Carma Elia (Waikato) has been reunited with her baby, Yasamin, who had been stuck in Iran whilst the conflict in the region intensified.
On Sunday, July 6, her fears finally eased when she was reunited with her daughter in Türkiye.
“When I saw my daughter walking through the arrival gates, everything stopped. The pain, fear, and anxiety that had consumed me for weeks disappeared in an instant,” she said.
Carma, who lives in Perth, has spent three weeks waiting in Türkiye. She said she had growing concerns due to unreliable communication with Yasamin’s father and felt unsupported by both New Zealand and Australian foreign agencies.
“At times, it felt like I was living through a thriller except it was my life, and my child was the one in danger. But through it all, I never felt completely alone. My faith in God carried me,” she said.
Yasamin had been staying temporarily with her father, an Iranian national. But as violence escalated, Carma’s concerns deepened. Her only hope was to get as close as possible to the Iranian-Turkish border.
“From the moment the attacks began, my days were filled with fear, heartbreak, and uncertainty. Every minute felt like a lifetime. I landed in Türkiye hoping to meet her soon after, but things didn’t go as planned,” she said.
E anga atu ana ki te kāinga
Hei tā Carma, ko te whāinga matua ināianei kia hoki atu ia ki tōna kāinga, ki Ahitereiria. Ahakoa tana harikoa, ko te wheako nei ka mau tonu.
“Now, we’re preparing to return to Australia so she can be reunited with her little brother. But even as we go home, I know my healing journey isn’t over. This experience has left deep wounds: physical, emotional, and spiritual.”
Hei tāpiritanga, nā tēnei wheako i kaha ake ai tana hiahia ki te hoki ki te kāinga, kia purea ai e ngā hau o te wā kāinga.
“I’ve been feeling a powerful pull to return to Aotearoa, New Zealand, to reconnect with my roots, my whenua, my people. My wairua needs cleansing.”
