Cary couple helps woman in Gaza get to Raleigh for college degree

As the Israel-Hamas conflict continues in Gaza, a Cary couple is creating a pathway to help students from war-torn countries get their college degrees in the Triangle.

News reports and images of devastation across the globe are heartbreaking to the Spaders, who are brought to tears as they watch people in Gaza forced from their homes and students permanently dismissed from their classroom.

“It is heartbreaking ... we do a lot of crying," said Laura Spader, who is working with her husband, Bruce, to forge a path for women from war-torn lands to complete their degree.

"Our mission in life is to help young women that may be in a situation where they can’t achieve their potential," she added.

Their latest goal is to help Sama Abusweireh, or "Sky," a 19-year-old student from Gaza.

Sky's home in Gaza has been destroyed, leaving her family of six living on the street, but the economics major still has a goal of receiving her college degree.

The Spaders started a GoFundMe account to raise funds to get Sky to the United States and to help her family get to safety in Egypt.

Once Sky is in the Triangle, she already has a scholarship waiting for her at Meredith College.

"The goal for Sky is to come over to the U.S. and study and pursue her education here," Laura Spader said.

Sky wrote that she sees herself as an advocate for her family.

"Today, at 19, I try to be the family leader while fighting back doubts and traces of negativity," she wrote. "When I allow myself to cry, I do so in private. For many weeks we have been running, seeking safety amidst bombings, struggling to survive. That includes looming threats of starvation and disease."

The young woman is trying to get her family to safety in Cairo, where their relatives live.

"Once my family is safe and settled, that will be the next chapter in my life," she wrote.

The Spaders have helped other women like Sky, many who lived in different countries like Ukraine and Afghanistan. The couple estimates that, in a span of 12 years, they’ve helped more than 20 women from war-torn countries.

When WRAL News asked the couple why they want to help, Bruce Spader answered, “Maybe it is Christianity? I don’t know. It's idealism about humanity, we give as much as we can take.”

So far the Spaders have raised $10,000 of their $24,000 goal to help Sky. People can contribute to the GoFundMe online.