Noor, 27 years old

I met Noor like I’ve met all my Palestinian friends: on Instagram. She reached out first and it struck me as surprising that she did not lead with asking for a donation. I wouldn’t blame her if she had; life is nearly unsurvivable in Gaza. There are no resources available, and what little can be found is incredibly expensive. Most of the population has been unable to work and so funds are very limited.

And yet, she reached out simply seeking connection. Seeking friendship. And so, my friendship with dear Noor began.

Her Before

Before the 2023 escalation, she enjoyed romance, coffee, and tea.

She liked hamburgers but her favorite food was musakhan.

Noor was studying and graduated with a degree in nutrition. She wanted to work in her field and she was also volunteering at the local hospital.

Noor was married and had a beautiful little boy, Yamen, who was three years old.

She was an auntie and loved her nieces and nephews.

And her favorite thing to do was to spend time with her mother, who would make her favorite treats.

Her design

For Noor, I gave her some choices for designs based on things she had told me about herself.

Did she want me to honor her favorite flower, the red damask rose, or her career in nutrition?

Her response?

“I love roses more than nutrition.”

How could I say no to that??

So I chose a beautiful, bold, three dimensional rose granny square for her, designed by Bag-O-Day Crochet. I gave her a warm rose color and a muted olive green for the leaves.

Her Now

Now, more than two years into this escalation of aggression, Noor has lost nearly everyone she loves. Her parents, one of her brothers and his children. Her son. The airstrike that killed her son left her in the ICU for 22 days with severe medical complications, as well as two broken legs. And when an air strike martyred her son, her husband left and never came back.

Life, my friend, is very difficult right now. I have lost my passion and everything beautiful.

-Noor

Beyond the excessive prices for any basic foods, Noor needs specialized food due to her lacerated pancreas, removed duodenum, and colostomy bags. Not only that, but the colostomy bags themselves are expensive, as is the operation she has to have next week.

And since Instagram blocked her account multiple times, her new one has only a handful of posts and limited reach, which means that donations have stopped at a time when she needs support the most to get her through this wet winter and follow up surgery.

Why it matters

My goal with this project is to remember who these people were before the war took away every sense of peace and every priority and focus beyond basic survival.

But just as I refuse to tell their stories as one-dimensional ones of victimhood, focusing on their loss, I also refuse to romanticize their past without also highlighting the fact that these people are still here, trying to survive. They are still alive and in need of support!

They were people before they became statistics. Before they became a headline.

Many people have seen Noor’s Instagram posts asking for donations, maybe you’ve even seen the post where she shares her story of loss. But her life wasn’t always marked by loss, and it won’t always be full of grief either.

Though we remain hopeful for a brighter tomorrow, especially with some attempts at a ceasefire, for today, Noor remains in Gaza under severe rain and flooding, bombings, tanks and shortages of food and medical resources.

Despite the heartbreak of losing her parents, brother, his children, and her own son and husband, not to mention her severe medical situation, Noor is surviving day by day, showing us what true resilience and strength in the face of adversity looks like.

To support Noor, you can donate to her account here.

Help me keep this project alive

If you know a story that deserves to be commemorated in We Were, We Are, you can share it with me, knowing that I will treat your loved ones with the utmost love, honor, and respect.

This memorial quilt is not only to remember the lives lost, but also to highlight the resilience of those still living despite all odds.