A 15-year-old boy who lost his legs in an explosion in Gaza arrived at San Francisco International Airport on Tuesday.
The boy, Ahmed, is one of 16 children who have been evacuated to the United States from Gaza for medical treatment.
Ahmed through a translator said he is very grateful and wants to show all the respect that he has to the people that have supported him to get prosthetics because it will allow him to have a normal life.
Dr. Mohamad Subeh treated Ahmed in Gaza almost immediately after he was critically injured in February by what he said was an Israeli missile strike.
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"We had to amputate both of his legs and half of his left hand," Subeh said. "And for people who are familiar with double amputations, most people don't survive even in the best circumstances."
Ahmed miraculously survived and Subeh pledged to his family to bring the teen to the United States for further treatment, prosthetics, and therapy to regain his mobility.
Tuesday's arrival in the Bay Area marked Ahmed's first time out of the Middle East. He was met with an overwhelming response at the airport.
Saarim Ahmed, who is part of a group called Heal Palestine, has been the teen's case worker in the United States. She has been working to help get Ahmed an emergency visa and line up a hospital that will treat him.
The teen is one of thousands of children and youth who are at Egyptian or Palestinian hospitals waiting to be evacuated to other countries for advanced treatments. The medical systems in Gaza are in shambles due to the ongoing war.
