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Florida mom spends first holiday with son after he was kidnapped, taken to Lebanon

Rachelle said she spent 281 days without her 4-year-old son, Dexter.

TAMPA, Fla. — This Independence Day takes on new meaning for Rachelle Smith of South Tampa.

“I never thought it would come this fast,” Smith said.

It's the first holiday with her son since she said he was abducted and taken to Lebanon for months with his dad, Ali Salamey. 

Previous: Dad who brought son to Lebanon against mom's will gets federal kidnapping charge

“I'd wake up every day just crying. Just feel like I'm dying inside without my son,” she said. “I was grieving every single day for a child that was still alive, but I had no contact with."

Smith said she spent 281 days without her 4-year-old son, Dexter, and getting him back was a stressful process she wasn’t always sure would end positively.

"Lebanon had recognized my U.S. orders to pick up Dexter and take him to the embassy. Apparently, Ali was jumping from village to village, so those orders were in the wrong jurisdiction,” she said. However, the process did not move as quickly as she believes it should have. “I was kind of losing faith because Lebanon has never enforced a court order or never brought a child back to America."

It was a painful process, but faith--coupled with the help of attorneys, the FBI, lawmakers and diplomats--turned a nightmare into a dream come true.

"I always held onto hope and I was determined no matter what that I would get Dexter home. But there are many days, many nights of not knowing, worrying if this will ever work,” she said.

Her days of worrying are now over. Dexter's dad is behind bars and Dexter is safe in her arms.

“He has told me over and over how much he missed me. But he's still adjusting. It's a little bit hard because nobody really wins in this situation. Still, at the end of the day, he doesn't have his other parent,” she said.

But he has her, and he has love. So, as they spend this first holiday together since his abduction, she wants other moms dealing with international child abduction to keep the faith. 

"Just don't ever lose hope. Fight as hard as you can. Reach out to as many people as you can. Even if you don't think that they can do anything, somebody has contacts with somebody else that can bring awareness to your case and can help you."

Lebanon is not part of the "Hague Convention," which helps return children when there's an international abduction. This is part of the reason why it was so hard for Smith to get Dexter back home.

Emerald Morrow is a reporter with 10News WTSP. Like her on Facebook and follow her on Twitter. You can also email her at emorrow@wtsp.com.

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