‘This is about forgiveness, this is about life’: Doctor, staff moving forward after clinic bombing

When most people would respond to a bombing with anger and calls for justice, Dr. Maher Abdallah chose a different path: forgiveness.

Abdallah made that clear during a news conference Thursday held two doors down from his damaged American Reproductive Centers facility. The Palm Springs fertility clinic was destroyed May 17 in a bombing at 1199 North Indian Canyon Dr. that leveled buildings, injured four people, and killed the person authorities believe was responsible.

The FBI said Thursday that the suspect in the bombing had amassed a large quantity of commercial chemicals capable of being used to create a homemade explosive.

The doctor was supposed to be in his office at the time of the bombing, following his usual Saturday routine of handling mail and paperwork at 11 a.m. That day, he decided to stay out of town to visit family members, a decision that likely saved his life.

“I do forgive him,” Abdallah said of the bomber. “I wish his family the best and we all pray for them.”

The doctor went further, however, instructing his business partner to contact the suspect’s family and make an extraordinary offer.

“He asked me to reach out to his family and to pay for his funeral services,” said Amer Abdallah, the doctor’s cousin and business partner. “I told him, you are such a better man than I am.”

Dr. Abdallah’s response reflects his philosophy of focusing on life rather than destruction. Immediately after the incident he instructed his staff not to discuss the perpetrator and to look ahead instead.

“No one is allowed to talk about the person who did this,” Abdallah said. “This is about forgiveness. This is about life.”

That forward-looking approach has driven both the clinic’s recovery and the city’s comprehensive response. Palm Springs Mayor Ron deHarte praised Abdallah’s dedication, noting the doctor was “already tirelessly working to ensure his clients received uninterrupted care” within hours of the bombing.

“My heart overflows with gratitude for Dr. Abdullah, a true champion for every family he serves in our community,” deHarte said during Thursday’s news conference, where he was joined by the entire Palm Springs City Council, City Manager Scott Stiles, the chiefs of the fire and police departments, and other key staff members.

The mayor described the swift response from emergency crews as “nothing short of miraculous,” adding that firefighters who entered the compromised building to safeguard embryos demonstrated “a true testament to heroism.”

Despite losing their building, the staff never stopped serving patients. On Monday morning, just two days after the attack, they were seeing patients at a Palm Desert location, using space provided by a local physician.

The bombing revealed the strength of Abdallah’s team in ways that moved him deeply.

“I realized that they’re very resilient, very hardworking,” he said. “They’re united as a family. This is not a group of people working together. We really act and behave like family members.”

That unity proved crucial when first responders discovered the clinic’s embryo laboratory had miraculously survived intact within the destroyed building. Firefighters and police officers risked their lives to enter the compromised structure and restore electricity to keep incubators running, preserving thousands of frozen eggs, sperm and embryos.

Police Chief Andy Mills said the department has moved from incident containment to investigation, but emphasized the importance of rebuilding hope.

“Research shows that 23% of a community experience depression and PTSD after a mass casualty incident,” Mills said. “Now is the time for us to bring that hope back. Because love is alive in Palm Springs.”

Among the saved genetic material were 14 developing embryos, eight of which became what Abdallah called “perfect blastocysts” – the highest quality embryos he said he has seen in his career. The embryos belong to a same-sex couple in the Palm Springs community.

“I guarantee that the patient who has those embryos will go home with a child,” Abdallah said. “This is a miracle.”

City officials mobilized immediately to help the clinic resume operations. Mayor Pro Tem Naomi Soto said the city’s response and the decision by Dr. Abdallah to stay in Palm Springs “is monumental.” She crediting the speed of everyone involved, from the economic development team to Desert Regional Medical Center staff who showed space options within hours.

“This weekend hate failed. This week hope wins,” Soto said. “This community is not broken and we are more united than ever.”

The city is implementing a disaster overlay zone for the affected area, which will provide businesses with reduced permit fees and expedited approvals for rebuilding. DeHarte said he spoke with the State Insurance Commissioner, who immediately connected state resources with city staff to explore support options.

The attack also damaged other businesses in the area, including the LGBTQ Community Center of the Desert, which had 15 windows blown out. Despite seeking their own recovery, the center is offering counseling services to help the community heal.

“When Palm Springs goes through difficult times, we truly see the best in our city come out,” said City Councilmember Jeffrey Bernstein.

The clinic will resume full operations Tuesday in a temporary location at the El Mirador building across the street, in suites 301 through 303. City officials worked around the clock to secure the space and expedite permits for the transition.

Abdallah, who has operated the clinic for 13 years and helped more than 2,200 families, said he plans to rebuild on the original site. The clinic achieved its best success rates in 26 years of operation this year.

“Material damage does not affect me in any way and I don’t even think about it,” Abdallah said. “We will rebuild, bounce back, come back better than ever before.”

---