Emily Damari with her mother Mandy Damari (With courtesy)[Missing Credit]
Mandy told gathering: “There are moments in a parent’s life when you look at your child and realise just how far they have travelled, and tonight, looking at Emily sitting beside Dani, is one of those moments.
“Because there was a time when I wasn't sure I would ever see Emily again. For 471 days, she was held in captivity. And during those endless days and nights, there were moments when the thought of standing here tonight, seeing my daughter alive, safe, happy, and standing beside the person she loves, would have been impossible to imagine.”
Emily Damari with Danielle Amit (With courtesy)[Missing Credit]
Turning her attention to Amit, she said: “So Danielle, you can probably understand why tonight means more to me than just a wedding. It is a celebration of life. Of love. Of hope. And of a future that, for a very long time, I wasn't sure Emily would have.
“And then I look at the two of you together, and I realise just how much there is to celebrate.”
Mandy then spoke directly to her daughter, a passionate Spurs fan: “Emily, my beautiful daughter, I have watched you grow up and go through things that no mother should ever have to watch her child endure.”
Emily suffered a gunshot wound as she was kidnapped, losing the two middle fingers on her left hand and giving rise to her now signature three-finger hand signal.
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Family and friends at Emily Damari and Danielle Amit's pre-wedding party (With courtesy)[Missing Credit]
Mandy went on: "And yet somehow, you have come through it still being you, still funny, still feisty, still full of life, still capable of loving and being loved.
“You fought so hard to survive, Emily. You fought for your life when you were in captivity, and you fought your way back to us. And today, seeing you here, alive, happy, and beginning this new chapter is something I will never stop being grateful for.”
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A decorative drink at Emily Damari and Danielle Amit's pre-wedding party (Image: courtesy)[Missing Credit]
“Whatever life brings you both, always remember this, you will never have to walk through it alone. You have each other, but you will still always have me, standing somewhere nearby in the background, probably worrying unnecessarily and giving advice whether you ask for it or not! Because your mother is always right!”
Mandy added that the evening was not about looking back on Emily’s time in captivity, but about “looking forward to the days ahead”. One such day is the wedding itself, which will take place next Thursday.
