News

Reporter's Surprise Reunion With Syrian Family Will Leave You Bawling

by John Haltiwanger
BBC

Lyse Doucet, a reporter for the BBC, just had an unexpected and highly emotional reunion with a Syrian family she hadn't seen for two years, and the heartwarming moment it happened was captured on video.

This will melt your heart.

Two years ago, Lyse Doucet reported on the Sabbagh family as they wondered whether they would survive the ongoing war in Syria, which has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives and contributed to the worst refugee crisis since World War II.

Since that time, the family was granted asylum in Canada.

They were recently at a picnic in a Toronto park alongside 30,000 other Syrians, which was meant to help them get acquainted with the local community.

Doucet happened to be at this picnic but didn't know the family would be there.

According to BuzzFeed News, one of the boys in the family asked Doucet what her name was. At first, Doucet didn't realize what was occuring, but it wasn't long before the boy's siblings spotted her and started screaming her name.

Doucet said,

We all realised what was happening. So they called out to their mother, Hannan, on the other side of the park. And we ran to find the youngest child.

This was a powerful moment for Docuet, as she wasn't sure if she'd ever see them again. She explained,

It was a tumult of emotion, a mixture of extraordinary happiness and relief – the last time I saw them in Syria they were about to be evicted from a shop where they'd been staying after their house was destroyed, they were destitute and fearful. I had just sent a message that morning to a friend in Beirut, Tima Khalil, who had helped them in Lebanon after they first fled Syria, and I asked if she knew where to find them. We had all lost contact.

More than anything, it seems Doucet was overwhelmed with joy the Sabbagh family is safe,

When happiness spills over it is so wonderful and precious. Happy endings have become so rare in Syria. It is truly heartwarming to see a lovely family get a second chance in life.

People were clearly inspired by this amazing moment between Doucet and the Sabbaghs.

One of the children, Daad, was 11 when Doucet reported on her family back in 2014. At the time, she was plagued with nightmares of the abhorrent the things she saw in the war. She said,

In my dreams I see the ghosts of my friends. I see people that were shot but who are still alive. And some had their heads cut off.

No child should have to struggle with this.

Thankfully, Daad told Doucet the nightmares have gone, and she's excited about the possibilities life holds. Daad said,

In Syria, we didn't play basketball and football and baseball. And here we can all swim and play together. I see my future, like everything is happy. Now Canada is my country and my home.

This is further proof that even amid terrible circumstances, there are always stories of hope and humanity.