Understanding the war in Gaza through the words of a child

Summary

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Consider This from NPR

Episode: Understanding the War in Gaza Through the Words of a Child

Date: September 13, 2025
Host: Scott Detrow
Guest: Ari Daniel, NPR reporter
Featured Story: Dr. Hassan Abusitta, Kenzie Madhoon (age 6), Adam Madhoon (father)

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Episode Overview

This episode delves into the impact of the Gaza war by focusing on the personal story of a six-year-old Gazan girl, Kenzie Madhoon. NPR host Scott Detrow interviews reporter Ari Daniel about the power of telling war stories through a child's perspective, specifically Daniel’s recent piece chronicling Kenzie's journey after being injured by an airstrike. The conversation unpacks the challenges of reporting on children, building trust, and narrative decisions that draw listeners in while honoring the storytelling agency of those affected.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Humanizing War Reporting

• Emotional Toll: Both for those reporting and listening, war news is draining and deeply upsetting.
  • “Reporting on a war can be a grueling job... But the most powerful stories are not just of destruction and rising death tolls, but tell of humanity, of optimism and hope.” — Scott Detrow (00:00)
• Power of Personal Stories: Focusing on individual characters, especially children, helps audiences connect on a human level beyond statistics or geopolitics.
  • “Sometimes the stories that most powerfully illustrate the tragedy of war are told through a child’s voice.” — Scott Detrow (02:22)

2. Meet Kenzie Madhoon and Dr. Abu Sitta

• Kenzie’s Story: A vibrant six-year-old, Kenzie, with a missing right arm after an airstrike, is seen at a Beirut medical clinic seeking reconstructive help.
  • “Kenzie has eyes the color of dark chocolate... Her right arm, though, is missing.” — Ari Daniel (00:37)
• Medical Challenges: Dr. Abusitta works to give children like Kenzie a better future, considering both immediate injuries and long-term needs as they grow.
  • “You are trying to reconstruct a moving object, which is the growing body that always outgrows the injured part.” — Dr. Hassan Abusitta (01:57)

3. Reporting Approach: Building Trust

• Finding the Right Story: Ari looks for authentic, emotionally resonant relationships between doctor and patient. With Kenzie, the bond was immediately clear.
  • “She just had a kind of energy and personality... I realized that Kenzie was going to be the perfect fit for this story.” — Ari Daniel (04:17)
• Establishing Trust with Vulnerable Subjects: Extra care is required when reporting on children; building rapport can’t be rushed.
  • “A huge part of what I think about in terms of my reporting is establishing trust... especially when it comes to a child in these circumstances.” — Ari Daniel (06:07)
  • Ari credits his interpreter Angie Murad for creating a comfortable, playful environment for Kenzie, recounting a simple pen-balancing trick that quickly broke the ice and built trust. (06:45)

4. Depicting Trauma through a Child’s Lens

• Hearing Kenzie’s Account: Rather than a clinical tale of injury, listeners hear Kenzie’s memory—confused at first for fireworks, her “flying” like a superhero, and her subsequent rescue.
  • “It was fireworks, but it wasn’t.” — Kenzie (paraphrased by Scott Detrow) (08:38)
  • “The missile took me up... Kenzie felt like she was flying like a superhero.” — Ari Daniel (08:40)
  • “A fractured pelvis and skull and a missing arm.” — Ari Daniel (09:19)
• Narrative Choices: Ari intentionally withholds the details of Kenzie’s injury until late in the story to let listeners first relate to her as a person, not just a victim.
  • “Kenzie isn’t just a person with a missing arm. She is a girl with interests and personality.” — Ari Daniel (12:08)
  • “By delaying it, I’m hoping that the listener wonders what happened... they’re encouraged to listen further.” — Ari Daniel (12:03)

5. Ethical and Editorial Considerations

• Transparency & Consent: Being clear about journalistic intentions, especially with non-public figures, is an ethical imperative.
  • “I think especially I have this responsibility when I’m reporting on somebody and telling the story of somebody who’s not...used to being reported on...to be transparent with them and try to help them trust you.” — Scott Detrow (05:28)
• Respecting the Child’s Experience: Close attention is paid to both verbal and nonverbal cues to ensure the child is comfortable and understood.
  • “I want to make sure that I’m sensitive to what they’re saying, both verbally and non-verbally.” — Ari Daniel (06:07)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Reporting on a war can be a grueling job... That is true for both reporters as well as audiences.”
  — Scott Detrow (00:00)

• “You are trying to reconstruct a moving object, which is the growing body that always outgrows the injured part.”
  — Dr. Hassan Abusitta (01:57)

• “She just had a kind of energy and personality... Kenzie was going to be the perfect fit for this story.”
  — Ari Daniel (04:17)

• “A huge part of what I think about in terms of my reporting is establishing trust...recognizing that whatever they choose to offer, that’s a gift.”
  — Ari Daniel (06:07)

• “It was fireworks, but it wasn’t.”
  — (Narrated/paraphrased: 08:38)

• “The missile took me up... Kenzie felt like she was flying like a superhero.”
  — Ari Daniel (08:40)

