SASKATOON – One week old baby Noor has no idea what his parents have been through. He’s the newest Canadian in his family.
His parents were forced to flee from Syria to Lebanon, after the violence hit a breaking point.
Just before they left, a bomb struck their home. Yasmin Alabed Alkarim was badly wounded.
From her stomach to her feet and back, her skin was completely burned. Alabed Alkarim underwent an extensive and painful procedure.
“The nurse, doctor, everybody say no. No live. This is die,” she said.
Alabed Alkarim says she didn’t think she would live after that. But she survived, all while being pregnant.
When the couple moved to Lebanon, more heartbreak followed. She lost her baby only two months after giving birth.
READ MORE: Refugee family reunites in Saskatoon after being separated by Syrian war
While Alabed Alkarim says heart complications were to blame, she believes better healthcare could have saved her baby girl.
In Arabic, she also said no one can forget their first child.
“Noor means light. He is the light of my life,” she added.
She says now her son means everything to her and helps ease the pain.
Mahmoud Soliman, a vounteer with Global Gathering Place, has been helping the family every since they moved to Canada more than a year ago. Now, Yasmin Alabed Alkarim has learned how to speak basic English and her husband works full-time.
“I’m proud of Yasmin. I’m proud of her husband. I’m proud of other new Syrian refugees who just came here and now they’re achieving and working,” said Soliman.
From helping the couple set up their first Canadian bank account to acting as a translator, Soliman says he loves the feeling of helping people and seeing them succeed.
Alabed Alkarim says she is thankful her son will grow up a Canadian. Despite the challenges, she’s also grateful for the painful journey that brought her to baby Noor.