Evacuated in an incubator, now back in Gaza getting to know mama

Bissan was born after an airstrike killed her sister and seriously injured her pregnant mother in Gaza in October 2023. To save them both, her mother delivered Bissan prematurely. The infant was then evacuated from Gaza to Egypt in an incubator with other preterm babies as Israel's forces approached. Seven of those infants died in Egypt, but Bissan survived and grew up in Egyptian hospitals and care facilities while her mother, Sundus al-Kurd, maintained hope for their reunion.

In March 2024, with a ceasefire in effect, Bissan returned to Gaza to be reunited with her mother and other children from the group who were evacuated as preterm infants. Initially uncertain, Bissan later recognized her mother, although she would call any kind woman "mama." The toddler struggled to adjust to life in Gaza, where Israeli airstrikes continued despite the ceasefire.

She became fearful of explosions and even of balloon pops, according to her mother. After their reunion, Bissan visited a small zoo in central Gaza where she gazed at a blue parrot that landed on her mother's arm. Among the 11 preterm babies evacuated to Egypt and returned to Gaza, Ibrahim's case was particularly tragic. His mother, Israa Badr, died of sorrow shortly after Ibrahim's evacuation.

Badr's husband, Jabri Badr, noted that doctors said she died of sadness. The other children, including Bissan, were deprived not only of their mothers' milk but also of emotional development due to their separation. Rebuilding the bond between parents and children takes time, according to Gaza-based mental health expert Arafat Abu Mashayikh.

Bissan and her mother, Sundus, still face difficulties reconnecting, but they find comfort in walking along Gaza's Mediterranean shore. The evenings remain challenging, but the mother-daughter pair continue to grow closer, with Bissan beginning to understand who her mama really is.