Sally Faulkner: Aussie mum shares touching photo of daughter on her 11th birthday

Ms Faulkner’s children, Lahela and Noah, were taken to Lebanon six years ago by their father for a two-week holiday but never returned home to Australia.

Aussie mum Sally Faulkner has shared a touching photo of her estranged daughter Lahela on her 11th birthday and commented on how she is growing up into a teenager overseas without her.

Ms Faulkner claims her oldest children, Lahela and Noah, were taken to Lebanon in 2015 by their father, Ali Elamine, under the guise of a two-week holiday but were never returned home as agreed.

Four 60 Minutes crew members, including reporter Tara Brown, were later arrested alongside Ms Faulkner in the Lebanese capital Beirut over allegedly working with former Australian soldier Adam Whittington in a botched attempt to retrieve the children.

Sally Faulkner’s daughter Lahela poses with a chocolate birthday cake on her 11th birthday.

Ms Faulkner wrote under the new photo – which shows Lehela as much older than when she was last photographed with her mum – how much her daughter had changed.

“Just like that you turned 11. You grew up. I miss you sweet girl,” Ms Faulkner wrote.

The photo shows a smiling Lahela posing with a chocolate birthday cake that has the message “happy birthday Lala” written in icing on its top.

Ali Elamine and Sally Faulkner with their children.

Ms Faulkner has been determined to still be a part of her oldest children‘s lives and has been keeping up to date with them in video messages, some of which were posted on her social media earlier this year.

In one clip Lahela and Noah sent her a video message from Lebanon.

“Hi mummy, hope your evening is going good, I think it’s evening or night, we also are going to send through another video for Izac and Eli … hope everything is good,” Lahela said.

Tara Brown is taken from a Lebanese courthouse after the botched attempt to retrieve the children.

In another clip Ms Faulkner spoke to Lahela and Noah while in bed with her toddler son Izac, who she had with her new partner Brendan Pierce.

“I love you Lahela, I love you Noah,” Izac said while with his mum in bed with his dummy.

Ms Faulkner, who has worked in childcare and as an air hostess, also has a second son with Mr Pierce called Eli.

She had her last meal with Lahela and Noah at a McDonalds in Beirut before she kissed them goodbye in April 2016.

Ms Faulker is determined to remain a part of her eldest children’s lives. Picture: Annette Dew

The custody dispute had turned ugly when she travelled to Lebanon with the 60 Minutes crew in an attempt to bring them back home.

Whittington’s team snatched Lahela and Noah from their paternal grandmother in a Beirut street before Lebanese police were tipped off.

Ms Faulkner and the 60 Minutes employees spent two weeks behind bars in a squalid jail before being released.

She handed over custody of the children to Mr Elamine so he would drop abduction charges against her that carried a potential lengthy prison sentence.

Whittington, who heads up a body called Child Abduction Recovery International, spent four months behind bars before being granted bail.

Originally published as Sally Faulkner: Aussie mum shares touching photo of daughter on her 11th birthday