Family of Nadia Atwi post $50K reward one year after her disappearance
A year has passed since Edmonton woman Nadia Atwi went missing, but her family says time has stood still.
Her mother, Salwa Atwi, doesn't know any more about her daughter's disappearance than she did last December.
"Every day you go to bed not knowing what happened. Your brain is going all day. We're still in the same circle and we did not move one step forward," she said.
"We're frozen in one spot and Nadia is still missing."
On Saturday, the family marked a year since Nadia's disappearance by posting a $50,000 reward for information leading to her whereabouts.
"Just think about your mom, your sister, your daughter, your friends," Salwa said. "Please help us solve this mystery and get Nadia back to her family."
Friends and family described Nadia as a vibrant woman, who could charm a room with her sense of humour and her laugh.
Their resolve to find her is just as strong today as it was a year ago, said cousin Heba Reslan.
"We don't know anything, so we have to hold on to that hope and maybe we'll realize that she's out there, somewhere," she said.
Salwa last saw her daughter the evening of Dec. 7, 2017. They lived in the same neighbourhood in northeast Edmonton and shared a ride to and from the south-side private school where they both worked as kindergarten teachers.
When her daughter didn't show up at school the next morning, Salwa knew something wasn't right.
Police say Nadia, 32, was last seen by her husband on the morning of Dec. 8 at their home. Her car was found in Rundle Park later that day, with her cell phone still inside.
Hundreds of volunteers and police combed through the park and surrounding neighbourhoods for weeks.
Salwa said last winter was challenging, as she was haunted by the image of her daughter out in the cold without help. There were only brief moments of relief, she said, every time a search party failed to recover a body in the river or in Rundle Park when the snow melted.
"This gave us another hope. There is no body, so hopefully she's still moving somewhere," she said.
On Saturday, Salwa flipped through an old photo album with family members, pulling out pictures of Nadia to use in social media posts appealing to anyone with information. Other photos line the mantle and decorate walls of the living room.
"Nadia is in every corner of our house," Salwa said. "Most of the time, I wear her own clothes just to feel close to her.
"This has been giving me the strength to keep going."
