In the intense heat of a small tent in Gaza, the displaced eight-year-old Qais Abu al-Qumsan lies on a mattress facing the threat of lifelong paralysis if his spinal injury, after being hit by a bullet from an Israeli drone, remains untreated, Al Jazeera reports.

The bullet struck his back, shattering his spine and causing severe spinal cord injuries while he was with his family in az-Zawayda on August 8.

“Qais has fractures in his 10th and 11th vertebrae along with a serious spinal cord injury,” Qais’s mother Rola al-Husseini told Al Jazeera. “Yet, due to the absence of MRI machines in Gaza, the full extent of the spinal cord damage remains unknown.”

Since the injury, Qais has endured excruciating pain, relying solely on painkillers for relief.

“My son cries from the severe pain in his back. We have been forced to flee and relocate more than eight times since his injury. The situation is extremely difficult.”