The family of the father who died with his wife and young daughter in the horror M6 crash say their "hearts are shattered into pieces" but thanked the Irish public for their massive fundraising efforts.
Over €85,000 has been raised in a GoFundMe to help get the bodies of tragic Karzan Sabah, 36, his wife Shahen Qasm, 31, and their eight-month-old baby Lena back to Kurdistan in Iraq for burial.
Karzan's younger sister Srwa has revealed how he wanted to bring his family back home one day to build a life there.
But that chance was tragically taken away from them when they were on the M6 motorway last Thursday evening.
They were travelling back to their house in Galway city when between junction 14 and 15 near Ballinasloe, a car, travelling the wrong way, drove head on into them.
Devastated Srwa told the Irish Mirror: "We are so sad. Our hearts are shattered into pieces."
She added: "We will never get over this."
Two relations of the family identified the bodies this week as efforts are being made for them to be repatriated back to Iraq for burial.
And thanking the public for their efforts in fundraising to make this happen, Srwa told us: "Thank you to all the people. We are so proud of Irish people, of all the people around the world, that's very kind of them."
Having moved to Ireland in 2017, Karzan was studying in NUIG and he and his wife welcomed little Lina over eight months ago.
But the tot never got back to Iraq to meet her relatives.
Srwa said: "The picture of his daughter, we die inside because we haven't even met her, we haven't touched her, we haven't kissed her.
"She was born there and we were eager to see her."
Karzan emigrated to Plymouth in 2011 from his native Kurdishtan and studied a masters in research.
He - along with wife Shahen - then came to Galway six years later on a student visa to attend NUIG in the faculty of Agriculture.
After four years studying he gained his PHD.
He had just secured a job to lecture in Carlow and he and his family were viewing a home to rent there on the day tragedy struck.
Describing her brother, proud Srwa said: "Karzan was a very kind person. I cannot describe him in words.
"If you met him for the first time and asked him to do things for you, he will ignore everything to help you.
"He was very smart, always helping the people who needed him, especially in study to inspire people, motivate them."
Although he was enjoying life here, he wanted to return back home one day.
Srwa added: "His aim was to come back to Kurdistan and build a life here again."
The other car was being driven by Polish man Jonasz Adam Lach.
Gardai are probing if the killer driver - who had lived in Fisherman's Wharf in Portumna, Co Galway - either drove into them deliberately or was high on drugs.
He had serious mental health issues and was also before the courts for driving offences.
Srwa said: "It wasn't his first time to do such things to people. If he wanted to kill himself, why is he killing himself in such a way and kill three other people?"
Another person injured in a third car was taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
Members of the Kurdish community here laid flowers at the scene last weekend.
Outside the family's home at Glenanail drive, Riverside in Galway, residents gathered this week to lay flowers and recall fond memories.
YOU can donate to the fundraiser: Bring Karzan, Shahen and baby Lina home, here.
