A 14-year-old boy who lay under the rubble of an earthquake is one of many who have been helped by a global Christian charity.
Many readers of Evangelicals Now will know of Samaritans Purse through its annual Operation Christmas Child shoebox appeal, which has delivered boxes to more than 208m children in over 160 countries since 1993. But Samaritans Purse has also responded to more than 100 disasters around the world since 2009. Working through local churches and ministry partners the international charity, which has Franklin Graham as its President, is highly experienced in humanitarian recovery work, including food distribution, water, sanitation and hygiene, shelter and medical services.
On 6 February a 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck south west Turkey and north west Syria. So far well over 50,000 deaths have been recorded. A week later, Samaritan’s Purse began receiving patients at their Emergency Field Hospital located in Antakya, Turkey—one of the worst hit areas. Antakya is Antioch, where the disciples were first called Christians.
With nearly 100 disaster relief specialists on site, Samaritans Purse established one of their largest-ever field hospitals at Antakya. In the first 24 hours alone it treated nearly 80 patients. One was 14 year old Muslim boy Mustafa, who had spent a week under the rubble before being rescued by his uncle and rescue workers. His body was emaciated, dehydrated, and injured so he was immediately placed on an IV drip and given water.
Mustafa and his family had recently moved into a new home. 'I remember waking up and hearing the birds', he told staff at the hospital. When the earthquake began 'My father was running towards us, but the building started to fall. I knew that my father and mother had just died'. As it collapsed, he clutched his 8-year-old’s sister’s hand tightly, working to stay close to her as they plummeted to the ground. 'At first her hand was warm, but then it got cold. Then she did not speak at all.' As he lay underneath the rubble, unable to move, he could hear his brother’s voice. They talked with one another for some time until, eventually, his brother no longer responded. He too was dead.
A week later, local crews arrived with white body bags, ready to collect the Mustafa’s remains and those of his family. As they prepared the equipment to remove the bodies, Mustafa’s uncle then heard his faint cry for help. The men rushed into the rubble and were able to save the boy, who was by then barely alive. Remarkably, he has now been able to leave hospital. Medics are confident that he will make a full, physical recovery. The internal scars arising from the profound trauma of losing his entire immediate family will take far longer.
Evangelicals Now has been given an exclusive interview with one of the Samaritans Purse staff who talked to Mustafa, at length, whilst he was being treated:
en: What did Mustafa think about in his lucid moments under the rubble?
SP: He said that he dreamed of his mother and father bringing him honey and oranges. They told with him to ‘stay calm’ and also said ‘they will rescue you.’ Mustafa could hardly believe that he had been there for eight days as it felt to him like one day. While under the rubble, he heard search and rescue teams looking for his neighbours. When they did not find him originally, he thought he would surely die. That is why he was so relieved when his uncle heard his voice days later and the search and rescue teams were finally able to retrieve him from under the rubble.
en: Who will look after him after he is discharged from hospital? Where will he live? Did any of his relatives survive?
SP: Mustafa has several surviving uncles and other distant family members. His uncle brought him straight to the Emergency Field Hospital and will continue to care for him.
en: Was his school damaged/destroyed? Will he be able to see any of his friends from there anytime soon?
SP: This was not clear from speaking with Mustafa. Everywhere in Antakya has been severely damaged. Most of its infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed.
en: What would he like to do when he leaves school?
SP: He did not say. The focus for him, his uncle, and our team was on the fact that he was alive and in need of physical care.
en: Is there anything else he would like our readers to know?
SP: Mustafa is just so thankful to be alive. Although he has physically recovered, we know that the trauma of losing his entire family will take God’s intervention to fully heal him. We continue to pray for his complete recovery.
