My Heart Carries Your Name, Baba

When Salha first began her treatment at the center, she would always arrive hand in hand with her parents, their smiles and gentle encouragement lighting her way through every difficult step. She was just like the other children, leaning on the comfort of her family to carry her through.

But one day, things changed.

Salha began coming to the center alone, accompanied only by her older brother. Soon, we learned why. Her father had been diagnosed with cancer too, and her parents had traveled to Syria so that he could receive treatment.

Not long after, Salha’s world was shaken once again. Her father passed away... For a young girl already fighting her own battle, the loss was immeasurable, a wound far deeper than any treatment could heal. She longed for the warmth of his embrace, the steady presence that had always made her feel safe.

And yet, Salha found a way to keep him close. During every art and craft activity at the center, she would carefully make something special, a small gift, and write his name alongside her own. Each creation became a message of love, sent to the heavens, as if she was saying: “Baba… you may be gone from my sight, but you live in my heart. Everything I do is for you.”

Salha’s story is one of resilience, love, and the unbreakable bond between a daughter and her father, a reminder that even in loss, love continues to bloom.