Hear
William Mebarak Chadid, writer and merchant of Lebanese origin and father of the renowned singer Shakira, faces a new complication in his health. According to information circulating in local media, the father of the Barranquilla artist, who is now 92 years old, would have been admitted this Wednesday night to the Ibero-American Clinic, in the north of this capital, due to pneumonia.
The well-known “man with dark glasses”, to whom Shakira dedicated her first album “Magia” when she was only 14 years old, is being treated by a medical team, which according to information from the local newspaper El Heraldo, has decided to keep him in the hospital. Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for constant monitoring and connected to specialized equipment.
Mebarak Chadid’s last public appearance was on December 26 at the Malecón del Río, where he approved the statue of Shakira made by artist Yino Márquez, highlighting the resemblance to his daughter.
William Mebarak has played a crucial role in Shakira’s career, practically acting as her first manager and bringing her into the media to showcase her talent to the world.
So far there is no statement or reaction from the family confirming the fact. What is known is the fragmented information that circulates in the media.
It turned out that Shakira arrived in Barranquilla early this Thursday, to be in charge of her father’s health. The information states that the singer from Barranquilla arrived in the company of her two children, Milan and Sasha, from Miami, her place of residence.
The building where Shakira’s parents live, in the north of Barranquilla, has had a security device since this Thursday morning, which suggests that it is the artist’s scheme. Two vans entered the Clinic where William Mebarak remains hospitalized, in which Shakira is said to have been traveling. Until now everything is kept under absolute confidentiality.
Shakira has been close to her father after the delicate surgery that was performed, a year ago, in el Serena del Mar Hospital Center, in Cartagena, last year and from which he continues to recover. The family chose this hospital center because it is the first General Electric hospital in Latin America that has cutting-edge technology in all areas.
The artist’s father underwent surgery with a Hakim valve to combat hydrocephalus. Fernando Hakim, the specialist who led Mebarak’s operation, is a neurosurgeon specializing in hydrocephalus, Chiari disease, brain and spinal tumors, spinal trauma and vascular surgery. In fact, his father is the inventor of the Hakim valve, the one that would have been inserted into the Barranquilla woman’s father.
Although Mebarak’s procedures and treatments were handled with secrecy and confidentiality, due to the clause that the treating doctors would have signed, this did not prevent the Barranquilla artist from showing her gratitude.
The interpreter of ‘Monotonía’ at that time praised the work done by the medical staff and, in addition, sent a message to all her followers, who were aware not only about his media separation with Gerard Piqué, but also about his father’s state of health.
William Mebarak’s health has deteriorated in the last three years and he has been hospitalized several times. The surgical intervention last year at the Cartagena clinic was the second. The first took place in Barcelona, Spain, in 2022.
According to information from various Spanish media, Mebarak suffered a spectacular fall in May 2022, where he hit his head, and this caused his health to deteriorate over time.
TIME (GDA)
