PALESTINE CHILDREN'S RELIEF FUND

FAMILY TRAGEDY, HOPE FOR MEDICAL CARE
BRING PALESTINIAN BOY TO DC
13-year-old Loses Arm, 17 Family Members in Missile Attack

WASHINGTON - 13-year-old Mohammad Athamna does not remember much about the barrage of missiles that fell on his home last November, but when the dust settled he was left without 17 members of his family and an amputated arm. But next week this boy from the Gaza Strip will sit half a world away in a state-of-the-art Washington, DC examination room to be fitted for a new arm.

At dawn on November 8, 2006, the successive firing of ten to twelve tank shells at a Beit Hanoun residential street resulted in what Palestinians on the scene described as the Gazan "tsunami.” Eighteen Palestinians from the same family were killed. The Israeli military stated it regretted the killings and attributed the shelling to human error.

Aside from changing Mohammad’s life forever, the attack sparked a worldwide reaction. It was reported to be the highest civilian death toll in a single incident since the current Israeli-Palestinian conflict erupted in 2000.

District Amputee Care Center heard about the Athamna family’s tragic story and offered to donate a prosthetic arm to Mohammad after being contacted by The Palestine Children's Relief Fund (www.pcrf.net), an American humanitarian organization that provides free medical services in the U.S. for sick and injured children.

Brian Monroe, a certified prosthetist and president of DACC, agreed to donate his time and a custom prosthetic arm. “The loss of an arm is not only a physical injury but a psychological one as well. How we interact with our environment and communicate with other people is through our hands. So Mohammad’s type of injury now only affects how he functions in society, but how he views himself. I am glad we are able to assist him and I anticipate that in a short period of time, the prosthesis will allow him to actively participate in many youthful activities.”

During his stay in the Washington area, Mohammad is being hosted by a family in Potomac, MD and supported by a network of Washingtonians.

Steve Sosebee, president and CEO of PCRF, learned of Mohammad’s case from his network of field workers in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. “The Athamna family has experienced such devastation, so I'm pleased we were able to coordinate free travel and medical care,” said Sosebee. “The family has expressed to me their sincere appreciation for everyone who will make it possible for Mohammad to regain use of his arm.”

District Amputee Care Center (www.districtamputeecarecenter.com) located in Washington, DC is an innovative prosthetic practice specializing in complicated prosthetic cases.
Its offices are located at 730 24th St, NW and can be reached at (202) 338-0770.