Jana

This little girl is the lovely daughter of my beautiful colleague, Samar, who is an excellent translator. Jana was born in 2009, and is Samar's only child. She was born with severe cerebral palsy and is very disabled.

Nonetheless, she has a sunny disposition and she smiles a lot, even though she is sometimes in great pain. She is very lucky to have a mother and father who love her dearly, and do everything they can to look after her.

Samar received permission to bring Jana to Israel for a medical check-up. I was nervous in the morning, because I received word that the Beit Hanoun ("Erez") border crossing would be closed for the day.

However, I was relieved to discover that medical patients and their companions would be allowed to cross. I met them in the office before they left, and Jana was all dressed up for her day-trip. She is such a well-cared for little girl.

Jana's parents had been waiting for almost two years to receive results of some tests to find out whether Jana's condition is genetic or not. However, when they reached the hospital, they were informed that they must pay for the medical tests before they can receive the results. Unfortunately, the cost is prohibitively high.

The doctor made some adjustments to Jana's medication, as she had been having seizures due to the combination she was previously taking, and then Samar brought her home to Gaza. I hope that the changes to her medication will help her to feel better.