PALESTINE CHILDREN'S RELIEF FUND

PASSION FOR SOCCER, HOPE FOR MEDICAL CARE BRING PALESTINIAN BOY TO DC

11-year-old Lost His Leg in a Tank Shell Explosion
WASHINGTON - 11-year-old Hamad El-Neirab does not remember much about the
tank shell explosion that sent metal shards through his body and severed his left leg. But on September 13, 2004 the boy from a Gaza Strip refugee camp will sit half a world away in a state-of-the-art Washington, DC examination room to be fitted for a new leg.

Nascott Rehabilitation Services offered to provide a prosthetic leg to Hamad at no cost after being contacted by an American humanitarian group, The Palestine Children's Relief Fund (PCRF). Due to their impoverished status, Hamad's family cannot afford to pay for costly prosthetics to give their
youngest son the ability to walk again. "Nascott is proud to help those in need when circumstances make it impossible for them to help themselves," said Karen Curtis, president of Nascott.

"Hamad is a pleasant and energetic youngster. It is an injustice when a limb is lost due to war and war-like conditions," said David C. Fenton, certified prosthetist at Nascott. "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."

Steve Sosebee, president and CEO of PCRF, learned of Hamad's case from his network of field workers in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. "The El-Neirab 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 Hamad to walk again."

After learning that Hamad was an avid soccer player before his injury, the local DC United soccer team donated free tickets to its home games to Hamad, and will surprise him with a personal meeting with its star players after the September 11 match. "I love football [soccer], and I had a dream to be a professional footballer like Ronaldo and play in the World Cup and Olympics," Hamad says. "Now I cannot be a footballer. How can I play with one leg?"

PCRF (www.pcrf.net) is an American non-political, non-profit medical relief organization established in 1991 to provide cost-free medical care to children of the Middle East.

Nascott (www.nascott.com), founded in 1985, is the premiere source for Orthotic, Prosthetic and Pedorthic services in the Washington, DC Metropolitan area with over 200 years of combined clinical experience by practitioners and technicians. Nascott has offices in Washington, DC,
Fairfax, VA, Frederick and Silver Spring, MD. >>>Read News Story |See More

11-year-old Hamad El-Neirab Lost His Leg in a Tank Shell Explosion

WASHINGTON- 11-year-old Hamad El-Neirab was severely injured when a tank shell exploded into a crowd of peaceful demonstrators on May 19 and amputated his leg. Hamad, from the southern Gaza Strip refugee camp of Rafah, survived the explosion but 9 other people did not.

Nascott Rehabilitation Services in Washington, DC agreed to provide a prosthetic leg to Hamad at no cost after being contacted by an American humanitarian group, The Palestine Children's Relief Fund (PCRF). Due to his family's impoverished status, they cannot afford to pay for such costly
prosthetics, nor are they availalble in Gaza.

Hamad was an avid soccer player before his injury, and now he is unsure whether he will ever play again. "I loved football, and I had a dream to be a professional footballer like Ronaldo and play in the World Cup. I like him and his yellow jersey number 9," Hamad says. "Now I can not be a footballer. How can I play with one leg? Football is not chess, and I need two legs to play."

DC United soccer team has also donated free tickets to its home games to Hamad while he is in town, and offered to arrange a personal meeting between the little boy and his soccer heroes. He is being hosted by local families in Maryland, and being supported by the PCRF DC chapter.

More on Hamad
Labor Day, Hamad was invited to be the "peace ambassador" at local peace camp for kids.
Here is the background:
Since before Hamad came we were contacted by a local group called Little Friends for Peace (www.lffp.org). According to their website, LFFP mission is: "teaching non-violence skills to young children. We believe that acts of violence from playground put-downs, to family fights, to street crime, to international conflicts build on each other, from the ground up, like a house constructed off-balance. The way to break down violence is to learn peace at an early age .... and to practice it at every age."

The directors of the organization, MJ & Jerry Park, are a husband-wife team who started LFFP in 1981. Jerry just visited Palestine and Israel, and their son recently toured Iraqi hospitals, and they say they've discussed both conflicts with their peace campers. They are anxious to have the unique opportunity to put a human face on children from Palestine -- and once Asmah arrives, on children from Iraq too.

Here is one message I received from MJ that was especially touching: "Just wanted to share that we made welcome signs and cards for Hamad. We have alot of the children very interested to meet him. One boy brought in a envelope of coins - his family had decided to donate their family piggy bank to get Hamad a soccer ball and other sports stuff he may want. It was precious so I said I thought he should present it and I would let him know when we are going to gather."

Read another news story about Hamad|Visit PCRF-DC Main Page