Noor Nabil Hussein Attia is an eight-year-old girl who was born with cerebral palsy. From the moment she opened her eyes to life, she did not experience childhood like other children. Since her earliest years, when her fingernails were still soft, she moved between occupational therapy centers like an elderly patient unable to walk. Despite the severity of her condition, she always found care and support from her 42-year-old father, Nabil, who spared no effort to help his daughter. From the age of four, her father took her to the Red Crescent Society for occupational therapy and movement exercises. Later, he brought her to the Princess Basma Center in Jerusalem, then to the Arab Society for Rehabilitation in Beit Jala, and afterward to the Committee for Special Needs in Askar New Camp, where she stayed for five years. Eventually, she settled at the Red Crescent Society in Nablus, where she now studies at the Special Needs School, which provides occupational therapy, massage, and speech therapy.
Although Noor has managed to overcome many of her hardships, her greatest challenge remains simply entering and leaving her home. She lives on the third floor of a building, and to go outside she must be carried down and later back up about 52 steps. After that, she has to cross a bumpy road and then face another steep iron staircase, no easier than the first, before finally reaching the main street. Most of the time, she relies on her sister to carry her through this exhausting journey. But when no one is available to help, Noor remains locked within the four walls of her home.
Noor's father tried to solve this problem by building an external electric elevator. However, the institutions he approached rejected the idea, saying that the elevator would be dangerous and lack a sufficient degree of safety.
Noor's father, who works as a blacksmith, was able to find a solution by designing a suspended iron bridge that would connect the third floor of their home to the level of the main street, as they are nearly the same height. He proposed the idea to the YMCA (Young Men's Christian Association), which welcomed it, and then referred the case to the Housing Rehabilitation Program at the Community Service Center. A visit was carried out by the program staff, including engineers and a social worker. In order to cover the high costs of such a project, the Housing Rehabilitation Program created a partnership with the YMCA and UNRWA, with additional support from Al-Ma’an.
This case created a unique partnership and a close relationship between the three organizations, enabling them to work continuously to improve health and environmental conditions in cases that require collaborative implementation.
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