Man Pens Letter to Heroic Fiancée and Firefighter, Sahar Fares, Who Died in Tragic Beirut Explosion
Gilbert Karaan lost his heroic fiancée, Sahar Fares, in the horrific Beirut explosion and proceeded to celebrate their wedding.
It seems 2020 has been filled with one major world disaster after the next. The COVID-19 pandemic coupled with the merciless killings of innocent Black lives, hearts have been heavy, to say the least. Now with the earth-shattering Beirut, Lebanon explosion, a young man has lost his bride-to-be.
As reported by The New York Times, Sahar Fares, a 27-year-old paramedic, was due to be married next June. Ms. Fares was among the 154 lives lost at the port in Beirut due to the heartbreaking explosion. Her fiancé Gilbert Karaan wrote a heart-wrenching letter to her on his Instagram account on August 5, marking their new wedding date as “tomorrow, my dear.”
His unfeigned message in the post’s caption is deep and affectionate: “Our wedding was supposed to be on 6/6/2021. You were preparing our new home, choosing the furniture you like, getting ready for our new life together. But you left me too early.”
“Your wedding is no longer on 6/6/2021, but it will be tomorrow my dear. Everything that you wanted at the wedding will be there except I won’t get to see you in your white dress. You have broken my back my love, and burnt the love of my heart. There is no more taste to life after you.”
Ms. Fares died as an honorable heroine. She was a member of the Beirut Fire Brigade responding to a fire at the port prior to the explosion. According to The New York Times, she was trained as a nurse and entered the civil service in 2018. Fares expressed to relatives that a government career was appealing to her because it would be a source of benefits coupled with job stability; she yearned for more as she and her two sisters witnessed her mother and father struggles to provide for their family.
A video featured by MTV Lebanon showcases uniformed members of the fire brigade upholding the bride’s casket through a guard of honor. Family and friends supported her transfer as well. The New York Times reports words from Fares’ cousin Theresa Khoury, 23: “She was the most loving person I know,” she mourned. “Kind and caring and always looking out for her parents and sisters. She was full of life and loved life. Her dream was to marry the love of her life and spend the rest of her life with him.”
The explosion travesty caused over 200 deaths, 6,000 injuries, and left an estimated 300,000 people without homes.
Nine firefighters and a paramedic were the first on the scene when a large fire was reported at a warehouse in Beirut
The team was unaware that almost 3,000 tonnes of ammonium nitrate was inside the building
Warning: Contains distressing imageshttps://t.co/gTT2RoBQD3 pic.twitter.com/oQ2zSWQOJU
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) August 19, 2020
You can help provide relief for Beirut during this time of devastation by donating to any of the following organizations:
The Lebanese Red Cross is the main provider of ambulance services in Lebanon. It will dispatch every ambulance from North Lebanon, Bekaa, and South Lebanon to Beirut to treat the wounded and help in search-and-rescue. You can contribute relief here.
The United Nations’ World Food Program provides food to people who have been displaced or homeless after the explosion. You can donate here.
International Medical Corps deploys medical units and is providing mental health care to those in need residing in Lebanon. You can provide support here.
You can read the full story of love, tragedy, and honor of Sahar Fares and Gilbert Karaan via The New York Times here.
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