Rachelle Smith is a mom on a mission.
She’s working to save her son’s life, a child who is trapped a world away in Lebanon.
Her little boy, Dexter, was kidnapped from the safety of his own home in Tampa and taken to Beirut by his father.
That was 28 days ago.
Rachelle hasn’t seen her little boy since.
This mom is now taking her fight to our nation’s capital.
“I’m driven. I’m motivated, and I have to get up every day, and I have to work at this non-stop,” Rachelle told WFLA. “This is my life now, and I won’t stop ’til I get him home.”
For this mom, there are good days and bad days.
She feels as though she’s making progress, but her heart aches each moment she’s away from her little boy. Dexter turned 4-years-old last week, and she wasn’t able to see his face or hear his voice.
“When I lay down at night, I think of bedtime with him, I think of us naming everybody we’re thankful for,” she said Thursday with tears in her eyes.
Rachelle just wants her baby boy returned safely.
The child’s father, Ali Salemy, violated a judge’s order and took their son to Beirut to stay with family.
While the U.S. considers him a fugitive, Lebanon does not, nor does it recognize extradition policies.
“It’s very difficult. I don’t know when I’ll be able to speak with him or when he’ll be returned, so it’s very nerve wracking and heartbreaking,” she said.
Rachelle and her attorney have been working closely with the State Department, the U.S. Embassy in Lebanon and lawmakers in Washington, including Marco Rubio and Bill Nelson, two senators Rachelle will soon have meetings with face to face, demanding justice for Dexter.
“I’m just going to be begging them to use every tool they have at their disposal to help with the safe return and prompt return of my son,” Rachelle said.
This mom also says she won’t stop fighting until her son is back on U.S. soil, which is why she’s traveling to Washington D.C. on Tuesday to meet with people who can help get Dexter back home.
And back in her arms.
