Canadian Press NewsAlert:Relatives of drowned Syrian boy land in Canada

Relatives of a Syrian boy whose lifeless body washed up on a Turkish beach landed in Vancouver on Monday.

Deceased Syrian toddler Alan Kurdi’s uncle, Mohammad Kurdi, has arrived in Canada with his wife and five children on Monday. “We nearly lost hope, but thank you to the Canadian government and Canadian people who made it happen”, said Mohammad.

Tima Kurdi’s refusal to remain silent helped saved lives.

She added that she bought mattresses and linens for her brother’s family and turned her husband’s office into a room to accommodate some of the children.

In a preview of a Christmas message set to air on United Kingdom television, Abdullah calls for the world to open its doors to Syrian refugees.

Speaking through his sister, who translated from Arabic, Mohammed Kurdi thanked Canadians and their government for making his dreams come true.

Perhaps it’s us who should be giving thanks to her, rather than the other way around.

She hopes their brother Abdullah, who left Turkey after his family’s deaths and now lives in Kurdistan, will eventually join them.

The image brought global attention to the refugee crisis and sparked outrage at the perceived inaction of developed nations to deal with the issue.

Tima Kurdi had a message she wanted to share with other refugees in hard circumstances. She lives in British Columbia and sponsored the family’s relocation to Canada.

Citizenship and Immigration Canada later asked Tima Kurdi to re-apply for her brother and his family in mid-October. “Thank you Prime Minister Trudeau for opening the door and showing the world how everyone should welcome refugees and save lives”, Tima Kurdi said. “Keep walking until you find your light”.

Alan Kurdi’s father had attempted the risky water crossing after the Canadian government rejected his brother Mohammed’s original refugee application.

Mohammad, his wife Ghousoun Dakouri, and their children Hedeen, 16, Shergo, 14, Ranim, 9, Rezan, 7 and Sherwan, five months, will stay with Tima Kurdi and her family in Coquitlam.

The Liberals have committed to taking in 25,000 refugees by the end of February, although they admit they will likely fall short of their revised target to settle 10,000 by the end of the year.

“I am happy, very happy”, Mohammad Kurdi told reporters at the city’s main airport.

“I’m just a normal person who speaks from the heart”, Tima said while sitting in the Port Coquitlam hair salon she owns. She travelled to Belgium, Germany and Turkey, helping give a voice to those displaced by the war in Syria.