Like all parents Abu Khamis Ashour wishes to see his children growing up and later be married; but with the rare disease that inflicted his family all his dreams were shattered wishing that the wheel of time stops and that his children don’t turn sixteen years old.
Ashour 45 looks as if he lost his mind after a rare disease of its kind began taking his children one after the other without being able to do anything for them except to pray that the Rafah crossing could open so that he could treat them in any part of the world.
Khamis Jihad and Noor are three siblings who suffer from a rare disease that appears after reaching the age of 16 where they begin to lose the ability to walk in a balanced manner as well as having pronunciation difficulties.
This situation almost drives their father crazy. He told the PIC reporter “The beginning was with my son Khamis who was not suffering from any disease and when he turned 16 he started losing his balance and became unable to walk.”
Abu Khamis tried hard to know why his son is suffering from this disease by going to all hospitals in the Gaza Strip without any success. The doctors confirmed that Khamis suffers from a chronic lower paralysis.
The grieving father is not satisfied with what the doctors have said especially that no one in the family suffers from this disease. He finally submitted to the will of God after not being able to do anything.
When his son Jihad reached the age of sixteen he began to show the same signs that his brother had shown which shocked Abu Khamis who could not believe what happened and tried to provide his son with all kinds of medicines to no avail.
Abu Khamis tried to send his children for treatment in hospitals inside the 1948 Occupied Territories to be denied entry along with his wife for nine times under the pretext of security rejection which added fuel to fire.
The case of Jihad began to get worse day after another especially as he watched what happened to his older brother Khamis who was hospitalized and was not able to move.
As days went on and with Khamis’ inability to deal with his kids’ condition the family became anxious after their third daughter Nur turned 16 starting suffering from the same signs that her other siblings suffered from.
When the PIC reporter started speaking to Noor she began crying especially that she is having the same consequences her brothers suffered from appearing on her body and affecting her ability to move.
“I used to live a beautiful life in which I dreamed about completing my school and making my parents feel happy but when I reached the age of 16 my life turned upside down” she said after taking a deep breath.
“I began to feel a lack of balance in my feet and in addition to the pity of my schoolmates who were killing me by their looks. I saw them walking normally and I had a trouble walking.”
According to Noor the disease had not got into her body yet because she started suffering from it four months ago. She hoped to find someone to help her get a treatment and not reach what her brothers Khamis and Jihad have reached.
She wishes to return to her normal life and receive the appropriate treatment pointing out that she could not find the appropriate treatment in Gaza especially under the siege. She wishes to travel to any country in order to receive treatment.
Khamis whose smile barely leaves his face says that before he got sick and before turning 16 he used to roam the streets of Khan Younis on his feet joining every single funeral for martyrs.
The family members still have smiles drawn on their faces despite illness and pain that afflicted them reflecting their desire to live despite the siege and pain imposed on them for years.
Abu Khamis concluded wiping his tears so that his kids don’t see him crying “I have three boys and three daughters. I have lost three of my children to this strange disease. All I hope is to diagnose the disease and get a proper treatment at least for my kids who have not started suffering from the disease yet” Abu Khamis said pointing to his kids Karim 14 Nada 12 and Yasmeen 10.
