(via Support Palestine)
A Heart That Faded Too Soon
Yamen Abu Hilal was only a child, but everyone who met him felt as though they were meeting someone whose gentleness could calm an entire room. His smile was small, but it carried a warmth far bigger than his fragile body could hold.
For months, Yamen’s family fought desperately to get him the medical care he needed. His heart was weak, and every day became a harder battle than the one before. Doctors had warned that he needed treatment outside Gaza, but the crossing remained closed, and time kept slipping away.
Yamen’s mother held him through long nights when his breathing grew shallow, whispering stories and prayers into his hair. His father moved from one office to another, begging for a permit, a referral, anything that could save his son. But every reply was the same: “Not today… wait…” And while the world asked for patience, Yamen’s strength was quietly fading.
As food became scarce and medicine even scarcer, Yamen’s body grew tired. Malnutrition weakened him further, and his immune system could no longer fight the infections that kept returning. He was a child who needed care, rest, and safety—but Gaza could no longer offer him any of those things.
One morning, before the sun had fully risen, Yamen’s small heart simply couldn’t keep going. His mother felt his hand grow still in hers. His father stood beside them in disbelief, unable to understand how a world with so many resources could let a child slip away like that.
