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08th Jun 2017

Israeli nurse breastfeeds injured Palestinian baby

Louise Carroll

The nurse set aside political opinions, doing what any mother would to help a baba in need.

A few days ago a baby boy named Yamen, along with his mum and dad, was involved in a horrible collision with a bus along the West Bank. Yamen’s father was killed and his mother was left with a serious head injury.

The nine-month-old and his mother were taken to Jerusalem’s Hadassah Ein Kerem Medical Centre for treatment but Yamen started to cry from hunger.

Bottle-feeding did little to console him and family members at his side asked the nurse on night-duty, Ula Ostrowski-Zak, for help.


The Israeli nurse told Today.com that it was her instinct to nurture the little boy and begin breastfeeding him. The little boy’s mood changed straight away when he got the essential care and comfort he needed and Ula said she “felt a unique connection with him”, similar to feeding her own son Ayam.

Before her shift ended Ula took to Facebook asking for others to lend their assistance in feeding Yamen. Instantly, she began to receive swaths of positive responses and women willing to travel for miles if it meant helping the little tot.

It’s clear that despite being at the centre of one of the world’s most controversial of conflicts, there are those who do not forget to spread kindness and lend support to one another during difficult times.

Perhaps more evidence women should rule the world, eh?