Meet Talal — an 8-year-old boy from Gaza whose life changed dramatically after a bombing in January 2024 left shrapnel embedded in his spine.

The explosion struck his home during dawn prayers, injuring his mother and sisters and severely damaging his ability to walk. For months, Talal endured intense pain, first in Gaza and then in Egypt, without access to the advanced medical care he urgently needed.

Today, Talal has safely arrived in Australia to begin a new chapter of healing. He is the first child from Gaza to be evacuated to Australia through the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund (PCRF) Treatment Abroad Program, in collaboration with the Palestinian Australian New Zealand Medical Association (PANZMA). At St. Vincent’s Private Hospital, he will receive expert, multidisciplinary care long out of reach in Gaza.

This journey reflects the power of global solidarity, with partners, medical teams, and donors coming together to restore Talal’s right to health and a better life.

In war-torn Gaza, where hospitals have been destroyed and medical care is largely inaccessible, thousands of children are suffering from war-related injuries, cancer, chronic conditions, and trauma without the treatment they need. The Palestine Children’s Relief Fund (PCRF) is one of the leading humanitarian organizations helping to evacuate and treat injured and sick children from Gaza abroad, providing access to life-saving care when local systems are overwhelmed or destroyed.