all my love and gratitude, dear ones. I wish I could thank each of you personally for everything, and may you all remain safe, my beloved friends.”
