Everyone Has a Story: The woman who carried 15 children and gained 2 more in death

So at one point, there were all 15 of you-

Mm

... and your mother and father living in Tripoli-

Yeah

...

Lebanon.

Mm.

And so what point did the family emigrate, and why, and who came-

Mm

... and who didn't-

Mm

... and why?

Mm.

So, um, some of us had to sacrifice and stay back so they can look after the business-

What was the business?

... because there was a civil war, and people would come and, um, claim anything.

That was, um, vacant

Right

So, um, I think, um, the, the argument between mom and dad, and I write that in the, in the story that I've written with, um, nine Arab women, um, about our migration, um, journey.

She had a huge argument telling him that I need to save the boys because the civil war attracted these young boys to come and fight in different militias, you know? And she's worked so hard to put us all in private schools.

Wow.

You know, back then, it was so expensive.

You know, my eldest two sisters, who were very, very close in age to her, um, she sent them, one to Egypt to study further and do a, um, you know, masters, and one to Beirut, you know? And my second eldest, um, was the first of female girls graduate-

Yeah

... you know, at the time.

So at one point, there were all 15 of you-

Mm

... and your mother and father living in Tripoli-

Yeah

...

Lebanon.

Mm.

And so what point did the family emigrate, and why, and who came-

Mm

... and who didn't-

Mm

... and why?

Mm.

So, um, some of us had to sacrifice and stay back so they can look after the business-

What was the business?

... because there was a civil war, and people would come and, um, claim anything.

That was, um, vacant

Right

So, um, I think, um, the, the argument between mom and dad, and I write that in the, in the story that I've written with, um, nine Arab women, um, about our migration, um, journey.

She had a huge argument telling him that I need to save the boys because the civil war attracted these young boys to come and fight in different militias, you know? And she's worked so hard to put us all in private schools.

Wow.

You know, back then, it was so expensive.

You know, my eldest two sisters, who were very, very close in age to her, um, she sent them, one to Egypt to study further and do a, um, you know, masters, and one to Beirut, you know? And my second eldest, um, was the first of female girls graduate-

Yeah

... you know, at the time.