They say there is nothing quite like the relationship between a mother and her child. Many women, however, undergo tragedy during childbirth when things can cause complications.
Around 2.8 million children and mothers die yearly, some during labor and delivery. Losing a child can be a devastating tragedy that some mothers never recover from.
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Reda Mahmoud was that mother. During labor and delivery, her son, Wissam Mohamed, got very sick. His mother and father were at a crossroads in their relationship where things were looking down. Through panic and fear, Wissam’s father decided to tell his mother, Reda, that Wissam had died at the hospital.
Reda returned to Egypt’s capital, and she and Wissam’s father divorced. Wissam’s father kept him with him until he was older and wanted to know where his mother was. He didn’t have a clue where she lived or if she was even alive, but just the sheer curiosity and determination to find the woman who had brought him into the world.
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Wissam had known his mother lived near Cairo, however, had no other real information about her. “I only knew for sure that she was alive about four years ago when the lawyers told me they couldn’t find a death certificate for her,” he told CBS News.
A few years later, Wissam’s aunt located some older photos of his mother and decided to post them on social media, hoping to help her nephew locate his mother. Wissam then heard of a popular Facebook page in Egypt, started by Rami el-Gebali, an engineer. The Facebook page, Missing Children, was originally created to bring awareness to missing people throughout the country.
Missing Children which had begun in Egypt, began to reunite families with each other after years of separation. The page now has 2 million followers and reaches far beyond Egypt.
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Wissam decided to send his mother’s photos to the Facebook page, hoping for some answers. The photo he received from his aunt was posted on the Missing Children’s Facebook page with the caption, “Your son is alive and looking for you.”
Only 24 hours later, Wissam’s mother was located. Wissam flew to Cairo where his mother met him at the airport and the two were reunited, 43 years after his birth. The Missing Children’s Facebook page announced, “People who know and relatives of Professor Reda saw her photo posted on our page and informed us that she lives in Ezbat Al Nakhl and she and her son’s family in Jordan for the first time in 43 years.”
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Not long after the two were reunited, their story went viral across Egypt. Wissam shared with CBS News that he had “never lost hope” about finding his mother. He had been looking for her for 20 years after finding out the truth behind his father’s story. “For the past 20 years, I’ve always believed that I will find her,” he shared.
The Missing Children’s Facebook page has become a success across Egypt and neighboring countries, with reports of 3,000 people located. However, the page’s creator shared that their work is hardly done. “There are lots of people who have lost hope and stopped searching for their loved ones. We aim to inspire at least one side to have hope, because maybe the other side is still out there,” he shared.