In Memory of My Daughter, For the Future of My Sons

Hello dear reader, my name is Ikhlas Nasr. I’m the mother of the two young boys, Mustafa and Salman, and my late daughter, Sila. We are currently (and temporarily) residing in the United States in the state of Missouri. 

We are originally from Gaza and were able to evacuate Gaza to Egypt in February 2025. We came to St. Louis Missouri on April 20th 2025. With the generous help of Heal Palestine( a nonprofit organization) we were able to come here so that my son Mustafa, a double amputee, could get the medical care that he needs so that he may be able to walk again. 

Mustafa tragically lost both of his legs when my brother’s home was bombed on October 27, 2023. Mustafa endured burns and broken bones, also. Before the war, Mustafa was the kind of boy who was always active and could never sit. One of the most painful words to come from him were when he told me “all my life you guys kept telling me to sit down and now, I’m stuck in a chair forever.”  

My greatest loss was  when I lost my six-year-old daughter in the same bombing. My sweet Sila was the most special girl in the whole world to me. She was my baby. She loved fashion, jewelry and makeup. She loved being the center of attention. She was so excited to start her first year of school. But the joy of starting school was shorter lived than her short life. 

My first born, Salman, did not endure physical injuries but has carried the weight of the guilt and the trauma of losing his beloved little sister as well as witnessing his younger brother’s tragic losing of his limbs. Salman has been Mustafa’s greatest helper since the bombing. Salman carries the weight of the world on his 14 year old shoulders.

My beloved husband endured very severe injuries during the same bombing.  Leaving him behind, injured, and barely able to walk in the care of other family members while frantically trying to evacuate so that Mustafa could get the emergency medical care he needed was impossibly difficult on all of us. After arriving in Saint Louis, I held on to the hope of returning to my dear husband and the home we built together. However the trauma and tragedy followed us out of Gaza as our house was targeted and bombed while my injured husband was still inside. Miraculously, he survived with broken ribs, burns to his back and a spleen that needed to be removed. He is currently residing in a school in Jabalia. 

The emotional distress and trauma that we have suffered as a family as indescribable. Our lives have been changed forever however I am very grateful that Mustafa was lucky enough to be able to come to the United States for medical treatment. Our journey to healing has just begun, and that is the main reason why we will need help in rebuilding our lives. We have lost everything. 

Your generous donation will go towards living expenses , clothing and essentials for my boys. Building our lives from the ground up. And Mustafa’ ongoing treatment and therapy. We are really hoping to go back to Gaza upon completion of Mustafa’s care, where we will try to find stability and normalcy, God willing. 

Thank you for your help and consideration.