My Mother Marie-Antoinette Attiyeh writes :

One month after the appalling incident in front of the Lebanese school,

Marie-Antoinette Attieh, the mother of little Dana Walid Sakr writes:

My daughter crossed to eternal life

• The incident

Sunday October 18th 2009 started like any other normal school day, I went to school to pick up my son CHADI (7 years), and my daughter DANA (5 years), and our neighbor’s daughter (3 years). And as on any normal school day, I walked with the two girls to meet CHADI and walk altogether to the school exit.

A friend stopped me on the way to tell me that DANA’s face was illuminated by a strange light, which pushed him to tease her on the face before we went out.

And like any other normal school day, we walked together towards the first external sidewalk longing the school. We were chatting, DANA and I, about the memo sent from school on that day, and which included the schedule of the holiday vacations. We were planning to spend Christmas and New Year in Lebanon.

And like any other normal school day, CHADI waved with his hand to make sure that the passing cars had stopped before we crossed the street. And I did the same with my hand, and we crossed together the first part of the street.

The area was full of parked cars, since the school bells ring at 2 o’clock.

And on the second part of the street, we waved with our hand, CHADI and I, to the White Toyota Land Cruiser GXR 2008, asking the driver to stop so that we can cross. He gave us a sign to cross.

It is essential to note on that point, that the street is 10 meters large, divided by plastic obstacles and each side is less than 5 meters large, in addition to the cars parked along the sidewalks.

CHADI crossed the street, and before I got to reach the second sidewalk with the two girls, I felt like a strong wind had stroke me, so I rushed up to put the three years old girl on the sidewalk, and look back for a second, and I was surprised to see DANA standing proudly and smiling to me, waiting for me on the other school sidewalk. I was strangely surprised, and I got mad at her obstinacy, so I made a sign to CHADI to keep an eye on the three years old girl while I get DANA.

But I realized in a second that DANA was next to me lying on the ground, with blood flowing from her ears, and she was not at all on the other sidewalk… And as I was a first-aider at the Lebanese Red Cross, I knew right away that she passed away.

At exactly 2:09 pm, I called for an ambulance, and I said: “my daughter had an accident in front of the Lebanese school”
I ran towards CHADI to reassure him that the ambulance was on the way.

Teachers, students and parents started crowding. They assisted me with their stock of religious icons, and saints photos, holy essence and incense.
I invoked the drivers of the passing cars for help. I tried to carry my daughter, but I fell on my knees.
I prayed deeply, I ate incense hoping that my prayers would reach her soul; I put holy essence on her wrists.

I asked one of the teachers who was standing next to me to write down the car number.
The young driver stayed inside his car all the time.

I knocked with my hand on his car, I waved shouting: “you saw me, I stopped you with a sign of my hand, and you stopped with a sign of my hand”.
I tried to take a photo of him using my mobile phone, but I was surprised by a policeman having a gentle and calm chat with the driver.
Then he closed his car window and started directly a phone call.

On the morning of the third day, my husband and son (7 years old) headed to the police station, where CHADI expressed his anger and asked – in his own way – to impose on the driver the severest penalties.

• Mourning, wonderings, and anger

When someone dies, in all religions and societies, people try to comfort the parents of the deceased by condolences and moral support.
Our house crowded with family, friends, neighbors... many people called us over the phone from long distances. We received lots of e-mails and poems were written, and a song was composed about DANA:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FsDgacO7DMQ

Wonderings towards the Lebanese embassy

However, what surprised us was the phone call that we received on the morning of the day following the incident, from the Lebanese consul (who had already visited us on the night of the incident). The consul expressed on the phone the condolences on behalf of the Lebanese ambassador, and added that the ambassador would like to meet us and express his condolences personally and that he hopes we could visit him in the embassy because he cannot be absent from the office during working hours!!!

Our dear ambassador, there has been an ethical and protocol mistake towards a death incident which took place in front of your embassy, and with people from your community, who have been subject to press rumors and fabrications, and without any reaction from whatever side.
Doesn’t the consul also have to be present in his office during working hours? In spite of that, we had the honor of his visit.

Wondering towards the Qatari parties

The owner of the car which hit my daughter comes from a prestigious Qatari family, and he is 22 years old.
The traffic police reports included and the press published at that time that the driver was Asian, and we knew that he was 17 years old.

A few teachers noted earlier that they noticed during the last month a presence of young people in luxurious cars in front of the Lebanese school, to exchange numbers with the young female students, and to watch Lebanese ladies crossing towards the schools.

Dear youth,
Some witnesses said that the young driver of the car was enjoying looking in the other direction of the sidewalk, so he didn’t notice my daughter.

