MONTREAL – Sarah Hassane arrived in Montreal from Egypt five months ago with a dream to start a new life.
Her dream was was tragically cut short when she lost her life in a fire in the neighbourhood of Notre-Dame-de-Grace (NDG) on January 10. The fire also took the life of a young musician Luke Rachwalski.
Hassane had been living with her brother while studying at Concordia University, but was staying with friends at the NDG apartment when the fire broke out.
She was resuscitated by paramedics on the scene but later succumbed to her injuries in hospital.
READ MORE: 2 dead following NDG fire; police investigate
Her older brother only found out about her tragic death a few days later when he returned from his holiday in Egypt.
“I found a voicemail from the sargeant on my phone, telling me that my sister was involved in a major accident,” Sami Hassane said.
Their father immediately flew to Montreal after he receiving what he describes as the worst phone call of his life.
“My son, when he told me the news, he was crying,” Samir Hassane explained.
“He couldn’t even tell me she died. I said did she die? He said, ‘Yes she died.’ So I just prayed.”
At a bar she worked at in Lachine, her colleagues were still in shock.
“She’ll always be in my heart.”
“I’m looking at the door and I’m like hoping she’s going to walk in,” said her co-worker Gabrielle Grenier, while trying to hold back her tears.
“I just have to keep in mind that she’ll always be in my heart.”
Sarah will be remembered for her laughter, energy, ambition and ability to make everyone around her smile.
She had many dreams for herself but her biggest one was to one day to become a model.
“I’m happy when I think she was happy.”
Her father said that he has no regrets sending her abroad.
“She was feeding herself, working, studying, being more independent, so I’m happy when I think she was happy.”
On Wednesday, she was laid to rest in Montreal, just as she had always wished.
Her dad explained that when Sarah was 16, she told her mother how she wanted to be buried.
“When I die I want to be buried in a nice place with a lot of green, don’t bury me in Egypt.”
Police are still investigating the cause of the fire, but Sarah’s father said that the family will have no closure until they know what really happened.
“We cannot live with questions, we need some answers, her mother wants answers.”
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