TRT World website said that Ezz El-Din Lulu, a medical student from Gaza Known as the “Smile Maker” for his ability to make people happy with the paintings he paints for them, he has come up with another initiative to help his people.
He added in a report by writer Pera Ince that Ezz El-Din created a free educational tool to help his fellow medical students continue their education in the midst of the ongoing genocidal war on Gaza since October 7th.
According to the website, Ezz El-Din believes that it is now important to have a “comprehensive health care system in Gaza” that responds practically to the emergencies resulting from the ongoing Israeli attacks, with health care workers trained not only as doctors but as leaders who can “respond effectively in times of crisis.”
Dreams from under the rubble
The writer pointed out that Ezz El-Din was driven by his own experience, as his education was halted with the outbreak of war, and he was forced instead to focus on treating and rescuing his family, who were victims of Israeli bombing.
The fifth-year medical student quickly gained a special skill after trying to treat 700 patients in Al Shifa Hospital.
According to TRT World, what happened one day during the war changed Ezz El-Din’s life forever, and prompted him to think about establishing his own medical education program.
The Turkish website continues that on November 13, Ezz El-Din received a phone call informing him that 20 members of his family, including his father and brother, had been killed in an Israeli airstrike that targeted the family home on the outskirts of Gaza City.
Great tragedy
“At that moment, the world collapsed on my head,” says Ezz El-Din, recalling what he describes as the greatest tragedy of his life. “I couldn’t believe what they were telling me.”
His seriously injured mother was the sole survivor of the attack, and the young doctor later learned from Red Crescent workers – who were the first responders at the scene of his shattered home – that his family’s cries for help could be heard from under the rubble in the aftermath of the strike.
After this tragedy, Ezz El-Din established the Samir Foundation, named after his late father, to fulfill the dreams of parents to see their children become successful qualified doctors.
The program, which launched last May, provides financial assistance to medical students, which Ezz El-Din raised through online donations.
International donors, including Human Concern International, allow Izzedine’s organization to provide training workshops, including on emergency response, patient care, and advanced medical techniques, all under the constant threat of Israeli incursion.
Non-profit organization
The slogan of the non-profit organization has become “From the rubble to a brighter Palestinian health care system” and it receives assistance and support from Arab medical organizations.
The Basic First Aid course is designed to provide medical students with the basic first aid skills needed to respond effectively to emergencies, especially those involving injuries, including third-degree burns and those requiring amputation, all of which are daily occurrences in the ongoing war of genocide.
Ezz El-Din currently works as an assistant in a small hospital in northern Gaza, spending his days in the operating room, from 9 a.m. to 2 a.m., with only short breaks amid the endless stream of urgent cases.
Although his initiative helps his Palestinian colleagues save lives, the doctor, once known as the Smile Maker, realizes that his family is still under the rubble, and says finding a reason to smile has become a major challenge for him.
