MIAMI, FLA.
Five-year-old Gancci Saintelus jumped up and down with excitement when his mother, Soline, 3-year-old sister, Angie, and 1-year-old brother, Gansly, walked into his hospital room at the Holtz Children's Hospital in Miami, Fla., on Thursday, Jan. 21. His family was reunited after surviving Haiti's devastating earthquake.
During the reunion, Sister Saintelus cried and held her son, while Angie asked where her brother's arm was. The family had been separated seven days earlier when Gancci and his dad, Olgan, left their devastated country of Haiti behind to save Gancci's life.
The Saintelus family reunion was heartwarming, and their story is quite miraculous.
When the earthquake struck Haiti on Tuesday, Jan. 12, Brother Saintelus was working at the Holiday Inn and Sister Saintelus was at the Centrale Ward building meeting with the bishop about a new Church calling. Both parents were unharmed and went to check on their three children who were at home with a caretaker. They found their three-story apartment complex had collapsed.
"We thought our children had died," Brother Saintelus said. "I kept praying to Heavenly Father to help us find our children."
It took 10 hours to dig their children out of the rubble. Gancci, their eldest child, was singing Primary songs that could be heard by rescue workers trying to dig him out. The Saintelus children and caretaker were the only survivors found in the collapsed building.
Gancci had the most serious injuries and needed medical attention right away. Brother Saintelus left his wife and two children at the Church building and went searching for help for his son.
"I went to the hospital but they told me to wait outside," Brother Saintelus recalled. "Many people were waiting to be helped."
Brother Saintelus decided to take his son to his workplace at the Holiday Inn. He pleaded with people he met in the hallways of the hotel to help him.
"I kept praying for someone to help my son," he said.
After another 12 hours passed by, he met Mark Eisaman, a former EMT from South Florida who had gone on his own to Haiti to help. Mr. Eisaman enlisted help from a British search and rescue team and got Brother Saintelus and Gancci on a flight to Miami.
In Miami, Gancci's right arm had to be amputated, but his life was saved. Mr. Eisaman stayed by Brother Saintelus's side and once Gancci started to recover, Mr. Eisaman made it his mission to go back and get the rest of the Saintelus family out of Haiti. He said he didn't want the family to be separated after this disaster.
"I went in there [Haiti] and got the family out," said Mr. Eisaman, who didn't disclose details about the trip.
The Saintelus family reunion was joyful despite all they had been through. They are worried about their extended family and friends in Haiti but believe their faith will help them endure. Church members of their new ward and stake in Miami have come by to welcome them and have brought in clothes, food, toys, diapers and other needed supplies to the family who are staying temporarily in a facility close to the hospital.
"I'm so grateful to my Church," said Brother Saintelus with tears in his eyes.
Olgan and Soline Saintelus have been members of the Church for more than 10 years now. They both have served missions in Haiti and are temple workers. Although they can't predict what the future will bring, they are happy that their family is together alive and safe.
