Palestinian Pain, One Kid at a Time

[Mr_Jefferson_24]

by Fareed Taamallah

http://www.commondreams.org/views06/0509-32.htm

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Eventually, on a rainy, cold day, my wife, Amina, carried Lina three miles on mountainous roads into Nablus to reach a doctor. One year later, we learned that the infection had caused renal failure and that Lina would eventually need a kidney transplant to survive.

For 16 months, Lina underwent dialysis every four hours. She spent many days in hospitals because of the kidney failure's side effects, including hypertension and hernia. Her limbs became as thin as toothpicks.

During Lina’s numerous hospitalizations, the Israeli security services denied me permits to accompany her. No reason was given why.

Tests showed that neither her mother nor I was a compatible kidney donor for Lina. In the spring of 2005, a South African friend named Anna offered to donate a kidney to save Lina's life. I had met Anna in 2003 during a peaceful protest campaign against the Segregation Wall Israel is building in the West Bank...