Sabah Merhej Nassour

Sabah, or Nawal as she was commonly known, was not the kind of woman who would surrender to fate, she created her own destiny. August 4 was not a destiny, it was a man-made decision, the will of corrupt evil forces that took her life.

Her parents, Merhej and Julia Merhej, showered her with love, and she did the same with her siblings, and then with her husband and children. Nawal was strong, and determined to face life's challenges and hardships. After her husband fled Syria for political reasons, and sought refuge in Lebanon, Nawal, lived alone with her children in Hamah in Syria, defying the odds. After decades away, Farid returned to Syria, but his family could not enjoy their time with him long enough, as he died three years later.

The death of her husband was not the only tragedy Nawal had to sustain. Her son Jamil died in a tragic car accident in 2003. She cried until there were no more tears, she stood still and kept on living to support her daughters and grandchildren.

She fled the war in Syria, and settled in Beirut with her daughter Fadwa. "Em Jamil", as she loved to be called, was a home country to her daughters, she was the essence of love and goodness. Without her they wouldn’t survive, she turned weakness into strength, and sadness into stability.

On July 23, 2020, Nawal was admitted to Saint George Hospital to treat a specific medical condition. She was supposed to be discharged on August 5, after a full recovery. But life had other hidden plans. Warehouse number 12 exploded at the Port of Beirut, sending shock waves through the city causing a window panel to fall on Nawal. Shards of glass struck her head and neck. There was no ambulance access, and she was evacuated by car, to Khoury Hospital, in a critical condition. Doctors tried to save her, but she passed away. Nawal left this life leaving behind a world of experience… Her memory shall live forever...

After years in refuge, Nawal was back to Hamah – Syria, and she was buried in her home town, on August 16, 2020.