News

Actions

'I’m so happy to have him back': West Bloomfield doctor back home after being stranded in Gaza

Dr. Ammar Ghanem was in Gaza for a medical mission.
West Bloomfield doctor back home after being stranded in Gaza
Posted

WEST BLOOMFIELD, Mich. (WXYZ) — Dr. Ammar Ghanem went to Gaza on May 1st and expected to return a week later, but that did not happen.

He ended be stuck there for an extra week, now he is grateful to be back home.

“Ultimately, we were evacuated safely and I would thank everybody who worked on this, you know the community here,” Ghanem said.

Dr. Ghanem went over to Gaza for a medical mission.

He volunteered in the ICU at a hospital there.

 “I was telling my family, it’s really worth all the sacrifice, all the risk we took cause they know you save one life in Gaza it’s as if you saved the whole humanity,” Ghanem said.

Dr. Ammar Ghanem back home in West Bloomfield after being stuck in Gaza for nearly  two weeks.
Dr. Ammar Ghanem back home in West Bloomfield after being stuck in Gaza for nearly two weeks.

Ghanem says before he decided to go on the mission trip, he asked his wife and three kids first.

“I will not take the risk unless I have my family on my side supporting me and I know my specialty is well needed,” Ghanem said.

Ghanem’s wife, Amnah, says she was living in a nightmare not knowing when her husband was going to come back home.

“I’m so happy to have him back home,” said Amnah Allboani, Ghanem’s wife.

 As Ghanem celebrate his safe return home with his family, he says he can’t stop thinking about the people who are still in Gaza continuing their missions.

“They decide to stay because they want to continue to help and continue to advocate for the people of Gaza from inside. You are leaving, you advocate from the outside,” said Ghanem.

When Ghanem was asked if he would do another medical mission like this one again… his wife answered for him.

“He’s not stoppable. He will do it and convince me to agree and then say I did not go by myself, I took your permission,” said Allboani.