He adds: “I have loved animals since I was a child, and we always raised cats at home. So, I was filled with joy knowing we were going to see animals on that school trip.
The visit got off to a bumpy start when our school bus suddenly came to a halt with a loud thud near the Brooke clinic. Screams broke out inside the bus, and chaos filled the street.
We had hit a stray camel! The animal was lying partially on its back, unable to get up. It had escaped from the camel market located next to the Brooke clinic.
I realize now that the camel was showing every sign of extreme stress, which was no surprise, as its hind legs were bound with a piece of rope, preventing it from going anywhere.
I didn’t know where they came from, but suddenly, two men in white coats appeared by the animal’s side, accompanied by several strong-built men wearing dark red shirts with a logo…
Those were the men of the Brooke Hospital for Animals. I will never forget how the Brooke team confronted the men who were mistreating the camel; they were calm yet very firm, and truly angry. I felt in my heart then that the animal had done nothing wrong, so I saw the Brooke men as real-life heroes!”
“When we entered the clinic, we were warmly welcomed by two other veterinarians who gave us some sweets and asked: ‘Who among you loves animals?’. Naturally, I raised my hand high. The doctors then talked to us about the hard lives of working horses and donkeys, and the necessity of treating them well. Life is harsh for working animals, but when we are kind to them, avoid hitting them, and feed them well, they become calm and suffer less. I couldn’t have agreed with them more.”
“We walked past some of the stables housing sick animals, and I was eager to hear the story of each one. I will never forget the story of a donkey suffering from horrific burns after a fire broke out in its owner’s vegetable stall. I saw how everyone in the clinic, each in their own role, contributed to helping the patients.”
“Since that visit, I frequently stopped by the clinic on my way home from school, driven by curiosity to see the cases there. From that first visit, I dreamed of becoming a hero in a ‘white coat’ just like the Brooke doctors. For that reason, I decided to join the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine after high school.”
Dr. Abdelghaffar after becoming a veterinarian at the Brooke Matrouh clinic
“What truly makes me happy is that the clinic still keeps a photo of our class during our visit in 2003. The child I was in that photo could never have known that his visit to Brooke that day would determine the entire course of his life.