“Christine Dawood’s Heartache: Remembering the Loss of My Husband and Son in the Titanic Submarine Tragedy”

Christine Dawood still grapples with the disbelief that her husband of two decades, Shahzada, and their cherished son, Suleman, are no longer by her side. It has been seven months since she witnessed them entering the Titan submersible for what she described as ‘the big one’ in their remarkable family adventures.

In June, precisely one hour and 45 minutes into their dive to explore the Titanic wreck in the North Atlantic off Newfoundland, the Titan lost communication with its support ship, the Polar Prince.

Enduring an agonizing four-day wait aboard the ship, Christine and her 17-year-old daughter, Alina, hoped for the return of Shahzada, 48, and 19-year-old Suleman to the surface.

Tragically, the awaited reunion never occurred. Shahzada, 48, and 19-year-old Suleman, along with three other crew members, including Stockton Rush, the CEO of Titan owner OceanGate, lost their lives during the ill-fated adventure. The devastating news came when debris was discovered, confirming no survivors.

Upon receiving this grim information, Christine and her 17-year-old daughter, Alina, faced the harsh reality. “The moment we knew they’d found debris and there were no survivors, Alina and I went on deck. Until that moment we’d had hope. We took some cushions with us and just sat there looking out at the ocean. We were both crying. ‘I turned to her and said: ‘I’m a widow now.’ She said: ‘Yes, and I’m a single child.’ Then we cried even more.”

“Except for Shahzada’s occasional business trips to his native Pakistan, we were inseparable. The reality of waking up each morning without him is still surreal. The thought of Titan imploding never crossed our minds. Losing a husband is devastating, but losing a child…”

As she leans back, her gaze fixates on the ceiling. “My son’s birth was an emergency C-section; I almost lost him. He felt like an angel, a gift saved by modern medicine. Suleman was an old soul, a people’s person who made everyone feel special.

“I adore being a mother. While I have Alina, I never envisioned being a single mother to an only child. Grieving for a child is unnatural. It abruptly steals your purpose and identity.”

Her eyes, filled with sadness, meet mine. Monday would have marked Suleman’s 20th birthday. Christine ordered balloons, recalling how they made him ‘always happy.’ This year, the balloons won’t bear the customary ‘Happy Birthday’ or names; they’ll silently ascend into the glass atrium roof.

On his birthday, she’ll reminisce about her son and his father, wishing the world to remember them as well.