Surgery in Gaza: Ninety Minutes Without Pain

For months, I lived with a stone lodged in the salivary gland beneath my left jaw.

The swelling came and went without warning. The pain spread to my ear and down my neck, and many nights it kept me awake until morning. Painkillers brought only brief relief before it returned. The treatment I needed was clear. What was not clear was whether anywhere in Gaza could still perform it.

Eventually, my case reached the Cardiac Surgery and Specialized Hospital operated by FAJR Global. There, maxillofacial surgeons Dr. Nasri Al-Faranji and Dr. Rami Al-Jaidi explained what the surgery would involve. To remove the gland, they would have to work very close to two vital nerves: one that controls the movement of the lower lip, and one that gives the tongue its sensation.

I knew this surgery could finally end my pain. But I was terrified that I might not leave the operating room the same person who entered it. Would I still be able to smile? Would I still feel my own tongue?

For about 90 minutes, the surgical team worked with great care. They removed the affected gland and preserved both nerves.

When I woke up, the pain that had followed me for months was gone. My smile was still my own. My tongue had full sensation. Everything I had feared losing was still there.

“I didn’t even know this surgery could be done in Gaza. I came here carrying pain that had stayed with me for months, and I left without it.”

Performing this surgery in Gaza required more than skilled surgeons. It also required the right surgical equipment, which has become increasingly rare. Through FAJR Global’s hospital operations, surgeons and equipment came together, and I received the care I needed here at home, without having to search for treatment beyond Gaza.

Ninety minutes in an operating room gave me back months of my life, and the freedom to live it without pain.

Learn about FAJR’s campaign for free surgery in Gaza and its Gaza hospital surgery project.