"Short trip turned into a nightmare": Medway family talks about escape from Gaza
BOSTON - The Medway family that spent weeks in war-torn Gaza is talking about their harrowing escape. They are so thankful to be home but are terrified for their loved ones.
"We are still processing what we experienced," said Wafaa Abuzayda. "I can't believe our short trip just turned into a nightmare."
Shedding light on their weeks trapped in Gaza, Wafaa Abuzayda and her husband Abood Okal of Medway spoke to a national audience in an interview with CNN's Anderson Cooper Wednesday night.
"Nothing is worse than being inside of Gaza right now," Abood said. "If you are not dying from airstrikes or shelling, you're at high risk of dying because of dehydration and lack of food."
The Medway couple and their one-year-old son were in Gaza when they heard missiles that fateful October morning. Abood says he could see them flying overhead.
"Then in a couple of hours as news rolled out of what was happening that day, we realized that we are in trouble," Abood said.
From there, the family of three ran into roadblock after roadblock. They tried multiple times to cross Gaza's southern border to no avail. They ended up in a make-shift shelter - with 40 other people.
The group strategized daily. "We used to wake up every morning thinking about how we are going to get water, bread, food," Wafaa said.
Wafaa says the group would ration a gallon of water a day and share pieces of bread. As for one-year-old Yousef, she was forced to dilute his milk, before eventually running out. All while her maternal instincts tried to keep him comfortable and calm.
"I started to teach him, OK this is what you hear, this is a fireworks, remember the Fourth of July, it's the same thing," Wafaa said.
The family made their escape last week and landed in Boston Monday. They made it out, but so many of their family members have not.
"I had mixed feelings to be honest," Wafaa said. "I feel happy because we are safe here, we are back. But our mind is in Gaza because I still have my parents over there."
