The brother of the man who was badly injured in the Halifax fire that claimed the lives of his seven children, is speaking about his recovery and about how the family is coping with its deep and tragic loss.
Ebraheim Barho's brother also has questions about the fire and how it happened.
Ali Barho was living in Lebanon when he got the news about the house fire that devastated his brother and family in Halifax.
He explains what happened next.
"We heard about the incident and we went to the United Nations Commission and they really helped us, they tried to help us to communicate with the family and to come," Ali Barho said through a translator.
It took a month to get Ebraheim's youngest brother to Nova Scotia - along with his wife and four children.
Since then, Ali has visited his brother in hospital every day.
He says Ebraheim's condition is improving, but he's in a lot of pain.
"They are giving him a strong painkiller, and this is why when you go in, he almost doesn't recognize people," Ali Barho said.
He's not sure if his brother really knows what has happened.
Ebraheim Barho was badly burned after fire ripped through the Barho's home in the early morning hours of Feb. 19. All seven of his children died, leaving his wife, Kawthar, in grief.
The exact cause of the fire is still unknown.
For the past five months, Halifax Fire and Emergency has said that the fire is still under investigation.
Ali Barho wants to know what happened.
"We want to know how these kids (died) and why my brother (was hurt)," Ali Barho said. "We want to know the reason why."
In the weeks after the fire, the community rallied around Kawthar Barho. Thousands attended the public funeral for her seven children.
Many more donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to an online fund to support the family.
"I would like to thank Canada and the minister and also the Canadians here who have really stood up and really supported our family, and they have been so nice and warm," Ali Barho said.
Ali Barho says Kawthar Barho now has family in Halifax, but he is the only relative of Ebraheim who still remains here.
One of Ebraheim's other brothers, Mohammed, did come here from Italy after the fire happened, but he couldn't stay and now Ali Barho feels alone.
"As long as my brother is here, I will stay beside him," Ali Barho said.
Ali Barho says before the fire, he had applied to join his brother here.
He never thought such tragedy would be what brought him here in the end.
Friday marks five months since the horrible fire at the Barho's home on Quartz Drive in Halifax.
Ali Barho is still hopeful his brother will recover, and says when Ebraheim Barho opens his eyes, his youngest brother will be there by his side.
With files by CTV Atlantic's Heidi Petracek.