• “The power of journalism...is to bring an issue to life through the lens of a single person or a couple of people.”
  — Ari Daniel (12:08)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• [00:00] — Scott Detrow introduces the human cost of war reporting and segues to Ari Daniel’s story.
• [00:37] — Ari Daniel introduces Dr. Abusitta and Kenzie Madhoon in Beirut.
• [01:18] — Dr. Abusitta describes the medical complexities of treating Kenzie.
• [02:22] — Scott underscores the unique power of children’s perspectives in illustrating war’s impact.
• [04:17] — Ari discusses finding and selecting the right subjects for impactful storytelling.
• [06:07] — How Ari Daniel builds trust with young, vulnerable sources.
• [08:28] — The pivotal narrative moment: Kenzie recounts the attack as experienced in her own words.
• [10:11] — Ari Daniel reflects on the importance of the “superhero” metaphor and word choices.
• [12:03] — Ari explains narrative structure decisions, discussing why Kenzie’s trauma is revealed late in the story.

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Episode Tone and Language

The conversation is measured, empathetic, and respectful throughout, balancing the gravity of war with emphasis on hope, resilience, and the ethical responsibilities of reporting sensitive stories—especially those involving children.

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This rich, evocative episode guides listeners through the harrowing yet hopeful journey of a wounded child to help understand Gaza’s war from a deeply personal angle—reminding us of the enduring humanity that persists amid conflict.

Transcript

[Scott Detrow]

Reporting on a war can be a grueling job. Not only is it difficult editorially, it also takes a tremendous toll emotionally. And that is true for both reporters as well as audiences. It's fatiguing, it's upsetting, and oftentimes the natural instinct is just to turn away, to turn off the radio. That is why the most powerful stories of war are not just of destruction and rising death tolls, but tell of humanity, of optimism and hope. NPR recently aired a story like that. It was from reporter Ari Daniel, who visited a clinic and captured a moving scene between a doctor and his patient, a young girl from Gaza.

[Ari Daniel]

It's clear in an instant Dr. Hassan Abusitta is just really good with kids. Here at his weekly clinic at the American University of Beirut Medical center, he's meeting 6 year old Kenzie Madhoon for the first time. Kenzie has eyes the color of dark chocolate. Her face is framed beneath a pink straw hat that covers a scar above her hairline. On her left hand, I see the drawing of a little heart. Her right arm, though, is missing.

[Scott Detrow]

Kenzie Madhoon was brought to Lebanon to see Dr. Abu Sita. She and her family were hoping he could help her lead a normal life.

[Dr. Hassan Abusitta]

The biggest question is how can I improve the quality of that remnant of her upper arm? Because that is the determinant of the quality of the prosthetic that she'll get.

[Scott Detrow]

But treating an injury like Kenzie's is complex, especially when it comes to treating children.

[Ari Daniel]

The doctor escorts the father and daughter into an exam room. Kenzie walks confidently with the group of adults. Abusitta says that during his assessment, he'll not just be looking at Kenzie as the 6 year old she is today, but also as the 18 year old she she'll become.

[Dr. Hassan Abusitta]

You are trying to reconstruct a moving object, which is the growing body that always outgrows the injured part.

[Ari Daniel]

And that means multiple surgeries over multiple years. It's work that Abusita has mastered over three decades, repairing the wounds of thousands of children like Kenzie caught in the crossfire of war.

[Scott Detrow]

Sometimes the stories that most powerfully illustrate the tragedy of war are told through a child's voice. From npr, I'm Scott Detrow.

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[Scott Detrow]

It's Consider this from npr. The most gripping and memorable stories often are the ones that contain vivid characters, people who, by sharing their personal story, help you understand something much bigger. That was the case with Ari Daniel's recent story about Dr. Abu Sitta and his young patient, Kenzie Madhoon. I wanted to know more about how Daniel approached reporting the story and also writing the story. So I started by asking him how he knew he had found the right.

[Ari Daniel]

People really for this story. What I knew I needed to make it really work. And for the dynamic that Dr. Abusitta is trying to achieve with the kids here, you know, there's this certainly he's helping them medically, but he's also, he's accompanying them during a challenging time in their lives. And so I wanted to find a child where that relationship was evident. And that, Scott, that's a matter of luck because I didn't know who was gonna walk through the door. And so I got my gear together and I, I stepped into his clinic. And actually, while I was in the waiting room, I saw Kenzie out of the corner of my eye. I was immediately struck by her. She was wearing her pink hat, her white dress. She just had a kind of energy and personality. So then later when I was in the room with her and him and I saw that relationship emerging, I realized that Kenzie was going to be the perfect fit for this story.

[Scott Detrow]

Yeah. Can you, like, when I'm, when I'm reporting, and I know this is especially the case for you because you're covering so many sensitive topics. Like, I think especially I have this, like, responsibility when I'm reporting on somebody and telling the story of somebody who's not like a senator or somebody who's used to being reported on. Right. To be clear about what you're trying to do, to be transparent with them and try to be patient and to help them trust you to tell their story. And I think that's hard with anybody, but it's especially hard when you're covering children and you're telling children's stories. Can you tell us a bit about your approach of talking to Kenzie, talking to Kenzie's family and making sure you were doing this the right way?

