1:35 PM @samarabuelouf On International Women’s Day ، Today, we remember Wafaa Abu Samaan. 28 years old، She was eight months pregnant when a missile struck their home، Because of the Israeli bombing of the northern Gaza Strip.
In an instant, she leaped to shield her two daughters with her own body. Her five-year-old daughter, Maryam, was injured in the abdomen, suffered A part of her leg was amputated, and sustained various other wounds. Wafaa herself lost an arm and a leg in the explosion. Her bones were cut, and platinum was implanted in her other leg. She has undergone more than 60 surgeries." She was already battling cancer and lost her husband, who was killed beside her in the attack.
Left with severe injuries, she was displaced in a wheelchair. Her family had to tie her to the chair while she was still wounded so they could transport her from northern Gaza to the south. Her condition was dire—she was paralyzed and unable to undergo a C-section due to her deteriorating cancer-related test results. Anesthesia was not an option for her. She endured labor pains before finally being transferred to a hospital in Arish, Egypt, where she went through the most difficult childbirth—naturally, without surgery.
She gave birth to a beautiful baby boy, Raafat. Meanwhile, her other daughter remained alone in Gaza, without a mother or father. A month before Wafaa gave birth, Maryam had traveled with her for medical treatment in Qatar. After the birth, mother and daughter reunited in Qatar to continue their treatment.
Wafaa recalls, “My husband and I were eagerly waiting for Raafat’s arrival. We had prepared a special room for him and decorated our home to welcome him. But then our house was bombed, my husband was killed, and I lost my leg and arm.”
Her daughter, "Shahd", who was injured in the head in Gaza City, was unable to travel with her for treatment abroad and hopes to reunite with her soon.
" @nytimes The photo is from a project out of Gaza for#
@samarabuelouf
#internationalwomensday 
