Sufian Shweiki, a 47-year-old father of seven children, works in the central heating business. "I install central heating systems, and it requires a great deal of stamina," he explains. Sufian recently traveled five kilometers to reach Hebron's charitable medical center nestled inside the Old City, in spite of fatigue and an acute headache. Although Sufian lives on the outskirts of the city of Hebron, he always goes to the charitable center whenever he, or any of his family members, falls ill.
"I have great trust in this center, especially Dr. Wael," explains Sufian.
At the center, Dr. Wael Al-Rajabi takes his time examining Sufian thoroughly and performing tests. He eventually addresses Sufian's concerns telling him, "you have an infection of the sinuses, which has affected your lungs and airways," and prescribes him a strong medication, delivered by Anera, to treat his infections. The medication Avelox, which Dr. Wael prescribes, was donated by Direct Relief.
"Given the quality of this medication, I'm sure he'll be feeling like himself again three days into this treatment," says the doctor confidently. "With donated medicines, we are able to improve the lives of our disadvantaged patients and the quality of our medical services.”
Looking Forward to His Personal Passion
With a long list of financial commitments and school fees, Sufian can't wait to put his illness behind him and concentrate on his work again. Much like Sufian, countless families depend on the charitable center for quality health care and treatment. Amidst high levels of unemployment and poverty, the center prescribes free medication for its patients, alleviating a part of their financial burdens.
Getting back to work isn't the only thing Sufian looks forward to. He is a family man who gives much of his time to his wife and children. Recently, he has been avoiding physical contact with his youngest children to prevent them from getting sick.
When Sufian isn't working or hanging out with his kids, he pursues a personal passion. "A colleague of mine is part of a small humanitarian organization that helps the poor and deprived, especially people who have to work really hard to make ends meet," he explains. "I help her identify families who live in absolute poverty and their different social, financial, medical and educational needs."
Sufian likes to bring along his oldest son on these trips to "nurture benevolence and compassion in him. I want him to learn how important it is to help others in need. Whether it is offering a ride to a stranded person or putting on a smile, I do whatever I can to help others, and it's definitely rubbing off on my children, especially my youngest child."
