(PHOTO AND STORY: KHQ.COM)
Spokane International Airport was filled with cheers and tears of happiness after a long awaited reunion between mother and son on Tuesday.
After four years of many cancelled flights and immigration hiccups in Iraq and the United States, Maha Al'Majidi and her 12-year-old son Yusif have finally been reunited
"I want to go everywhere with him I want him to see Spokane. I like Spokane actually and you have the snow. Just want to see snow. We have snow in my country. So he's just excited about snow," said Maha Al'Majidi
When Maha left Baghdad four years ago Yusif was just 9 years old. She spent two years in Turkey before coming to the United States two and a half years ago. Over these last four years Maha has only seen her son once "He's become big. He's become man. I tell him just stay as a child I want to hug you. you've become man."
In January, when President Donald Trump's travel ban included Iraq, Maha didn't know if she was going to be able to see her youngest son. She said if she had to, she would return to Iraq to be with her family, even though going back would be dangerous.
"I said Okay, I'm done. I will go back to my country. They were going to kill me [but] it's OK, I will stay with my kids," Maha said.
Tuesday she was overwhelmed with excitement and joy because she could finally hold her baby boy in her arms "Ah so excited, so excited," Maha said.