SAFA – The joy of welcoming baby Rawda Abu Zarqa quickly turned into a nightmare. Just two months after her birth, the family's life was upended. Until then, Rawda had shown no signs of illness, but she suddenly began suffering from extreme fatigue, breathing difficulties, and other worrying symptoms, forcing her family to rush her to the hospital. Since then, she has remained hospitalized while waiting for permission to travel abroad for treatment.

When Rawda was two months old, her mother noticed that she could no longer breastfeed normally, became short of breath, and frequently broke into a sweat. Doctors carried out numerous tests over the following month before deciding she should remain in hospital until she could be medically evacuated, her mother, Asmaa Abu Zarqa, told Felesteen newspaper.

Rawda is now nearing eight months of age without being allowed to leave Gaza, despite receiving an emergency medical referral for treatment abroad. Her condition continues to worsen, while the lack of specialized diagnostic capabilities in Gaza has prevented doctors from reaching a definitive diagnosis.

"Doctors believe Rawda may have an enlarged liver, and that her blood sugar levels drop dangerously from time to time," her mother said. "The doctor told me, word for word, 'Neither I nor anyone else can help you in Gaza. Your daughter has to travel for treatment.'"

Because of Rawda's fragile condition, her mother has been instructed to monitor her around the clock.

"The longest I can leave her is two hours. If I wait any longer, her blood sugar can suddenly drop, causing seizures and even a coma. She has to be fed every two hours to keep her blood sugar stable. I cannot take my eyes off her."

Abu Zarqa said she lives in constant fear that her daughter could slip into a coma, a condition that takes at least three hours to recover from.

"We need a strip-based glucose monitoring device, but it is expensive, and we have to replace it every two weeks. I cannot always afford it. Sometimes I can tell from her facial expressions that her blood sugar has dropped dangerously, but by then it may already be too late."

She added that Rawda cannot breastfeed and depends on a special soy-based infant formula.

"The amount provided by the hospital is not enough, so I have to buy more myself. She also cannot tolerate regular food and vomits everything she eats."

Urgent Need for Medical Evacuation

Rawda's condition has become even more complicated after she developed an ear infection that has failed to respond to several courses of antibiotics.

"The problem is that doctors cannot properly diagnose her condition because the necessary medical capabilities simply do not exist in Gaza," her mother said.

Abu Zarqa fears her daughter could develop life-threatening complications that Gaza's healthcare system is unable to treat.

"We have no choice but to watch over her day and night. It is exhausting. I have four other children. The oldest is 12 and the youngest is four, and I have had to leave them at home while I stay by Rawda's side. It is an enormous physical and emotional burden."

The family continues to wait desperately for permission to evacuate Rawda for treatment abroad before her condition deteriorates further.

"The World Health Organization has contacted us several times, asking us to prepare for travel, but we have still not been allowed to leave, and we do not know why. All we know is that our daughter's condition is getting worse, and she cannot wait any longer."