Colorado pediatrician Dr. Barbara Zind returns home from Gaza

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. — The view from Dr. Barb Zind’s home in Grand Junction is a stark contrast to what she witnessed in Gaza last month.  

“There were drones overhead all day, never stopping,” Zind said. “Then you would see an airplane overhead, which meant there was going to be a bomb drop in a few minutes. I mean, the number of bombs I heard drop; I’m amazed there’s a building still standing, honestly.”

Zind is a pediatrician. She’s been on several mission trips with Palestine Children’s Relief Fund.

“Two babies on one warmer,” Zind said, referencing a photo taken inside one of the hospitals. “It was a brand new warmer. This is not third-world medicine. They have up-to-date equipment. They have very well-trained doctors. They were overstretched to begin with, and now they’re just decimated.”

On Oct. 6, Zind arrived for her 10th mission trip in Gaza, which she said ended before it began. 

“Because I arrived there on Friday and the war started on Saturday,” Zind said.

Her new mission was to get home safely. Zind joined a convoy of people also trying to escape the area. She said the group spent several days sleeping in shelters, cars, and outside.

“After that, it became dangerous,” Zind said. “We were in a facility that was like a big storage place for the U.N. People were getting desperate as these aid trucks came in. Sometimes people would try to get in there to get some flour or get something that their family needed because they didn’t have any food.”

Zind spent weeks fighting to get back home to her family. The feeling of relief finally came when she crossed the border into Egypt.

 “I was in Cairo for about 24 hours and then 1:30 the next morning, ended up flying to Denver,” Zind said.

When the plane landed in Denver on Nov. 3, Zind said her family was waiting anxiously to welcome her home. 

“It’s relief, right? You’re glad you are home,” she said. “It’s also feeling bad for all the people that can’t escape. That can’t get out. So, mixed feelings I would say.”

Zind’s family is now looking ahead to the holidays, excited to know that she will be joining them at the table.

“There was a time when people were saying, ‘I don’t know if we’ll be out by Thanksgiving,’” she said. “I’m grateful. I feel grateful. I’m also so sad for my friends that are in Gaza and for all the children in Gaza. They’re all my patients.”

SUGGESTED VIDEOS: Latest from 9NEWS