Rana Nabeel Baalousha is a 23-year-old woman with a beautiful face that reflects deep compassion. She is imprisoned in a slender and frail body, clinging to the hope of experiencing just one day of normalcy. Amid the relentless atrocities of war that have ravaged Gaza for more than 400 soul-crushing days, Rana strives to survive.
For five long years, Rana has been battling a rare, mysterious disease that invaded her body and robbed it of its strength. It began with a complete loss of appetite that lasted a year, followed by a relentless cycle of weight loss and constant vomiting. Food, once a source of joy, became her greatest enemy.
“I went from doctor to doctor for years, searching for answers,” she says, her voice barely intelligible due to her eroded teeth. “But none could provide a definitive diagnosis because of how rare my condition is.”
Some doctors misdiagnosed her with a stomach infection, prescribing ineffective treatments that only worsened her health. Others dismissed her condition altogether. For five agonizing years, she endured a series of failed treatments that drained her both physically and emotionally.
“I started to believe I’d never get better,” she says.
It wasn’t until September 2023, one month before the war, that Rana met Dr. Elias Arteen, a surgeon in Gaza. Following numerous endoscopies and CT scans, he diagnosed her with Superior Mesenteric Artery Syndrome (SMA Syndrome). Though the condition was rare and serious, for Rana, it was a relief just to learn the truth after years of suffering. “At least now I know where I stand,” she says.
Although the diagnosis provided her with a flicker of hope, it faded quickly.
Just as her body was beginning the long road to recovery, Gaza was plunged into war. Bombs fell, homes crumbled, and once again, Rana was fighting for survival. “Life didn’t give me the chance to recover,” she says.
A War Within a War
Managing her illness meant depending on liquid foods, but that became impossible as electricity shortages swept across Gaza, making it difficult to prepare even the simplest meals.
“Baby Cerelac and peanut butter were my only options,” she recalls. “But they were so expensive, and even then, sometimes impossible to find.”
Without access to suitable food, Rana was sometimes forced to eat solid meals, fully aware they would make her vomit. The relentless vomiting, which had plagued her for years, continued during the war, further damaging her teeth and overall health.
“I lost so much weight, I don’t even recognize myself,” she whispers. “I’ve also lost molars, and I can barely stand. Even praying is hard now.”
By April, Rana’s declining health meant she could no longer work or volunteer. Before then, she had made occasional efforts to help distribute aid to displaced people in southern Gaza. With her body too weak to keep going, she turned inward, channeling her energy into self-improvement. She read books and articles, completed online courses, recited the Quran, and worked on staying positive amid the surrounding darkness. “I was trying to distract myself with anything so I can forget the miserable situation I am stuck into,” expresses Rana.
Days passed, and the physical toll grew worse with each forced displacement. Every time her family found temporary shelter, Israeli airstrikes would drive them out again. From northern Gaza to Khan Younis, then to Rafah, they eventually found themselves in a cramped, sweltering tent in Al-Mawasi.
“It feels like a prison,” she describes. “It’s too small, too hot, and too loud.”
The stench of waste mixed with the acrid scent of bombed-out buildings made breathing nearly impossible. The constant noise of crying children and arguments added to the strain on her frail body. Her condition continued to deteriorate. Even water, once a simple comfort, now made her vomit.
Family’s Unwavering Support
Throughout this grueling journey, Rana’s family carried a heavy burden that tested their strength at every turn. Her mother, the steadfast anchor of the household, stood by Rana’s side from the onset of her mysterious illness through the chaos of war.
When war broke out and fuel became a scarce luxury, her mother had no choice but to adapt — cooking over firewood flames that sputtered and smoked, darkening the air and scorching her hands with their fierce heat. Yet she pushed on, preparing two separate meals each day: one, a carefully blended liquid diet that Rana’s weakened body could tolerate, and another to nourish the rest of the family.
Every hospital visit and every test, her mother remained a pillar of resilience, masking her own exhaustion and pain behind unwavering strength. “She got very tired and lost weight just as much as I did,” Rana says, her voice filled with both admiration and guilt.
Rana’s father, one the other hand, once a provider with steady work, joined the ranks of the unemployed, like thousands displaced by war. Yet, he shouldered the task of sourcing food for Rana — a task that had become nearly impossible due to exorbitant prices and the scarcity of supplies.
When he managed to find food, he searched tirelessly for what Rana could safely eat. “He tries so hard to get me anything that would make me feel happy,” Rana shares. “I can see the worry in his eyes, and I can feel the pain in his heart. I just wish to see him comfortable and at peace, just as he wishes for me — to see me treated and well again.”
Rana’s two sisters played an important role in supporting her emotionally. They took over household chores so that Rana wouldn’t have to strain herself. But their care went beyond just practical help — they lifted her spirits and made sure she felt loved and never alone.
“My family has gone through so much because of me,” Rana says with a broken voice, feeling like the cause of their exhaustion and pain. “I just want to see them happy and at peace, knowing I’m healthy again.”
Survival on the Brink
For the past three months — since she moved to the tent — Rana has been unable to eat or drink. When doctors prescribed intravenous fluids, her body, weakened by malnutrition and stress, began rejecting even those. Her family could only watch helplessly as she wasted away before their eyes.
When IV fluids became insufficient, doctors decided to put her on total parenteral nutrition (TPN), a life-saving treatment that bypasses the digestive system entirely, delivering nutrients directly into her bloodstream. It’s a last resort. Despite the risks, it’s the only thing keeping her alive.
“I’m scared,” she admits, her voice trembling. “I don’t know if this will work, but I have no choice.”
Before her illness and the war, Rana was a passionate, hard-working student. She completed her degree in IT from the Islamic University of Gaza in just 3.5 years — an impressive feat for any student. At the same time, she worked as a freelancer to support her family. Upon graduation, she had an offer to work as a graphic designer in a reputable office — a dream opportunity for many in Gaza.
“I wanted to pursue a master’s degree, expand my career, and become financially independent,” she says. “But now, even dreaming feels distant.”
Her dreams, once filled with ambition, have now shifted to a simpler, more urgent wish.
“I want to travel abroad, get the surgery I need, and live a normal life again,” Rana says. “I want to eat food, to not be in pain all the time. That’s all I want.”
Due to the Israeli devastation of Gaza’s hospitals, Rana and others like her have no options left for them inside the Gaza Strip.
Rana’s story is just one of thousands of people in Gaza struggling with rare conditions, cancers, kidney diseases, and more, who desperately need permits to travel abroad and seek treatment. However, due to the Israeli army’s control and closure of the Rafah Crossing — the only crossing through which Gazans are allowed to travel abroad — since May 7, virtually no one has been allowed to go in or out of the strip, except very few people after being subjected to arbitrary Israeli security checking.
According to the Euro Mediterranean Monitor for Human Rights, the continued closure of Gaza’s crossing, may at result in the death of at least 26,000 injured people and patients who need a permit to receive immediate treatment abroad.
“I just want to be well,” Rana says, her voice resolute.
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