ORLANDO, Fla. – The family behind missing-bird signs posted around east Orlando is asking for help bringing their parrot home while grieving the death of their 19-year-old son.
Heba and Ebab Fahmy say their search for Cuca kept them in Orlando for two extra weeks with their son, Andrew Fahmy. On Sept. 24, they say, Andrew died in a motorcycle crash. Now, they hope finding their bird could bring some comfort.
“He’s not going to replace my son,” Heba said. “But I feel like that would be something that that would help me move forward.”
Cuca flew out the front door of Andrew’s Orlando home on Sept. 9 while the family was visiting. They were getting ready to go out for lunch before heading home when the parrot followed them outside, Heba said. Instead of leaving Orlando, the couple stayed to search.
The parents say those two additional weeks gave them time with Andrew they otherwise would not have had.
After the couple returned home, another possible Cuca sighting brought Heba back to Orlando the day before Andrew died. She searched near sunset, then visited her son after his last class of the day. She did not find the bird, but she got another chance to spend time with Andrew.
Heba was planning a trip and asked Andrew to follow up on any bird sightings while she was away. Before leaving, she reminded him to keep up with his studies and stay safe on his motorcycle.
“And I’ll see you when I get back,” she recalled telling him.
Andrew was studying electrical engineering at the University of Central Florida, his mother said. She described a young man who loved hiking, camping and spending time outdoors.
“He was a happy kid and he was a good kid,” she said.
Heba said caring for Cuca had already helped her through a difficult adjustment when Andrew left for college. She had homeschooled her sons, and the family was accustomed to spending much of their time together at home. The parrot became a constant companion.
“On my hair, on my head, on my shoulder, on my PC,” she said.
Cuca ate with the family, followed them from room to room and had perches throughout the house.
The search has involved long days on foot, drone operators searching above the trees and a company hired to put up missing-bird signs. Heba estimates they have spent around $20,000 trying to find him.
Heba also recorded herself speaking the way she normally would to Cuca, playing the recording through Bluetooth speakers while searching so he might recognize her voice. Ebab said he held up an AirPod because Cuca loved stealing them from his ear.
The couple hope someone has found Cuca and is keeping him safe. They are offering a reward for his return.
“We will not be upset. We’ll be happy to compensate you,” Ebab said in an appeal to anyone who may have the bird.
Cuca is an African grey parrot with a red tail. Anyone who has seen him or has information about his whereabouts can call or text the family at 862-201-9869.
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