{"id":66642,"date":"2020-02-19T09:28:54","date_gmt":"2020-02-19T14:28:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/?p=66642"},"modified":"2020-02-19T09:41:52","modified_gmt":"2020-02-19T14:41:52","slug":"scoop-grieving-father-asks-opera-company-reserve-seats-family-lost-flight-ps752","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/2020\/02\/19\/scoop-grieving-father-asks-opera-company-reserve-seats-family-lost-flight-ps752\/","title":{"rendered":"THE SCOOP | Grieving Father Asks Opera Company To Reserve Seats For Family Lost In Flight PS752"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: center\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-66643\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2020\/02\/COC_-_seat_tribute-_2020.jpg\" alt=\"Canadian Opera Company seat tribute\" width=\"1200\" height=\"628\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2020\/02\/COC_-_seat_tribute-_2020.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2020\/02\/COC_-_seat_tribute-_2020-300x157.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2020\/02\/COC_-_seat_tribute-_2020-1024x536.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2020\/02\/COC_-_seat_tribute-_2020-768x402.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>On January 8, 2020, the Ukraine International Airlines flight PS752, bound for Kyiv, went down just minutes after taking off from Tehran&#8217;s Imam Khomeini International Airport.<\/p>\n<p>The Boeing 737-800 was carrying 176 people, including 63 Canadians. There were no survivors.<\/p>\n<p>The event sparked an international outcry by the families of the victims caught in the political strife between the US and Iran.<\/p>\n<p>Amongst those lost in the crash were Canadians Parisa Eghbalian and her daughter Reera Esmaeilion, of Richmond Hill, Ontario.<\/p>\n<div class=\"jetpack-video-wrapper\"><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/09wj5pnjouU?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<p>The two are survived by father and husband Hamed Esmaeilio, who took to\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/photo.php?fbid=10156922529338085&amp;set=a.10151221344823085&amp;type=3&amp;theater\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Facebook<\/a><\/span>\u00a0to ask the Canadian Opera Company not to re-sell seats purchases by his family to see Hansel &amp; Gretel at the Four Season\u2019s Centre on Saturday, February 15.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-66644\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2020\/02\/COC_Ticket-Tribute.jpg\" alt=\"COC Ticket tribute\" width=\"1200\" height=\"656\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2020\/02\/COC_Ticket-Tribute.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2020\/02\/COC_Ticket-Tribute-300x164.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2020\/02\/COC_Ticket-Tribute-1024x560.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2020\/02\/COC_Ticket-Tribute-768x420.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Dear manager,<\/p>\n<p>My daughter, Reera, recieved 2 tickets for this Saturday show from her mom, Parisa. It was her Christmas gift. They wanted to watch Hansel and Gretel together this Saturday. Unfortunately both of them passed away when Islamic Republic downed #PS752 in Iran on January 8.<\/p>\n<p>I don&#8217;t ask for a refund. I want to keep row A seat 348, 349 vacant in memory of them. They were very excited for this and I think better to leave that space in memory of 9 year old Reera Esmaeilion and her amazing mom Parisa Eghbalian.<\/p>\n<p>Thanks,<br \/>\nHamed Esmaeilion<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Esmaeilio had found the tickets at his home tucked between a magazine and a painting by his late daughter.<\/p>\n<p>The tickets were a gift purchased for his daughter Reera by her mother.<\/p>\n<p>The COC was quick to\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/canadianoperacompany\/photos\/a.408799781353\/10158028972086354\/?type=3&amp;theater\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">respond<\/a><\/span>, affixing the images of Parisa Eghbalian and her daughter Reera Esmaeilion to the seats in tribute.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cReera Esmaeilion and her mother, Parisa, had been excited to join us this weekend for our final Opera For Young Audiences performance of HANSEL &amp; GRETEL, a post of the COC Facebook page read. \u201cWe were heartbroken this week to learn of their passing in the crash of Flight PS752 on January 8, 2020 and kept their seats empty yesterday afternoon, in honour of their memory and shared love of music. Our thoughts and hearts remain with Hamed Esmaelion, who kindly shared his family photos, and all those touched by this tragedy.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Hamed Esmaeilio has since\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/hamed.esmaeilion\/posts\/10156941040133085\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">posted\u00a0<\/a><\/span>a touching follow-up letter accounting his experience attending the event.