Dear youth,
Love has no limits, and teenage period has its share in all societies and civilization.
I really hope that you live this period of your lives in a regular way and with a balanced openness.

If the driver was Asian, the owner of the car comes from a prestigious Qatari family, and it is from the habits and customs of the Qatari society – which we totally respect– to participate in the condolences and support.
In spite of that, we didn’t get any call or news about the causative of the incident until after a month had passed.

To you young man:
I still remember your face and you still remember my angry eyes.
Do you accept that children die, without any concern from adults, or without at least learning lessons from it?

• God is always present

The incident was accompanied by weird details which are not coincidental.
I will cite few details, as a message from me to every person passing through religious question marks, to strengthen his faith and his love for life.
1- Our Church Priest, Father Francois, told during the Sunday night ceremony that he saw a strange looking white pigeon, with dense circular feather around its neck, flying around him again and again, until it landed on the window of his office. He waved to it with his head, it responded the same way. He was surprised by its presence, until he heard about the accident.

2- When we saw our daughter in the coffin at the church, we felt peace and warmth, in spite of the separation, and in spite of the coldness of her body. We were seeing in front of us an empty cover, like something we were not related to except by the external resemblance.
We breathed deeply when the corpse was moved, and we didn’t look back at it, because we were so sure that the warmth of her soul will stay with us.

3- I lived with the photo of DANA standing proudly and smiling to me from the other sidewalk longing the school for not less than two weeks. The witnesses and facts referred to, later on, that she was laying on the ground next to me, as I remember too. Then how did I see her standing there when I looked back for seconds?
The realism of this scene didn’t leave me any doubt about my sight of her after her death.

Today I am not concerned any more by that still body, the body which my daughter borrowed to come to this life on earth.
When my daughter crossed, she gave me a farewell and a confirmation, clear and evident, and a hope of another world present in another dimension.

4- The three year old girl (Angy) who was with us on the time of the incident had a shock which led her to close her eyes in an intermittent way for few days. Her mother called me to tell that Angy told her that she saw DANA in the light, wearing white, and swinging.
Children are the most innocent and peaceful creatures, surrendering to the will of God, so they become more susceptible and disposed to any spiritual communication or presence.

5- While I was packing DANA’s things, I saw a small pink notebook I had bought for her one week before the incident. I opened it, and I saw two drawings: the first on the left including the elements she used to draw regularly (a heart, a smiley face, a butterfly, and a flower), while the second included all the elements of the first drawing, in addition to the scheme of a girl-angel with a smiling face, and what looks like clouds of a crown over her head. DANA was used to showing us proudly every sketch she did, even if it was simple one, so that we hang it somewhere and praise her. Then why did she hide that drawing which she was never used to draw?

It seems evident that we are living for a world with more peace and warmth and eternal life.
We live here until the time comes for our souls to go back to its sources.
All what happened with DANA is that she went back there ahead of us.

• Tomorrow will be a great day

It seems that my daughter’s death was a redemption for many school students, because after the incident, all the safety rules were followed, and they made special passages for walking passengers, and there has been less numbers of cars not belonging to the parents of the students crossing the street in front of the school.

I was DANA’s mother on earth, and she went back to her heavenly family.

She was my daughter on earth, and I gained her as an angel in heaven.

My son CHADI looks forward to the future with faith and a smile, waiting for brothers and sisters, with God’s will.

As for my husband, he remembers her, giving thanks for the grace of her visit to us.

The tears of separation come from our human weakness, but the solidity of faith will fill us with grace and hope.

For life is beautiful. Life is beautiful. Life is beautiful.

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Thanks to:
- All our friends and relatives and family from all nationalities, and all those who supported us.
- The Lebanese school – management and teachers… (for taking good care of CHADI educationally and morally.
- The students of the Lebanese school for sharing with us our pain.
- The forums of condolences and memory on the internet, especially facebook.
- The Choueifat school and its students for the condolence file which they sent to us.
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Note:

Dana’s Mother... Marie-Antoinette Attiyeh:
- Lebanese by nationality, Qatari resident since 2002, holding Masters Degree in Psychology and Masters Degree in School Counseling and Guidance. She worked before at ASPIRE academy for four years as Career Management Senior Officer, before she devoted her time to prepare her PHD.

Dana’s Father… Walid Zafer Sakr:
- Lebanese by nationality, Qatari resident since 2002. He holds 2 Bachelor degrees in Business Marketing and Communication Arts (Radio, TV & Film Production).
- He is the Owner and the General Manager of “WS PRODUCTION” company for Advertising and AV Media Production.
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