Devastated by her amputation, Nesma walks again and her life has started afresh
Nesma is one of thousands of people in Gaza injured and maimed by an airstrike. Recovering, learning to walk again and rethinking life is a long process. HI is with them.
Nesma at the HI rehabilitation centre | © HI
An airstrike on her displaced people's camp
Twenty-year-old Nesma has been displaced from her home in the Al-Tuffah neighborhood, east of Gaza City, seeking safety with her family in Mawasi Al-Qarara in southern Gaza. On August 16, 2025, an airstrike hit a neighboring tent where she lived. The blast killed one family member and injured five others. Nesma sustained severe injuries to her right leg. It had to be amputated below the knee.
The trauma of her amputation
Her injury put her in deep emotional distress. She struggled to accept the amputation, withdrew from those around her, and refused to see visitors. It was then that she was put in contact with HI, who provided her with psychological care. The team helped her work through her depression while supporting her physical recovery.
Initially, Nesma was reluctant to receive psychological support. The specialists worked patiently with her, giving her time and space to feel comfortable. Gradually, she began sharing her feelings and speaking about her fears. She started welcoming visitors again and reconnecting with her loved ones.
To walk again
HI's team provided her with a prosthesis and the rehabilitation care necessary for her to receive and correctly use her artificial limb.
In early July 2026, they confirmed that her residual limb was ready for fitting. Nesma began practicing walking soon afterward, with the team adjusting the prosthesis to help her feel steady and comfortable.
By early August 2026, she was taking her first steps with her new limb.
"The psychological support helped me breathe again. The team stood by me until I believed in myself once more," she says.
Now six months pregnant, Nesma is preparing for motherhood. The prospect of caring for a newborn had brought fears about how she would manage after the amputation.
"Wearing the limb changed my entire perspective," she says. "Knowing that I will stand firmly on my own feet, hold my child in my arms, and care for my family without asking for help gives me endless strength. It gave me my life and my dignity back."
