Sep, 2017
After a sleepless night and several trips to the bathroom, 12-year-old Abdallah Yazeid didn’t feel like himself.
In the morning, his worried sister Marwa checked his temperature and sent him back to bed. As a trained nurse, Marwa knew to place a damp cloth over his forehead to bring his fever down and provide some comfort for his fatigued body.
"I strongly believe that medication is something that must only be taken on doctor's orders, and not something to be taken haphazardly," explains Marwa, who lives near her family in their West Bank town of Dura. "I knew I had to keep his temperature under control before he was able to walk to the doctor’s office."
After carefully examining the child, Dr. Salem Dudeen diagnosed him with a tonsil infection. He prescribed Abdallah with Clavulin, an antibiotic donated by Direct Relief and delivered by Anera. Since the medicine is taken in liquid form, it’s easy to swallow for children like Abdallah, and its high dosage guarantees a speedy recovery.
Abdullah received care at the medical center in Dura, a town southwest of Hebron. It’s the area’s sole medical facility and it’s always ready to receive patients thanks to a steady supply of medicines that Anera delivers to its shelves.
"Clavulin is among the most necessary and effective medicines for treating these kinds of infections," says the young doctor. "With such quality donations, even our poorest patients can receive top-notch care at no cost at all."
Helping Impoverished Families Survive in Dura, Palestine
Marwa and Abdallah have four other siblings, and they mainly rely on their father for financial support. But their father is a laborer and his monthly earnings are hardly enough to cover their needs. Dr. Dudeen believes that the medical center plays a fundamental role in sustaining local families like his.
As the youngest child, Abdallah is a gift to his parents and aging grandparents, who he helps with basic chores around the house. But when he fell ill, he was unable to run his usual errands. "My grandmother had asked me that morning to help her with some grocery shopping, but I was so tired I could barely move a limb."
Abdallah is grateful that he will be fully recuperated in a week, just in time for the start of the new school year. He's especially looking forward to seeing his school friends again and playing soccer.
With such quality donations, even our poorest patients can receive top-notch care at no cost at all.
Donations of vital medicines help countless school children like Abdallah stay focused in school, as well as help parents keep healthy as they provide for their families, especially during the approaching change in seasons.
