Not all heroes wear capes, some of them don scrubs
When I was asked to write about my most memorable published story, without a doubt my first thought was to recall and share the time I interviewed a special, and rather heroic pediatric surgeon, who has risked his own life several times, by traveling to war-torn countries, to help treat and save some of the world’s most vulnerable children.
The doctor’s story was so awe-inspiring, that it was even chosen as one of the top impactful stories of 2017 in Khaleej Times, and it also received a lot of attention from readers, especially close friends of mine, who shared the article on just about every social media platform. I spoke to Dr Amin El Gohary in May 2017, almost one year ago. The doctor, who is also a paediatric surgeon at Burjeel Hospital, shared his inspirational, yet heartwrenching stories. The 70-year-old doctor has truly witnessed the human cost of war from close quarters, and has chosen, several times, to leave the comforts of one of UAE’s most lavish hospitals, and ventured into his mission in Yemen.
In fact, between 2015-2018, the doctor went on five missions to Yemen, choosing to be at the front line of war, to help suffering children have a glimpse of hope for a better future, as their health was deteriorating.
I recall Dr El Gohary telling me that people thought he was “crazy” to do what he does. What caught me in absolute awe, is the fact that Dr El Gohary, as well as Dr Ahmad Maasheer, a laparoscopic surgeon and Dr Said Eleslam, a pediatric surgeon, both from Sheikh Khalifa Medical City, operated on 110 children in South Yemen, in just six days, during April of last year. “We were three doctors working on 110 cases in six days, it was remarkable and there was not one single complication.”
He told me that although his mind instructed him “this mission is dangerous,” it was his heart and his instinct that simply knew “this was the right thing to do.”
Not only that, but terrorist organisations, including Al Qaeda, could have been just around the corner from these incredible doctors. “Al Qaeda was there just a few months before us. We witnessed the damages that were inflicted, we witnessed the aftermath and destruction of war .... In a war zone, the word ‘safe’ is meaningless.”
Dr El Gohary has also been on several charity missions to other poverty-stricken countries, including Eritrea and Sudan, where he travelled five times between the 2004-2010.
I remember Dr El Gohary telling me that there are some things in life that must not be forsaken. For him, it is children in desperate need. What I have taken most out of this special interview, was that there is certainly no reward on this earth, that can equal to the heartwarming feeling and pure joy for anyone who risks his or her life, to give hope to so many families — families who really, didn’t have any hope at all.