Time working out to avoid wasting cherished eight-year-old left to die in Gaza tent
A dedicated campaigner is fighting against the clock to bring eight-year-old Maryam Dawas over to the UK for urgent medical treatment, as the skeletal child continues to fade before her devastated mother’s eyes
Maryam Dawas’ hometown was once known for producing fragrant roses and strawberries; now the smell of death and destruction lingers everywhere.
The early years of eight-year-old Maryam Dawas’ life were filled with “colour, creativity and light”. Now her family faces a dreadful race against time to save her, with their home and the happy life they once knew in ruins.
The little girl was born in Beit Lahia, a city located some seven kilometres north of Gaza City. The Israeli-Gaza conflict, now at an uneasy ceasefire, has led to the deaths of 69,000 Palestinians so far. As the grim exchange of bodies from both sides continues, those still alive continue to face impossible challenges, with rubble where schools and hospitals once stood.
For children like Maryam, who has complex health concerns, the almost complete destruction of any adequate medical care has proven catastrophic.
READ MORE: More Palestinian bodies returned by Israel as shaky Gaza ceasefire holds
Maryam suffers from severe malnutrition, malabsorption and untreated 3C Marsh coeliac disease, a type of autoimmune condition whereby eating gluten damages the patient’s small intestine. According to Maryam’s medical reports, the child is acutely underweight, and her gut lining has been eroded to the point where she’s no longer able to properly absorb any food or nutrients.
This, in turn, has led to osteoporosis, a condition that causes bones to weaken and become brittle. This lively young girl, who once loved to dance and play, could now break a bone after the most minor of falls. Her body is so badly weakened that an infection could be fatal, and loved ones don’t even have the option to soothe her with food – gluten-free food items are very difficult to come by in Gaza.
Doctors have also advised that the treatment Maryam needs cannot be found anywhere in the Gaza Strip, and despite medics doing the best they can with their limited resources, the little girl continues to deteriorate and fade away, to the dismay of helpless family members.
The Mirror has spoken with Sana, a woman who works in the field of disability rights, who is now desperately trying to bring Maryam over to the UK for the treatment she urgently needs. Painting a picture of the joy Maryam brings to loved ones amid the darkness, Sana told us: “The only daughter in her family and the first granddaughter, she was cherished from the moment she arrived.
“When her grandmother speaks about her, her voice softens with warmth. She calls Maryam ‘the doll of the house’ , the joy of the family, the spark of laughter, the little angel around whom love naturally gathered. It is impossible not to feel how deeply she is adored, and how devastating it is for her family to now watch her health fade.
“Today, Maryam’s mother carries a sorrow no parent should ever bear; watching her bright, imaginative daughter become unrecognisable through illness, while also caring for Maryam’s twin baby brothers, not yet two years old. The weight on her heart is immeasurable.”
Sana first learned of Maryam’s plight through journalist Farida Al Ghoul. After taking the time to fully understand the situation, Sana came into contact with the Dawas family, with whom she remains in “close and continuous contact”.
The campaigner can remember the first time she met with Maryam in vivid detail, recalling how the “tiny” child, who weighed 25kg before her harrowing ordeal, lay in her hospital bed, by then a skeletal 8.3kg. It was at this point that the true devastation of the situation hit Sana.
According to Sana: “It was her mother who struck me most profoundly. A woman of extraordinary strength and quiet dignity, she had never faced a camera or spoken to the press before. Yet, in the midst of unimaginable chaos, displacement and fear, she found her voice, not for herself, but for her child.
“Suddenly, she was advocating for Maryam on a global stage, speaking to international media, NGOs, and humanitarian organisations, determined to keep her daughter alive in a world that seemed to be closing in.”
Showing extraordinary compassion, Sana stepped up to support Maryam’s parents when navigating the medical and humanitarian processes, all while “advocating on their behalf when they could not.” Putting their trust in this Good Samaritan, the family asked Sana to serve as their official UK Family Representative.
She reflected: “Trusting a child’s life, especially in such circumstances, is not a burden; it is an honour. If I could help even one family in Gaza, then that is a privilege I hold with deep responsibility.”
This is a responsibility Sana has dedicated herself to wholeheartedly. Although Maryam was officially approved for medical evacuation overseas through the World Health Organisation (WHO) back in September, she continues to wait for acceptance to the UK. This wait could take six months, and in a case where every minute is precious, this could be far too long.
Fearing that Maryam, like other children in Gaza, will die on this terrible waiting list, Sana has petitioned British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to add the critically ill girl to the UK evacuation list from Gaza without delay. Maryam’s family have been in contact with London’s Great Ormond Street Hospital about her potentially being admitted as a private patient; however, first they must secure funding.
At the time of writing, the Change.org petition has garnered more than 56,000 signatures and counting, including high-profile figures such as American educator and social media influencer, Ms Rachel.
Considering the many heartfelt messages that have been left by so many around the world, including from other children with serious illnesses, Sana shared: “They recognised her suffering instantly, not in statistics or headlines, but in their bones, because they understood what a child’s hunger truly means.”
Sana added: “By bringing Maryam to safety in the UK, the Labour government would send a clear message: under Sir Keir Starmer’s leadership, Britain once again leads with decency, compassion, and decisive humanity. Such an act would resonate globally, reinforcing Britain’s role as a humanitarian power and restoring public faith that politics can still serve principle.”
The sad story of the Dawas family shows that even success and social standing aren’t enough to protect the families of Gaza. Maryam comes from a once-wealthy household, with a grandfather who ran a thriving business. There is even a neighbourhood named “the Dawas Quarter”, in honour of this “warm, educated and community-minded family”.
Shedding light on the comfortable life Maryam once knew, Sana revealed: “Before the war, Maryam’s world was full of movement, colour, and dreams. She adored art, drawing, painting, threading tiny beads into delicate bracelets, and whenever music played, she would dance freely across the room.
“Her small hands were always creating beauty, and she would run to her mother with sparkling eyes, eager to share each new masterpiece. Today, that world has been taken from her.”
Now, “bright, imaginative” Maryam and her parents have been left homeless and without any means of income, living in a tent out in the sand after being displaced no fewer than 13 times. Despite everything, however, family members “speak not in bitterness but in quiet dignity” and “remain gracious”, even in the face of so much uncertainty. They also haven’t given up hope, with Maryam still holding her dream of becoming a doctor.
Sana continued: “The little girl who once painted bright skies and spun in dance, now spends her days fighting to survive. Yet, even amid illness, displacement, and exhaustion, her spirit has not been extinguished. Her gentleness remains.
“Her imagination still flickers with hope. Maryam dreams of becoming a doctor, so she can help children who suffer as she does. In her quiet moments, she looks up and asks her mother the questions no child should ever have to ask, ‘What is happening to me? When will I be okay again?'”
While kind-hearted Maryam dreams of helping others, her devoted grandmother longs for the old days in “beautiful” Beit Lahia and seeing her young granddaughter smile once more. She shared: “Beit Lahia was very beautiful. Its people were kind. Beit Lahia was the paradise of life. There was no place more beautiful than it.
“My life there was full of joy and peace. I pray to God that Maryam returns to how she was — that I may see her old smile again.”
A spokesperson for Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust said: “The conflict in the Middle East has had a devastating impact on the lives of children and young people. We have treated a small number of patients from Gaza who have been privately funded for their treatment.
“We are not able to offer NHS treatment to patients who are not part of the UK Government’s evacuation scheme. We will continue to work with our partners and the UK Government to offer support where we can.”
You can find out more about the petition to bring Maryam Dawas to the UK here.
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