[Ari Daniel]

A huge part of what I think about in terms of my reporting is establishing trust with the people that I'm interviewing and. And respecting what they're saying to me, what they're offering, and recognizing that whatever they choose to offer, that that's a gift. And especially when it comes to a child in these particular circumstances, I want to make sure that I'm sensitive to what they're saying, both verbally and non verbally. And a big part of that is recruiting a team that I can rely on. And so I credit my interpreter, Angie Murad, with helping form that connection with Kenzie. Right out of the gate. When we met her, Angie approached Kenzie and approached her father, Adam, and just started talking to them and explaining who we were, but also just being playful with Kenzie. Very early on in our interaction in the clinic, Angie showed Kenzie a trick where she can balance a pen above her lip between her nose and her lip. And Kenzie watched with wide eyes and then immediately duplicated it and was parading around the room and showing off how she could also hold the pen just like that. And she did it for long enough that when it finally dropped, we all laughed and applauded. I didn't have that on. I. I mean, I was recording, but I didn't have that. Well, mic'd, because part of what I was doing was hanging back at the beginning to allow us to establish a rapport with Kenzie and her dad that didn't involve me immediately having a microphone, you know, an inch from their faces. So that really helped create that trust.

[Scott Detrow]

I'd like to listen to one moment from the piece together and then talk about several decisions that you made and how you were thinking about this important moment in the story, how you wrote about it, how the listener heard it. This is the scene where Kenzie is recounting the moment where she lost her arm in an airstrike.

[Ari Daniel]

Kenzie tells me she was sitting in the garden with her grandfather in Deir el Bala in Central Gaza. We heard things, and then we thought.

[Scott Detrow]

It was fireworks, but it wasn't.

[Ari Daniel]

It was an airstrike. The force of the explosion propelled her into the air. The missile took me up. Kenzie felt like she was flying like a superhero. When she landed, she lost consciousness. Her father, Adam Madhoon, wasn't with her, but a journalist friend called to tell him of the attack, that Kenzie had been pulled from the rubble. They told me that Kenzie died. Madhoon rushed to his daughter and arrived an hour later to discover Kenzie was still alive. Like a phoenix, he says. But she was severely wounded. A fractured pelvis and skull and a missing arm.

[Scott Detrow]

I just thought that was a really powerful piece of radio. And the way that you start out with a kid's point of view, I think made it especially powerful. The way that she says she was. Well, you're paraphrasing that. She said she flew like Superman. You know, this is a horrifying moment, but we're hearing about it through the eyes and mind of a kid.

[Ari Daniel]

Yeah. Scott. I think this particular moment in the story, it's a key piece to understanding the whole arc of the story. We learn early on in the piece that she's missing her right arm, but we don't know why until this moment.

[Scott Detrow]

Yeah.

[Ari Daniel]

To me, there are a few words in this passage that leap out. One of them is the word garden. It just. It conjures a scene of tranquility, a scene that's about to be upended. That word was important, that she was with her grandfather, where she was. The part about her being a superhero, for me, that was very powerful because this was a way that a little child understood what happened to her.

[Scott Detrow]

Yeah.

[Ari Daniel]

How she perceived the force of an explosion, which is that she was lifted into the air. And the way she made sense of it in her little mind was that she was flying like Superman or Batman. And in that moment, she says, superman or Batman. And I knew that the listener would understand those words in English. And so I made sure that we hear her say that. With radio, sometimes you just need a couple of key visual words. And in this. In this scene, I feel like the words I just described really, for me, lifted this into a very precise, painful and memorable moment.

[Scott Detrow]

There's a lot of things I've been thinking a lot about in how we cover this ongoing war and how we give this story to our listeners. And I think this next question kind of hits on them. I hit pause, listening back to the story, and I noted that this description of the initial attack that injured her takes place 5 minutes and 30 seconds into an 8 minute piece. Why did you decide to backload this critical information so late into the story?

[Ari Daniel]

There are lots of different ways to structure a story. There's no one right way.

[Scott Detrow]

Yeah.

[Ari Daniel]

For me, I didn't think I needed to be specific at the beginning of the story with how she got that injury. Right. And in fact, I think that by delaying it, I'm also hoping that the listener wonders a bit about what happened, wonders whether we're going to share what happened. And so then they're encouraged to listen further. The other thing I think that's important is that Kenzie isn't just a person with a missing arm. She is a girl with interests and personality. I think the power of journalism and certainly radio storytelling is to bring an issue to life through the lens of a single person or a couple of people. And by fleshing their story out in detail, you can understand better. One can try to understand better the broader situation.

[Scott Detrow]

Ari Daniel, thank you for talking to us about how you put the story together. I really appreciate it.

[Ari Daniel]

It was my pleasure. Thanks so much for having me, Scott.

[Scott Detrow]

This episode was produced by Michael Levitt. It was edited by Rebecca Davis and Sarah Robbins. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun. It's Consider this from npr. I'm Scott Detrow.

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