Maryam Dawas' hometown was once known for producing fragrant roses and strawberries; now the smell of death and destruction lingers everywhere. The early years of eight-year-old Maryam Dawas' life were filled with "colour, creativity and light". Now her family faces a dreadful race against time to save her, with their home and the happy life they once knew in ruins. The little girl was born in Beit Lahia, a city located some seven kilometres north of Gaza City. The Israeli-Gaza conflict, now at