Rola and Adib Khatib, from Look Forward: The Sara Khatib Cancer and Amputee Association, congratulating the young award winner Abdo al-Hayek. (Credit: DR)
In a world where surroundings often dictate success or failure, some individuals stand out for their resilience. Such is the case of Abdo al-Hayek, now 24 years old.
Originally from Zekrit in the Metn district and a pharmacy graduate from the Lebanese American University (LAU), he was awarded the Sara Khatib Inspiration Award — a recognition that, in the laureate's words, "entails a great responsibility."
The Sara Khatib Inspiration Award, to recall, was established in 2015 by Look Forward: The Sara Khatib Cancer and Amputee Association to honor any pharmacy student who has demonstrated an exemplary attitude, in memory of Khatib, a fourth-year pharmacy student at LAU who lost her life to cancer at age 22.
At first glance, Hayek appears to be a dynamic and sociable young student who has become one of the most remarkable members of his class. From his earliest days on the LAU campus, he successfully combined academic excellence and association involvement, thanks to exemplary discipline.
An active member of several student associations, he served as class representative for three consecutive years, chaired the student council, and led microbiology tutoring workshops. At the same time, he volunteered with Caritas for four years, teaching English to Syrian refugees.
His natural leadership, seriousness, determination, and strong work ethic earned the admiration of his peers and professors alike. Yet his journey was far from smooth sailing. In fact, nothing in his demeanor hinted at the heavy burdens he carried. Beneath his calm maturity, Hayek was hiding a painful reality: The separation of his parents.
Faced with this situation, the young student developed his own coping mechanism from a young age to deal with the pain, stress, and difficult emotions brought on by the family split.
"As a child, I used to lock myself in my room to escape my parents' arguments and the heavy atmosphere at home," he confides.
Early on, he discovered that hardship and pain can lift you up — as long as you know how to transform them. "When I was eleven, I decided to take a step back and never let the family turmoil impact my life or destroy my potential. I promised myself to be better than my father and mother. I could have fallen apart, hit rock bottom, but I decided I would never be a victim," he continues.
"I got into the habit of going to my room, isolating myself, and focusing on my studies," he adds.
His sole refuge: prayer and nothing but prayer. "During my darkest days, I turned to God, and only God," he affirms.
"It was extremely traumatizing. In high school, no one suspected what I was going through — not my teachers, nor my classmates. When I wanted to invite a friend to stay over and his parents learned mine were divorced, it became a problem. So I learned to say nothing, to hide everything," he admits. Not out of shame, but to avoid judgment, pity, or worse, stigma.
Committed, responsible, and forward-looking, the young man studied, took part-time jobs, and taught students with special needs to support himself.
Determined, he accomplished what once seemed impossible: He patched things up and rebuilt links between his divorced parents and his two sisters, who had been separated for years by resentment, silence, and unspoken wounds.
Although this task was difficult and emotionally exhausting, it did not distract the future pharmacist from his goals — he continued to attend classes, sit for exams, and achieve excellent academic results.
He also kept teaching and participating in various extracurricular activities. It is for his relentless courage, positive spirit, compassion, and tenacity that he was selected and honored. "I've always received awards, but this time it's different," he explains.
"Because it's the first time I'm being recognized for something people don't know — a recognition for all I've endured in silence. For the first time, I feel seen and acknowledged for all the battles I've fought quietly. It's also the first time I've let my guard down and allowed people to see more than what I usually let them perceive," he admits.
"I'm extremely honored, even though what I’ve experienced is nothing compared with what Khatib went through. I feel a great responsibility, especially since inspiring others is no easy task," he adds.
Inspiring and uplifting
Currently in the United States pursuing a doctorate in pharmacy, he admits that he first struggled to put words to his pain, to express his emotions, fears, and suffering. Only recently did he begin to recognize the impact of what he had lived through, to acknowledge his wounds, externalize his thoughts and emotions, and start to heal.
His message to young people his age: "Always give people the benefit of the doubt!" A call for kindness and empathy, to look beyond the edited images spread by social networks. "We know nothing about the battles faced by the people we meet. In this increasingly cold world, we must show more compassion," he concludes.
