A Toxteth mum-to-be is urgently raising funds to help her father in crisis-hit Lebanon. Soukaina Droubi, 29, is desperately worried about her dad Mohammad Al Droubi, who lives more than 2,000 miles away.
The 54-year-old, diagnosed with cancer last year, faces an uncertain future as his $300 monthly wage pales in comparison to the mounting cost of his healthcare. Mohammad, who lives in the Baalbek District of Lebanon, began experiencing chest pains in 2024, when the country was coming under deadly fire from Israeli forces.
The Lebanese government reported around 2,720 people - most of them civilians - were killed in the attacks, which took place following hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon.
A dangerous spot
Soukaina said: "We were in a very dangerous spot. There were bombs surrounding us, even the house behind ours was bombed and the glass in our windows was broken."
"My dad was very stressed at the time, and my grandpa was suffering from Alzheimers. When my dad was taking care of my grandpa he started to feel sick. After my grandpa passed away last March, my dad had a bad pain in his chest."
Mohammad finally paid a visit to his doctor, and he was given a scan which revealed two tumours - one on his left armpit, and one on the left side of his chest. He underwent surgery to remove the tumours, and further testing revealed that one of them was benign - the other was cancerous.
Painful treatment
The dad-of-three underwent four rounds of chemotherapy, partially funded by Lebanon's Ministry of Public Health. Soukaina said: "Dad took four chemotherapy sessions, but he was feeling so tired and struggling, he was crying with pain. After each chemo session they did a blood test to check his immunity, and if it wasn't good enough he had to have an injection to stimulate the bone marrow, which was so painful it was like his bones were being broken."
Despite this intense treatment, a further scan in September this year revealed Mohammad's cancer had spread, and a new 11mm tumour had appeared in his chest. Soukaina said: "Now there is a new tumour we have to start the whole process all over again. He has to undergo another surgery and start chemo all over again."
This time however, she fears her dad's treatment will no longer be funded by the ministry - and that he will die if the family is unable to raise the money needed.
Financial crisis
She said: "Lebanon has been undergoing a financial crisis since 2019, so my dad's salary is only $300 a month. We received some help from the ministry the first time, but it took a long time to come through."
"One of our neighbours had to sell their house and land to pay for their mother's healthcare. In our region, that is how it is. If they don't get the money, they will die."
"I've managed to send £4,000 which will be enough for a scan, but after that I have nothing." Mohammad currently works as a school accountant, and his wife is a school assistant. Soukaina, a teacher herself, said their combined wages brought in little more than $600 a month.
She said her dad previously earned a second wage as a school bus driver, but had lost this after the bus was damaged and there were not sufficient funds to repair it. She said: "He is so upset; yesterday I spoke to him and he said he would have to stay with the tumour. He says how long will I live if I have the surgery? Three, four, five years? He's very upset and depressed."
"We are all feeling stressed and scared to lose him. I'm trying to do my best to raise money. I'm pregnant at the moment and can't go to be with him, which makes it harder for me. I'm constantly calling them every day."
Soukaina set up a GoFundMe with the aim of raising money for her dad's cancer treatment. She said: "I was hoping the GoFundMe could pay for his treatment, and hopefully fix the bus which will allow him to earn extra dollars on top of his wages that will continue to cover his needs."
