Husband Lies to Wife That Their Newborn Died, Son Approaches Her 44 Years Later
For 20 minutes, two people who had been utterly oblivious to each other’s existence stood still, looking at each other. They didn’t know whether to go for a hug or say something. Finally, one of them plucked up the courage to break the silence, trying to live the past 44 years in one embrace. A mother’s love for her child is selfless, pure, and ever-ending. Sadly, some kids grow up devoid of motherly warmth and affection due to unexplainable or unlikely circumstances. Many might even wonder what it would be like not living with a soul-crushing pain of absence.
The story of this mother-child duo was set in a similar backdrop. Neither of them knew what fate had planned for them. Then, one day, in an astonishing turn of events, the universe brought forth a plot twist that many might have only read in books or watched in movies. When Reida Mahmoud embraced motherhood, she was delighted and couldn’t wait to hug and hold her baby. But only two weeks later, her infant boy became so unwell he had to be taken to the hospital. Seeing his critical condition, the doctors admitted him until he fully recovered. While Reida anxiously waited for her son to arrive home and prayed for his recovery, she didn’t know what would happen next.
One day, her husband returned home from the hospital and gave her heart-stopping news. “Their baby boy had passed away.” Reida was ambushed with the tragic news when her marriage was on the verge of falling apart. Eventually, she and her husband divorced. With a broken heart, Reida bid farewell to Jordan and went back to Cairo, Egypt, her home country. Many years passed, but the distraught mother never forgot about her baby, always keeping him alive in her memories. At times, she imagined a world where she and her son were together, leading a happy and prosperous life.
Unbeknownst to Reida, her infant son, Wissam Muhammad, was all grown up and living in Jordan. Spending a large part of his life without a mother had left him with an aching void and several questions. He neither had any information regarding her whereabouts nor knew whether she was alive or dead. All Wissam knew was his mother’s name, which he obtained from his birth documents, and a foggy idea of where she used to reside in Cairo. But after so many years, the chances of his mom living in the same place were slim. Determined not to give up, Wissam searched for his mother and found himself in Egypt several times. Sadly, any attempts to locate her were null and void because the house she had once inhabited in Cairo was ruined by an earthquake in 1992.
His dwindling hopes were rekindled a little when in 2018, the lawyers told him they couldn’t find a death certificate in his mother’s name. But that discovery in no way aided Wissam’s search; he had nothing concrete to keep going except his heart’s calling. In late 2022, things took a pleasant turn when Wissam’s Jordanian aunt stumbled upon some old photos of his mother and shared them on social media. Eventually, those pictures were noticed by an Egyptian group, “Missing Children,” created in 2015 to reunite missing kids with their loved ones. One thing led to another, and in early December 2022, within 24 hours, the group’s admin succeeded and located Wissam’s mother, Reida.
The Jordanian man traveled to Cairo the next day, and an emotional scene ensued at the airport. Ramy El-Gabali, the Facebook group’s founder, witnessed the moment Reida and Wissam saw each other for the first time. He recalled how they were both hesitant to make the first move, standing frozen for 20 minutes while Wissam struggled to decide whether he should hug the woman in front of him. She was unsure whether it was the same son she had thought dead for over four decades. Finally, Wissam stepped forward, took his mother’s hand, and kissed it, after which she melted in his warm embrace.
With his arms tightly wrapped around his mother, Wissam asked, “You thought I was dead?” A teary-eyed Reida replied, “They told me so.” Trying his best to relive the past four decades, Wissam continued, “I’m sorry, I’ve been looking for you for 20 years.” Words became trivial as the mother-son duo cried, hugged, and kissed, making the most of their time together. During the heartwarming reunion, Reida discovered that her husband lied to her many years ago about her son’s death. “Particularly in the wake of their divorce, he was afraid she might take me away with her,” explained Wissam.
For 44 years, Reida spent her life thinking her sweet little angel died in the hospital, while he was living with his father in Jordan. Although the mother and son had missed out on so much, their meeting was nothing less than a miracle. Ramy, who had helped reunite thousands of lost children with their families, found witnessing another reunion gratifying. Several netizens were moved by the long-lost mother-son duo’s reunion, which was a long time coming in a heart-melting scene. Nonetheless, many people showered the pair with their best wishes, love, and support. “I’m so glad he was able to reunite with his mom,” said Nina Shan. “A father would actually do this to his own son? Glad he kept searching and found his mom. Hope they find peace,” wrote Diane Clay. “Oh my God, this is such great news,” said Brenda G. Morrison. “Heartwarming and sad at the same time,” added Jerry L. Armstrong. We hope Reida and Wissam can create new and golden memories together and cherish their newfound bond wholeheartedly.
