CASEY COUNTY, Ky. (LEX 18) — A Casey County man and his family are still stuck in Afghanistan after months of waiting to return home.
LEX 18 spoke to Abdul Samad back in October.
Samad, his wife, and four children are all U.S. citizens. He says that the four of them, along with his mother-in-law, were visiting a sick relative in Afghanistan when the U.S withdrew troops from the country on Aug. 30.
He hasn't heard from the U.S. Embassy since.
"We feel like that, you know, nobody cared about us," said Samad.
He took a risk traveling just to share his story.
"I want my family to get to get home. I will take the risk for that," said Samad.
Samad was given a fresh start in America after losing both hands and his left eye in a landmine explosion when he was a teenager growing up in Afghanistan. He was taken in by Galilean Children's Home founders Jerry and Sandy Tucker in Kentucky.
Samad built his life in Liberty, Kentucky where he works and lives with his wife and four children.
The only thing he wants for Christmas is to get his family home.
"I was hoping to get home for Christmas at least I can. You know? Tell my kids everything gonna be okay," said Samad.
Now just two days away from Christmas, it's looking like that will take nothing short of a miracle.
"I'm confused because why is it taking so long?" Samad asked. "It is frustrating because the kids are homesick and so then also we are not able to go anywhere because it's not safe."
Kids who've celebrated every Christmas of their lives in Kentucky. Not thousands of miles and an ocean away in a country under Taliban control.
We reached out to Senator Mitch McConnell's office for comment and received the following statement:
"On behalf of the family, Senator McConnell’s office has been in touch with State Department officials and urged them repeatedly to assist Abdul Samad and his family. We have provided the State Department with his contact info and asked them to contact them directly. We will continue to keep in contact with State Department and the family."
