In the aftermath of a devastating explosion in Beirut that left more than 100 people dead and thousands more injured, an Abbotsford, B.C., mom is trying desperately to get in contact with her young children.
Shelley Beyak’s kids, 11-year-old Mia and 10-year-old Liam, were abducted by their father Wissam Tarabichi in 2018 and taken to Beirut. Since then, communication has been scant.
The last time she spoke with the kids was in November 2019 at a governmental facility in Beirut with Tarabichi present.
She believes they are still in Lebanon capital because an Interpol missing persons report would prevent Tarabichi from moving the kids without authorities being alerted.
When Beyak heard about the deadly blast in Beirut on Tuesday, she was instantly worried.
“Of course my heart dropped. And I think, like everyone, I was thinking ‘OK what does this mean, and what was the cause of this explosion?’ It’s gut-wrenching when you know your kids are somewhere and you can’t protect them,” she said.
“Imagine being a mother and having your kids so far away, somewhere where you can’t get your eyes on them and tell them it’s going to be OK. It’s extremely, extremely gut-wrenching.”
Beyak has repeatedly tried to contact Tarabichi since the blast, but he hasn’t returned any calls, emails or text messages.
