If you recall, in episode 31 which went out on July 31st... we asked our readers for some suggestions for ideas for upcoming blog posts. One of the winners, Roueida Salame suggested I write about how certain events or experiences that a person goes through can change their lives, and how to handle it victoriously.

 This week I had the pleasure of speaking with Roueida about her life experiences and about her ability to overcome a tragic, near-death experience.
 
 I met Roueida for the first time six years ago when she and her mother reached out to our team for help buying a home together. We worked closely with the two of them along with some welcome guidance from her sister Roula who already lived in Kirkland and who knew the neighbourhood well. They're a wonderful family with a very strong, close relationship... the kind of bond that forms after a group of people have suffered together and still managed to triumph despite their shared challenges.
 
And that is what this week's Log is all about. Inspired by Roueida and her incredible story of survival, hardship, commitment, and faith.

As someone who was born in Canada and who has never lived through a war, it's easy for me to take things for granted. I often forget to consider what other people have had to go through in order to be able to enjoy the kind of fairy-tale life that I do, here in the West Island. 
 
Roueida was born in Southern Lebanon near the Israeli border during a time of relative peace. Her family were Christian, and lived in harmony among other families of other faiths and religions. They enjoyed a nice life with access to education and jobs. But when the war started, they saw their way of life begin to fall apart around them. The war in Lebanon began in 1975, and involved a number of divided factions at odds with each other for various different reasons. As Roueida put it... "It was a religious war". 

 Only a teenager at the time the war broke out, she found herself wondering how one religious group could target another with so much hatred. This became extremely difficult for her to accept and understand... and needless to say, she had to grow up very quickly. 
 
There came a point when her family knew it was no longer safe to stay in their hometown, where many Christian families were being targeted by invading forces. So they moved to Beirut where there was a larger Christian population that was better protected. But Beirut was far from a safe place. 

 Her Grandparents lived in West Beirut where they stayed temporarily while Roueida and her siblings went to school in that part of the city. They later moved to East Beirut, considered to be a more Christian area of the city... but still had to travel back and forth to their school in the West. Eventually, the frequency of bombings and attacks in East Beirut forced them to move yet again to her uncle's house further outside the city. They stayed with her uncle for the better part of 3 years until Roueida decided to attend University - again located in West Beirut. She enrolled to study in fine arts, interior design, and advertising.
 
 She and her brother and sister managed to avoid harm during their countless trips to and from school during these years. It's actually amazing when you think about it. 

 But on the morning of February 6th, 1983... Roueida described to me a very powerful experience she had. She told me,
 
“I heard this voice speak to me. The voice said: "If you were to die today... what would you make of your life?" This voice stirred a great emotion within me and served as an awakening. At that moment I promised God to be faithful, and I asked Jesus to come into my heart. I said, “I put my life in your hands, do with it whatever you want.”
 
Later that same day, at around 1pm, while driving home from school in West Beirut, a bomb went off inside a parked car packed with explosives just as she and her brother were passing by. Had they not been in a car, they both would have died instantly. Her brother was blown out of the passenger door of the vehicle and managed to survive with burns to his arms and a few fractures. Roueida had to be removed from the vehicle and rushed to hospital, where doctors assumed she would die within the next few hours from her wounds. They told her family there was little hope of saving her, but her parents insisted they try to keep her alive in intensive care.

She did not die. But she remained in a coma-like state for almost 3 months.
 
However, during that time, Roueida remembers being conscious of her surroundings. She recalls being aware of family members and visitors coming to see her. But she was unable to move, or to speak, or to respond to them in any way. So they had no way of knowing if she could hear them or understand them,
 
 When she did finally wake up, the doctors told her she would require major reconstructive surgery that would be impossible to have done in Lebanon. They told her that they would be removing the bandages from her face and that if she was unable to see... it likely meant that she would be blind for the rest of her life.

 When the bandages came off, Roueida once again had a very powerful spiritual experience. In her words…
 
 “I saw a blinding bright light, and Jesus was standing before me with open arms. He told me – “Come to me. If you are weary and heavy-laden... I will give you rest.” I felt a great sense of joy in my heart and I ran to his arms. He held me up, he showed me a glimpse of heaven, I'm sure. It was so beautiful, full of flowers and colours I've never seen. He said – “You see how beautiful this is...? This is the way your life is going to be, trust me”.
 I felt right there that this would be a great challenge because I knew that in Lebanon there are no services for the handicapped and most are rejected by society."

Roueida obviously accepted the challenge because she was soon granted a special VISA to travel to the United States for the surgery she needed in Houston, Texas – where they had far superior medical technology and equipment. Within 5 days, she was on a plane with her mom. She underwent the first of many procedures in Houston and stayed there for an entire year recovering. She was introduced to the blind institute there and learned how to type in two weeks flat - despite having been a miserable typist before her accident. She learned braille in less than 4 months time. 

In August of 1984, she was able to get a VISA to come to Canada through the sponsorship of her aunt who was already living here at the time. Once in Canada, her recovery continued for another 20 years. Roueida would never regain her eyesight, and the skin-grafting, bone-grafting, and reconstruction of her face and neck would take decades to complete. Every year there was another procedure. In fact, 19 years after her accident, surgeons discovered a piece of glass that had been embedded in her head since the initial blast. They were amazed that no one had detected it before and the surgery required to remove it took over 8 hours. Even that far along, doctors were amazed that she was able to survive the sheer amount of trauma she had been through. 
 
Throughout her life, Roueida has maintained a positive outlook on her life. She's spent nights sleeping with her head hanging upside down off the edge of the bed to allow skin grafts on her neck to heal. She's worn bandages and neck braces for years on end and endured countless migraine headaches and sinus pains. But she still loves to use her hands to make arts and crafts - especially sculptures and weaving working with fabrics. She's learned to play piano and has adapted to using technology for the blind like email and computer programs.
 
One of the things I love about Roueida is her sharp sense of humour. I remember visiting houses with her and her mother and sister and commenting on certain features of a home. Without thinking, I would mention how nice the view of the garden was, and Roueida would be very quick to comment,
 
 “Mark, I’m glad you’re always thinking of me – you know how much I appreciate a good view!” 

 The ability to find humour in all circumstances is something that I believe gives us strength, and ultimately, joy. It’s a powerful tool for anyone facing adversity. 

 On that tragic day in 1983, Roueida had no way of knowing how drastically her life was about to change. She was 20 days away from her graduation with hopes and dreams of becoming an interior designer. Instead, her world was literally blown apart and the course of her life altered forever.
 
But through unwavering faith, and extraordinary effort, Roueida has not only survived, but she has thrived in a way that most thought would be impossible.
 
She is an inspiration to all of us, and an example of outstanding courage for anyone who has to face life’s toughest challenges.
 
Roueida, we thank you, we admire you, and we salute you.

Signing off…

Capt’n Mark