JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The sounds of airstrikes gave way to the clatter of toys when 6-year-old Mohammed arrived in Jacksonville from Gaza, leaving behind a warzone so he could undergo life-saving skull surgery.
His mother, Nima, described the conditions they left behind. The family was living in a tent before traveling to the U.S.
“Our home was bombed on September 2; it was destroyed. They bombed all around us, and the house was knocked down,” she said. “Life in the tent, you cannot imagine. It’s cold, hot. We don’t have a way to cook. Our children don’t have clothes, they don’t have food, they don’t have drinks.”
Nima’s nine-year-old son was killed in the Israeli bombing, she and her daughter were injured, and Mohammed suffered a fractured skull, paralysis on his left side, and vision loss in one eye.
“Mohammed’s situation was going to be extremely bad, his injuries had inflammation, and they didn’t know how to deal with him. They just performed first aid and just cleaned it up with rubbing alcohol. They didn’t have any surgical equipment or tools to clean up the injuries,” Nima said.
At Wolfsons Children’s Hospital, doctors rebuilt his skull and gave him back a chance at childhood.
Their trip to Jacksonville was arranged and funded 100% through private donations as part of HEAL Palestine’s Global Healing Program. After the treatment her son received in Jacksonville, Nima said she was deeply grateful.
“From the bottom of my heart I want to thank them, because without HEAL Palestine, Mohammed would have been poorly treated in Gaza.”
But future patients may not get that chance. Conservative commentator Laura Loomer called families traveling from Gaza for medical treatment a national security threat.
Shortly after sharing her concerns online, the U.S. State Department paused the issuance of visitor visas for people from Gaza while it reviews recent processing. The move effectively freezes a pathway nonprofits have used to bring severely injured children to American hospitals for treatment.
HEAL Palestine said in a statement that the decision leaves vulnerable children in danger and interrupts care plans already in motion.
Ranna Abduljawad, who helps lead the non-profit’s Jacksonville chapter, says the visa pause is devastating for children still in desperate need of care.
“It’s even sad to even say he’s lucky, after what he went through,” Abduljawad said of Mohammed. “There are thousands of children still in Gaza that cannot get that type of medical treatment.”
Abduljawad helped Nima and Mohammed through their specialized medical care journey in Jacksonville. Arranging treatments, follow-up appointments, and housing and travel plans.
“You would think it will make us feel very happy and fulfilled, but at the same token, it is absolutely a drop in the sea right now because of the insane destructions that is in Gaza,” she said.
She added that HEAL Palestine carefully follows U.S. rules. Rana explains that once medical treatment is finished, children and their families are sent back overseas and do not stay in the U.S.
“The nonprofit works with the U.S. Embassy for the visa approval. So of course, we do need to honor that, and make sure we’re adhering to all of the requirements so we are able to help more kids in the future.”
Global health agencies warn that the pause comes as Gaza’s health system is in collapse. WHO and U.N. reports this summer found only 17 of 36 hospitals in Gaza are even partially functional, with severe shortages of medicine and supplies. UNICEF says more than 50,000 children have been killed or injured since the war began, underscoring the scale of pediatric need.
Nima and Mohammed successfully traveled back to Egypt earlier this year after a four-month stay in Jacksonville. It’s unclear if the pair made it back to Gaza safely, as communication has been difficult.
The State Department has not provided a timeline for completing its review of Gaza visa processing.