Dr. Feroz Sidwa (Trauma Surgeon, California)
Appearances
This American Life
859: Chaos Graph
One of the kids was there with a family member. I ripped up his shirt and there was a bullet entry wound right over the heart. And then I picked up the dressings on his forehead and a second bullet went in right in front of his left ear hole, in front of his ear and out of his neck.
This American Life
859: Chaos Graph
I didn't ask if there was a street battle going on, but it happened twice in the same day.
This American Life
859: Chaos Graph
Yeah, right next to that kid was another kid who got shot in the head and the chest. And that child had no adult with him, so I couldn't get a story. It's hard to see it.
This American Life
859: Chaos Graph
Oh, over a dozen. Combined, two injuries, only two. Head or chest, a dozen. Others.
This American Life
859: Chaos Graph
Early on, I thought it was just an isolated jerk, you know, carrying out, because every army has jerks. War changes people, and so you can absolutely have rogue people behaving inappropriately.
This American Life
859: Chaos Graph
And then Feroz texted me, hey, you know, this guy saw other kids shot. We have to find out who else saw other kids shot.
This American Life
859: Chaos Graph
83% said they saw a child who was shot in the chest or head. 83%. So it's not just my finding.
This American Life
859: Chaos Graph
I went there only because my twist is to operate on kids who are hurt. And I knew that Gaza was 50% kids. And that's all I knew. I thought infitada was a type of Mexican dish. I mean, I knew nothing.
This American Life
859: Chaos Graph
We got on the van and I heard Feroz talking casually to somebody else. He's got this deep baritone voice. And, you know, you meet somebody for the first time and within minutes you can tell that somebody is a whole lot smarter than you. And my first message was, there's absolutely no way that I'm going to get on this van and not sit next to this dude or behind him or with an earshot of him.