Gina with her daughter Sama, photographed at home in Cairo. Photo: Louay Nasser
One year after losing her husband and son in a devastating accident, Vogue Arabia writer Gina Tadros reflects on her quest for justice and finding strength for her daughter.
My husband Dream and my son Youssef were amazing people who left a lasting impact on the world with their kind hearts. They showed love, compassion, and a strong determination to make things better. It was a real honor to have known them. I always believed that Dream and our precious baby, Youssef, would be with me as I grew older. But things didn’t go as planned, and we were separated too soon. We had many great adventures as a close-knit family of four, traveling together around the world, visiting almost every continent, gathering memories and souvenirs from each corner.
Gina with her Son Youssef
It all began in Egypt, where Dream and I first met through a group of friends. From there, our journey unfolded. We married on August 4, 2001, and we experienced the incredible joy of welcoming our daughter, Sama, into the world a year later. She brought so much light and happiness into our lives. In 2003, the three of us moved to Abu Dhabi from Cairo to start a new chapter, and we lived there happily for five years. During that time, we didn’t think about having another child until Sama expressed her desire for a sibling. That was a turning point for our family. We moved to Dubai, and we felt complete when Youssef arrived on September 26, 2009. He brought a new kind of joy into our lives, showing wisdom and kindness beyond his young age. The four of us were inseparable and shared a love story that perfectly matched Dream’s name. Dream was not just my husband’s name, it was an inspiration to us all.
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From the very beginning, it was clear that Dream had natural leadership qualities that made him stand out. He was a deep thinker and had strong analytical skills that allowed him to understand things beyond the surface level. He had a unique ability to see and feel things that others couldn’t. Dream’s career was truly remarkable. He quickly climbed the corporate ladder and became a director in a well-known international pharmaceutical company. But he didn’t stop there. He went on to start his own business in the pharmaceutical field, while also holding an important role as secretary general of the Pharma Association for the UAE. Dream’s exceptional success showed his dedication, determination, and pursuit of excellence. He was an inspiration to everyone who had the privilege of knowing him.
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We went on exciting adventures and each trip was filled with laughter and unforgettable moments, becoming cherished memories in our lives. But little did I know that a vacation to our home country, Egypt, would bring an end to our shared experiences. The accident came suddenly. It shattered our lives in an instant, taking away the future we had imagined and leaving us overwhelmed in its aftermath. For three painful months, my daughter and I were confined to our beds, dealing with the physical and emotional wounds caused by the tragic event.
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The day of the accident, July 26, 2022, Dream, Youssef, Sama, and myself were on a rubber boat, securely attached to one of the yachts by a long rope. Suddenly a woman appeared. Unaware of her surroundings, she was focused on her friends, who were trying to capture her playful actions on her super-fast jet ski on their cameras. The woman ignored several warnings and continued to play in the waves created by passing yachts. She carelessly sped towards us, colliding with our boat, resulting in the tragic loss of my beloved family. The collision between her jet ski and the rubber boat had a devastating impact. It caused my 48-year-old husband’s immediate death, due to severe fractures to his skull and body. As for my 12-year-old son, he remained in a coma for 14 days after his father’s passing. He suffered from broken ribs, a fractured pelvis, and the most severe injury, a fractured skull that left him unconscious. He fought for his life, and each day felt unbearably long. Then, he followed his father’s path, leaving this world on August 11, 2022, almost a month before his 13th birthday.
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The physical pain we experienced was intertwined with our emotional pain. The fractures we suffered served as a constant reminder of that fateful day, leaving lasting trauma within us. Three months later, when we finally left the hospital, we embarked on a new path – a quest for justice for the lives that had been shattered. It’s a fact that a jet ski should never have been in the same vicinity as the donut game – a game designed to challenge our balance and attempt to make us fall into the water, only to climb back up again into the rubber boat. We closely followed up with our lawyer, hoping for answers about the progress of the case. To our disappointment, we learned that the young woman responsible for the accident had been released from jail. Despite receiving a six-month prison sentence, she remained free and has managed to evade justice until now. The accident happened in Marina, a place on the north coast of Egypt. Surprisingly, Marina seems to have escaped any consequences for its role in the incident. It was astonishing to discover that all the jet-ski licenses had expired in 2016, which clearly indicated that they should not have been operating.
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The realization of these facts only deepened our frustration and anger. It seemed that justice was elusive, slipping through our fingers like sand. We yearn for accountability, for someone to be held responsible for the immense pain and loss we endure. The wheels of due process turn slowly but our pursuit for closure continues, fueled by a fierce determination to seek truth and bring about a semblance of justice.
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The journey of grief transcends borders and distances, leaving an everlasting mark on our lives. Sama also suffered significant injuries in the accident. She had a broken left collarbone, three broken ribs, and fractures on both sides of her pelvis. As for myself, I endured the pain of nine broken ribs and fractures in both the front and back of my pelvis. While these physical wounds heal, the weight of the absence of my husband and son is a burden that never truly dissipates. It lingers in the empty spaces of our home, in the echoes of their voices that I yearn to hear once more. The void they left behind serves as a constant reminder of the dreams we shared and the future we envisioned.
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As I adjust to my new life between Cairo and Dubai, I’ll remain carrying a heavy burden of grief. The absence of my Dream and my Youssef has created a void that’s affecting every aspect of my existence. Yet, Dream and Youssef will forever hold a special place in my heart, and I’ll keep seeking justice until my last breath. Often, I find myself longing for answers, for justice to be served. The pain of knowing that the woman who caused the accident still walks free weighs heavily on my heart. I am left grappling with a sense of injustice, longing for the closure that seems to elude me.
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In the midst of my overwhelming loss, Sama shines as a ray of light in my life. Her name, meaning ‘sky’ in English, perfectly captures the vastness of her spirit and the limitless love she brings into my world. It is for her sake that I gather the strength to move forward; she deserves a life as beautiful as her own soul. I strive to fulfill not only the role of a mother but also those of a father and a sibling to her, stepping into the void left by the untimely departure of her father and baby brother. This task is formidable and unexpected, but I am resolute in my determination to fulfill it to the best of my abilities.”
