SAMIR’S CASE

Samir works as a security guard in the Bethlehem Arab Association for Rehabilitation (BASR). He is a healthy 24 year old, who constantly daydreams about his imminent marriage, hoping he can make arrangements for it to happen no later than next year. He welcomes people with a sincere smile and enjoys commenting football (soccer?). The passer-by may find it hard to believe that he was almost shot to death seven years ago in his home village, Al-Hader, south of the Palestinian controlled Bethlehem municipality. His crutches however, are a walking testimony of the incident.

On March the 10th 2002, Samir gathered with some friends in the streets of Al-Hader. These were tough times, since the Al-Aqsa Intifada was at its apex of violence. Samir then worked evenings as a waiter and attended 11th grade at school. He had plans of becoming a chef; alas, his ambitions were cut short that very day. A group of Israeli soldiers who were watching the boys suddenly started shooting at them. Three of the Palestinians were wounded, among them Samir. Three bullets struck his left leg.

While still bleeding on the floor, Samir managed to bandage his leg with his t-shirt. He had to wait almost half an hour before the Israeli soldiers left and the ambulance could access him. Throughout the trip to the hospital, Samir couldn’t feel his leg. He was distraught, fearing amputation.

He spent 15 days in the Al-Hussein hospital in Bethlehem, and had three surgeries performed on his leg. Even though they managed to save both his life and his leg, Samir was still far from full recovery. After being hospitalised for 15 days, he was referred to the BASR to follow a rehabilitation program consisting of medical and nursing care, physiotherapy, hydrotherapy, occupational therapy and psychosocial intervention.

In spite of the treatment, Samir still spent the first year of his new life on a wheelchair. From then on there was strenuous but steady improvement, until one day he was able to walk with the crutches that the BASR provided him with. The centre offered him the security guard post, which he accepted after some hesitation. Samir’s mood had been affected by the ordeal, making him depressed.

Samir currently works at BASR and continues to receive regular medical checks-up and physiotherapy in the centre. The prognosis of his left leg is still uncertain. The wounds still suffer regular infections and his fractures are yet to properly heal.