Gaza: Reconstructing lives after amputations

Amro Ayman Alhadad 

Amro Ayman Alhadad, 23, was injured by an Israeli army bullet on May 14, 2018, during the “Great March of Return.” Along with some of his classmates, he had joined the demonstration prompted by then-US President Trump’s decision to move the US Embassy to Jerusalem. 

His bus arrived at the demonstration site at 11:15 a.m. Fifteen minutes later, he was shot in his leg and lost consciousness. 

That day, according to health authorities in Gaza, 52 Palestinians were killed and 2,400 injured. In the chaos, Amro was initially presumed dead. It was pure chance that a neighbor who works as an ambulance driver saw him among the bodies and realized he was still alive. 

After receiving emergency treatment in Gaza, Amro was taken to Turkey for more surgery, where his leg was amputated. Upon his return, Amro locked himself in his family's apartment in Gaza City. 

“I found escape in drawing, I watched videos online and taught myself to be an artist,” he said. He spent his days indoors, drawing and taking care of his bird, which never leaves him. After losing his leg, Amro feared crowds and how he would be viewed by people. 

Mohamad Soliman Mohamad Saad 

Mohamad Saad was injured in September 2018 after rushing to the border fence upon learning that his fifteen-year-old son had been injured. Moments after finding his son, Mohamad was also shot in the leg by Israeli forces. When he regained consciousness, he was told that he might lose his leg due to a blood clot. 

Over the next few years, he underwent ten operations to stabilize the condition of his leg, but he was unable to walk. He was in pain 24 hours a day and became increasingly frustrated about being unable to work. 

In 2021, Mohamad had his first consultation with the MSF team, who recommended amputation. He quickly accepted, determined to move forward. “Fortunately, I have not felt any stigma,” he said. “My wife and family have shown me love and encouragement throughout. My wife is definitely the main reason I accepted the amputation and the challenges that come with it.” 

Mohamad openly discusses  his experience as an amputee. “If doctors advocate amputation, I would recommend doing it. Before I did, I couldn't go outside or play with my children. Now I can do everything. After three years of pain, I can finally get on with my life.” 

Muawiyah Al-Wahidi 

On May 12, 2021 Muawiyah Al-Wahidi, 42, was opening his barber shop in Gaza City when a rocket hit a car in the street. He was not hurt, but the tailor working across the street ran towards him, shouting that he had been hit in the chest. Halfway to Muawiyah, he collapsed, blood pouring from his mouth. 

Muawiyah was crouching next to him reciting prayers when the next rocket hit. When he woke up in the hospital, his right leg had been amputated and his left ankle was broken. 

In the weeks that followed, he refused to eat and suffered from depression. “I would look at myself and then look at others and said to myself, I don't want to be different,” he said. When he returned home from hospital his depression got worse. “At first I refused the food my wife cooked, it was hard for her. I was angry at her, at my brother, at the kids. It was hard. But fortunately, we got through it.” 

Community support played an important role in his journey. So did the guidance of Marwah, an MSF psychologist, who taught him and his wife Yassmin how to deal with anger and depression. 

Mahmoud Khaled Ibrahim Khader  

Mahmoud Khaled Ibrahim Khader, 27, had his leg amputated after he was shot in the thigh in May 2018.  

He was initially transferred to a hospital in Jordan where surgeons attempted to save his leg. After 38 days, with no signs of the bone healing, the decision was made to amputate. Further surgery followed, but a prosthesis could not be used because the wound remained infected. 

In July 2020, two years after losing his leg, he met an MSF medical team, who suggested a new amputation. The team believed that removing an additional five centimeters of bone could reduce the infection and create a more stable stump that would be better suited to a prosthesis. Almost immediately after the surgery, Mahmoud could feel the difference. Soon enough, he could wear a prosthesis and was able to return to work. 

Nevertheless, he is still worried about stigma, such as the idea that amputees are more likely to become drug addicts. “My girlfriend's parents refused to let me marry their daughter,” he said. “They said, 'You're on tramadol, we don't want our daughter to marry a drug addict.’ That was hard to hear, even my best friend thought that.” 

It was a chance encounter with a group of amputee cyclists that helped Mahmoud finally find peace. He can now both release his energy and spend time talking with people who share a similar experience. “Cycling became my escape, and through this activity people could see that I was athletic and not on drugs.” 

A week before meeting Giles, Mahmoud got married. Today, he dreams of starting a family. “But,” he said, “cycling will always be a part of my life. This group is also my family.”