LAVAL, Quebec. A family in Quebec is grappling with a harrowing ordeal after discovering that the remains of their father, who passed away while vacationing in Cuba, were not returned to Canada as expected. Instead, they received the body of another man, leaving them desperate for answers and closure.
Faraj Allah Jarjour, a 68-year-old man from Quebec, tragically passed away on March 22 while swimming in the ocean near Varadero, Cuba, during a family vacation. His daughter, Miriam Jarjour, recounted the heart-wrenching moment when her father suffered a sudden heart attack and died, leaving the family in shock and grief.
Despite the family’s efforts to repatriate her father’s body, their anguish only deepened when they received the wrong body in a casket last week. The body they received belonged to a Russian man significantly younger than Faraj Allah Jarjour, with distinct physical features that did not match their father’s.
Miriam Jarjour, in her desperate quest for answers, has reached out to Canadian consular authorities and various government officials, including her Member of Parliament and Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly. However, the family remains in limbo, awaiting clarity and closure amidst their profound grief.
Expressing her devastation, Miriam Jarjour described her father as a vibrant and beloved family man, known for his infectious smile and active lifestyle. The ordeal has taken a toll on the entire family, with financial burdens adding to their emotional distress.
Despite assurances from Global Affairs Canada that consular officials are working to resolve the issue, Miriam Jarjour feels frustrated by the lack of concrete answers and is pleading for personal intervention to pressure Cuban authorities.
Amidst the anguish and uncertainty, the Jarjour family’s plea remains simple yet poignant: to find their beloved father and lay him to rest with the dignity and respect he deserves.
Gary P Hernal started college at UP Diliman and received his BA in Economics from San Sebastian College, Manila, and Masters in Information Systems Management from Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University in Oak Brook, IL. He has 25 years of copy editing and management experience at Thomson West, a subsidiary of Thomson Reuters.