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Reera jan,<br \/>\nI went to the opera house in the bone-chilling cold today. I had an invitation, but you had bought tickets. I went prior to the show but you would have shown up together with rest of the kids. Reera jan, Kristie and I went roaming around the building, the rooms, the hallways. I didn\u2019t feel like watching the singers practice, and went straight to the concert hall.<\/p>\n<p>Reera jan,<br \/>\nThe hall was dark; the stage director was making the final adjustments to the set. Nobody else was in the room besides Uncle Bahram and I. Christie had pinned your pictures onto the seats along with a \u201cReserved\u201d sign. Nobody will be sitting on your seats. Mom had taken the best seats for you, first row on the balcony. It was your new year\u2019s gift. She had meticulously gone through all the events and had picked this one for you. Mom had shown me the seating map beforehand. I knew where the seats were. Reera jan, we wouldn\u2019t stay for the show. It would be too painful. We had only gone to quietly honour you and leave.<\/p>\n<p>Reera jan,<br \/>\nChristie left, and we dragged ourselves to your seats with heavy steps. We didn\u2019t dare sitting on them, we stared at them and cried bitterly. Now the show has started and you would have been there. You would have listened to the melodies, to the singers\u2019 voices carefully. You would have enjoyed watching a different version of the Hansen and Gretel. You would have come home excited to tell me all about it, as if it\u2019s the first time I hear the story. Instead, you are resting at the Elgin Mills cemetery, six feet under.<\/p>\n<p>My dear Reera,<br \/>\nYou had read the Hansel and Gretel. Didn\u2019t you know about the difficulties, the mysteries of the way back home? Didn\u2019t you know about the pebbles, the breadcrumbs, the dreadful witch\u2019s ill intentions? How come she stole you from me? Why did she keep you and your mother from coming home to me? I know if she had shown her face to you, you would not be deceived. I know you wouldn\u2019t fear facing her. She cruelly blocked your way. She took your precious life with deceit and malevolence.<\/p>\n<p>Reera jan,<br \/>\nOn the 38th day, in the biting cold, we left the opera house. They wanted to take our photos, We decided to stay in the shadow. They wanted us to meet the cast, we didn\u2019t. These things don\u2019t cure our solitude, don\u2019t heal our pain. Those seats remained empty today to reveal the witch\u2019s hostility towards children. Now it\u2019s just me and the witch, sweetheart, it\u2019s just me and the witch.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h3 class=\"western\"><em>#LUDWIGVAN<\/em><\/h3>\n<p class=\"western\"><em>Want more updates on classical music and opera news and reviews? Follow us\u00a0on <\/em><span style=\"color: #ff0000\"><em><a style=\"color: #ff0000\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/LudwigVanToronto\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><b>Facebook<\/b><\/a><\/em><\/span><em>, <\/em><span style=\"color: #ff0000\"><em><a style=\"color: #ff0000\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/ludwigvantoronto\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><b>Instagram<\/b><\/a><\/em><\/span><b> <\/b><em>or <\/em><span style=\"color: #ff0000\"><em><a style=\"color: #ff0000\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/LudwigVanTO\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><b>Twitter<\/b><\/a><\/em><\/span><em> for all the latest.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A post goes viral as a grieving father asks the Canadian Opera Company to reserve the seats meant for family members who were lost in the downing of flight PS752 earlier this year.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":66643,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[33451,39,43,63],"tags":[628,13948,3382],"yst_prominent_words":[35103,35097,35096,35099,35094,35104,35105,13525,26597,10189,35101,35095,35106,13259,35102,35093,35100,35098,35092,17916],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2020\/02\/COC_-_seat_tribute-_2020.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p9bakr-hkS","amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/66642"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=66642"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/66642\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":66648,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/66642\/revisions\/66648"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/66643"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=66642"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=66642"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=66642"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=66642"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}