GAZA, (PIC)
Seven-year-old Sama Abu Tabil dreams of restoring her beautiful hair to what it once was, before the Israeli aggression on Gaza that has been ongoing for 11 months.
Every morning, the innocent girl holds her mirror, looking at herself in hopes that her hair will grow back after the brutality of the occupation war caused it to fall out. Each time, she cries, her sadness deepening, saying, “It seems I will never get my hair back. I’m sad because I’m bald.”
In a painful and harsh expression of her condition, Sama wishes for death every day. She hates the way other children look at her when they ask about her cancer diagnosis.
What happened
Five months ago, Sama had beautiful hair that she styled in lovely ways, proud to show it off among her friends. But everything changed when the Israeli occupation army attacked a house near the tent where her family had sought refuge in Rafah, forcing her parents to flee with the children to a nearby hospital.
The little girl recalls what happened, “I was sleeping when I woke up to the terrifying sound of a massive explosion without having time to grasp what was happening. My father carried me and my sister and ran through the streets, calling on my mother to follow him.”
“We reached the hospital, thinking it was a safe place, but the occupation army attacked its roof. We spent the night under continuous shelling, as if death was chasing us. Fortunately, Sama and her family survived the attack and moved to Khan Yunis, believing it would be safer. Yet, the explosions did not stop, and she felt she could die at any moment.
Sama decided not to cry and kept her fears hidden in her heart, not wanting to upset her parents. Just a few days later, while combing her hair as usual, she was shocked to see a significant portion of it falling out. That was the catastrophe, the shock … Sama became bald.
Her mother says that Sama lost about 80% of her hair in just three days, and the greatest tragedy is that her treatment is not available in Gaza. She wonders what sin her child committed to be punished with hair loss, and emphasizes that the hardest question Sama asks her is: “When will my hair grow back?”
She continued, “I couldn’t bear my daughter’s tears and started telling her that she would get her hair back soon. I always tell her that she is the most beautiful girl in the world.”
The grieving mother has appealed to all parties for assistance in getting her daughter out of the Gaza Strip for treatment, as it is unavailable due to the ongoing blockade and a shortage of medical supplies.
Sama will celebrate her birthday on October 5 and hopes to regain her hair before the celebration with her friends. Sama said, “Even if I can’t celebrate this year, I hope to do it next year when the war ends, and I can travel for treatment.”
Alopecia Areata
Dr. Mohamed Al-Attar, the doctor treating Sama at Nasser Hospital, states that the girl suffers from alopecia areata, which usually occurs in individuals experiencing severe psychological stress, typically resulting from fear and trauma.
He explains that due to trauma and intense psychological pressure, a significant number of hair follicles may enter a resting phase for an extended period. This is the main reason for hair loss, which is noticeably observed about three days to a week after the hair follicles enter the resting phase.
Al-Attar clarified that the fundamental treatment for restoring hair involves creating a suitable health and psychological environment for the patient and taking the necessary medications that help the patient regain his/her hair.
