Malak, 6, Is Playing in a Lisbon Park After Loosing Her Leg in Gaza
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Malak is six years old. She lost her leg in a bombing in Gaza.
Today she is on a swing in a park in Lisbon, laughing, playing, and just being a kid.
Malak and her family are in Portugal through HEAL Palestine’s Global Healing Program, which brings critically injured and ill children out of Gaza for the surgical care, prosthetics, and rehabilitation that no longer exist inside the Strip. For a child who has lost a limb, treatment is not a single operation. It is months of fittings, physical therapy, and follow-up care as a growing body adapts, and it requires functioning hospitals and specialists that Gaza’s collapsed health system cannot provide.
After the United States stopped issuing visas for these cases, HEAL Palestine expanded the program to build new pathways elsewhere. Children are now receiving care in Spain, Portugal, Mexico, and other countries that opened their doors, each placement arranged with host hospitals, local partners, and families who accompany their children through treatment.
The program does not end at the hospital. Children are enrolled in structured support that covers their medical recovery, their education, and their psychosocial care, so that the years spent abroad are not years lost. The goal is not permanent relocation. It is to return these children to Gaza healed, educated, and equipped to rebuild, carrying skills their community will need.
Malak has a long recovery ahead of her. Prosthetic care for a six-year-old means new fittings as she grows, and years of learning to move through the world differently than she did before.
Our Four Pillars of Impact
Every impact story is part of a larger mission. Through Health, Aid, Education, and Leadership, HEAL Palestine responds to urgent needs while investing in the people and communities shaping Palestine's future.
Health for Every Community
Access to quality healthcare is essential to a healthy, resilient community. HEAL Palestine works to provide urgent care, strengthen health services, and improve health outcomes for Palestinians - especially those facing the greatest need.
Aid Where It Is Needed Most
HEAL Palestine delivers practical, dignified assistance to families facing displacement and hardship, including food, clean water, shelter, and essential supplies.
Education Builds the Future
From safe learning spaces to scholarships and skills programs, HEAL Palestine helps children and young people continue learning and build pathways toward opportunity.
Leadership Rooted in Community
HEAL Palestine invests in people who can lead, serve, and strengthen their communities, creating sustainable change shaped by Palestinians themselves.
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