Last week's shocking explosion in Beirut pulled at heartstrings around the world. The blast that rocked the Lebanese capital is considered one of the most powerful nonnuclear explosions in history. An estimated 200 people died, with countless others injured or left homeless.
Out of tragedy come heroes, the helpers we're told to look out for. Photojournalist Bilal Jawich was able to capture photos of one of those heroes in action. Pamela Zeinoun is a nurse at Saint George Hospital University Medical Center. She was on the job when the explosion happened. She was momentarily knocked unconscious.
When she came to, Pamela kept her cool. Bilal was amazed as he watched the 26-year-old nurse get to work. She moved about the pediatric and neonatal intensive care unit, taking three premature babies into her arms. Then she carried them in her arms for over 3 miles until they reached another nearby hospital.
A nurse in Beirut became a hero unexpectedly when explosions ripped through the city last week. Pamela Zeinoun is a 26-year-old nurse at Saint George Hospital University Medical Center in the Achrafieh district of Beirut. She was on duty last week when the explosions shook the Lebanese capital.
The hospital was seriously impacted by the blast. Doctors and nurses sustained injuries on top of the hospital's patients, so chaos broke out. Pamela herself was thrown across the room and knocked unconscious.
"When the explosion happened, I didn't even know what was going on at the time. Everything was destroyed in a matter of seconds. When I woke up I was very afraid, because I was thrown onto the floor from where I was sitting in the nursing station and into another room outside the floor unit [by the force of the blast]," Pamela told Harper's Bazaar Arabia.
"At the time of the blast everything was destroyed, our unit was destroyed. The incubators were broken, our supplies was on the floor."
It wasn't long after Pamela came to that she sprung into action. "When I woke up from what happened and realized I was okay, I knew I needed to help," she said.
"My first instinct was to check on the other nurses I was with on the side of the floor unit, and the babies there with us. I went to the other side of the floor unit and saw the other nurses. They were bleeding very heavily and needed sutures urgently. I pulled them out and had them stand at the door of the unit, as I went inside to see the babies."
"Fortunately, I was able to remove all the babies from the unit and hold three of them," she continued.
"At the time I couldn't think about protecting myself because, these babies, they were under my protection. The babies were around 15-20 days old and they were premature at around 30 weeks, with their weight each below two kilograms."
Photojournalist Bilal Jawich was there to witness Pamela in action. "She was surrounded by dead bodies and blood. People were crying," he told Today Parents.
"I was astonished and surprised by how calm she was. She was just doing her duty. She wasn't looking to be a hero."
He snapped a photo of Pamela at the desk, holding three premature babies as she tried to see if the phones were working. She wanted to call her mother.
"Of course the phones weren't working," he said. "Everything was destroyed."
Pamela had no idea how bad things actually were until she made her way outside with those three babies.
"It was when I was outside that I really saw the magnitude of the devastation that happened, I saw people that were bleeding. I saw residents (doctors-in-training) and doctors suturing nurses and patients alike. The emergency room was not even present anymore because it had been destroyed in the blast; we were using our phone lights because there were no lights," she said.
"I left the hospital and I went to another hospital, which is about five kilometers away from St. George; there, the babies were safe," she continued.
"Then, the parents were able to contact me as other nurses had passed along my number to the parents, who soon realized their children were no longer at St. George. They told the parents 'Do not worry, your children are with Pamela. This is her phone number, you can contact her and see your babies.'"
Little did Pamela or Bilal know that another miraculous story was occurring in the hospital at that same time. Emmanuel Khnaisser was moments from giving birth in the delivery room. Her husband, Edmound Khnaisser, was filming as the blast occurred.
Eddy shared the footage, as well as his gratitude for the professionals at the hospital, on Facebook.
"Yesterday My son George was Born under a catostraphic blast! It was crazy! I did not believe we came out alive. My wife is great and Baby George is amazing!" he wrote.
"Now my wife and son are safe, as well as my sister and Emma's Parents. We are still waiting for my mother to recover!"
Eddy made sure to thank the doctors who helped coach Emma through labor and brought George in the world with no electricity, using phone flashlights to make things work.
"I would like to Thank Dr. Elie Anistasiades, Dr. Lara, Dr. Stephanie Yaacoub, Dr. Marianne, Dr. Rita, Dr. Marie Therese Eid. Huge appreciation to St. George Hospital team, who stayed with us until we were safe, and even afterwards. I am sorry if I forgot to mention any name in particular. You were all above the level of professionalism," he wrote.
"Thank you to My friends and relatives who supported us in any means. On behalf of Baby George: 'Thank you for bringing me safely into this world. I hope I can pay you back some day.' Stay safe everyone and pray for our beloved Lebanon."
