Elias Khoury
16-year old Elias had the most innocent and charming smile. He was mercilessly killed too soon. "Lallousi", as his family calls him, left behind a devastated father, and a mourning heartbroken mother, who find no meaning in a life without him.
Elias was loved and appreciated by everyone at his school. He was well-mannered, polite, considerate, cool, and composed; a role model to many.. He was kind, respectful, and always careful not to offend, or hurt anyone. He had a sense of humor, and he loved playing football. He was passionate about music and rap songs.
He wanted to become an engineer just like his father, whom he always looked up to. Elias was also a great brother, dearly loved by his sister whose wounds have not yet healed. He was a thoughtful grandson who avoided seeing his friends in the last few months before his passing, since he wouldn't risk transmitting the coronavirus to his grandmother.
On the 4th of August, Elias watched the fire from his home window in Mar Mikhael, three hundred meters away from the Port of Beirut. His mother Mireille asked him and his sister Nour to stay away from the window. He went into his room, and shortly after, the explosion happened. His mother, who was wounded, was evacuated to LAU Medical Center – Rizk Hospital, his sister to Serhal Hospital, while his father took him to Hotel Dieu Hospital.
He was immediately transferred to the operating room, where he was operated on for hours. Unfortunately, his head injury was quite severe, as the walls of his room collapsed all over him. Elias stayed in the intensive care unit for 14 days and required 27 blood units. His mother prayed to Virgin Mary to save her son from an unbearable fate. But Elias who had fought to stay alive, passed away on August 18, 2020. Elias loved his mother so much that he waited for her to recover, and come to his bedside, for their final goodbye, before he leaves forever.
His parents lost their taste for life and happiness. They regret not listening to his request to move closer to his school in Mtayleb, they even regret not leaving this country, because they believe their son deserved to live.
They refuse to call Elias a martyr because he is the victim of a corrupted political elite who kept silent about hazardous chemicals stored in the Port of Beirut.
Elias' family is in pain. Their hearts are aching. Elias iconic and innocent smile is now captured in a photo of him that hangs in his home, and stands as a reminder of how easy it is for human beings to lose their lives in this country.