Tears streamed down the face of Hudson Laborde on Saturday during a prayer service for his infant daughter and the other thousands of people killed in last week’s deadly 7.0-magnitude earthquake in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.
Laborde worshiped with about 40 other Haitian men, women and children, gathered inside the small La Premiere Eglise Adventiste Haitienne de Colorado (First Adventist Church Haiti of Colorado) in Aurora.
Laborde lives in Denver and never got a chance to hold Saradia, his 29-day-old baby girl. He’s not sure when he’ll be able to wrap his arms around his wife, Yolande, to comfort her. Yolande was buried for three days underneath the rubble of the family home in Carfour before being rescued.
When Tuesday’s earthquake hit, Laborde was on the telephone speaking to his sister-in-law, who was babysitting Saradia while his wife showered. Then communication was abruptly cut off. His sister-in-law was crushed to death and his wife’s legs were badly injured when the family home crumbled on top of them.
For days, Laborde was unable to communicate with his wife. She finally reached him at 3 a.m. Saturday.
“She’s alive, but heartbroken,” Laborde said. “I want to help her desperately.”
Laborde said his wife was in Haiti because she was the caretaker of her late sister’s children. The last time the couple spent time together was last April.
Outside the small, white frame church, Vernet Siffarin spoke of his brother, Nazaiera Versailles, and Nazaiera’s wife, Rebecca, and their two children. The family had their suitcases packed and travel documents in order so they could leave Haiti and make a fresh start in Florida. They were scheduled to leave their home outside of Port-au-Prince on Wednesday morning, but the family never made it.
Siffarin’s sister-in-law and her two children died. His brother survived but has broken arms and legs.
Siffarin said he has a grandmother, cousins, nieces, nephews and friends who live in Haiti.
“But my brother is the one who is really close to me,” he said.
Siffarin said he still can’t get the televised images of death and destruction out of his head. He recalled a recent visit to the Presidential Palace, now in ruins, and his memories of the once-bustling city of Port-au-Prince.
“It was a beautiful place. Oh, man . . . I feel bad . . . it hurts. Everything in Haiti was destroyed,” Siffarin said.
Annette Espinoza: 303-954-1655 or aespinoza@denverpost.com
How to help
Tent donations sought. The First Universalist Church of Denver is gathering tents for earthquake victims in the church parking lot at East Hampden Avenue and Colorado Boulevard from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. through Monday.
In Englewood. and Burgess Services are collecting monetary and other donations for Project CURE and the American Red Cross, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday at the My1java Warehouse, 2700 S. Tejon St. in Englewood. Items needed include water, nonperishable foods, clothing and first-aid items. Checks can be made out to Project CURE.
A little HELP. HELP International is collecting donations of items to assist victims. Needed: water filters, water tablets and nonperishable foods. To help sort and pack items in the organization’s warehouse in Loveland, call 970-224-2233.
At Albertsons. Stores are collecting donations for the American Red Cross. The campaign features boards stocked with $1, $3 and $5 donation coupons at each checkout stand. The campaign runs through Jan. 31.
At Whole Foods. Stores in Colorado are collecting donations at their registers in the amounts of $1, $5 and $10 through Jan. 25. Money collected will go to the American Red Cross.
At King Soopers, CBS4. CBS4 is teaming up with King Soopers to support the American Red Cross’ disaster relief efforts in Haiti. King Soopers locations will be accepting cash donations at the checkout counters now through the end of January.
Online.
