If you are unfamiliar with the story, here’s a link to what we posted on Dec. 4th: Palestinian college students shot in Vermont last week
Two of the three 20-year-old students are expected to recover completely. The third, Hisham Awartani, has a bullet lodged in his spine and may never walk again, but he has left the hospital and is now in a rehabilitation center. On the GoFundMe page written by his family and friends, you can see a beautiful picture of Hisham and his parents in better times. There are also pictures of Hisham at various stages of his life, and you can read this about him:
Hisham is a kind, gentle, brilliant young man with enormous potential and his whole life ahead of him. A Palestinian-Irish-American, he grew up in the West Bank and is a graduate of the Ramallah Friends School, a Quaker institution. He is pursuing a dual degree, studying math and archaeology at Brown. Hisham speaks seven languages, is a teacher assistant at Brown and is so dedicated to his studies that he has told his college professors he is determined to start the next semester “on time.”
In a Dec. 6 update to his GoFundMe page, there is a brief video showing him being wheeled out of the hospital, and this heartfelt message from the family and friends:
To everyone who has offered their love and support to Hisham, we are humbled and overwhelmed by your care and generosity. We are happy to share a video of Hisham leaving the wonderful confines of UVM Medical Center - where he received amazing care - on his way to his spinal injury rehabilitation center to begin the next phase of his recovery. His family and friends remain in awe of his calm determination, strength and steadiness. We’ve been told it may be some time before we understand what the long-term prognosis is.
We have received estimates (from Christopher Reeve Foundation and Kelly Brush Foundation) that the costs of an adaptive life (including both short-term and long-term needs) may total more than $2.8 million. That is a staggering number. We are grateful that some of his immediate medical needs may be covered by insurance and by other offers of support.
We are establishing a foundation that will ensure that Hisham's expenses can be covered and that he and the family can begin the work of paying it forward, supporting those much less fortunate that Hisham - including those suffering within the devastating humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where few have access to life-saving medical treatment, food and water.
The worldwide support of the GoFundMe has blown us away and reflects the fact that love always overcomes hate. Always.
As of 9:45 pm Wed. Dec. 6, GoFundMe had received $1,356,749 from 18,200 donations and raised the goal to $2 million.
Video showing Hisham leaving the hospital: