Family mourns loss of five relatives

People around the world are waiting to hear if their loved ones are safe in Haiti after last week's massive earthquake. But for a family with Baldwin ties, the waiting is over: five relatives are confirmed dead.

Baldwin resident Fabiola Louis said that her cousin, Jean Ricard-Rosarion, lost his father, mother and sister in the 7.0-magnitude quake. Two of his cousins were also killed.

Rosarion, who lives in Puerto Rico but has family in Baldwin, described his reaction when he first heard about the quake, which struck Haiti's capital city, Port-au-Prince on Jan. 12. "I went and turned on the TV and saw the news," he recalled. "I said, 'Wow, this is where my family lives.'"

After repeated calls to the area over the next two days, Rosarion finally got through to his brother, who told him the tragic news.

Rosarion's mother, Antonine, and sister, Chantal, had been in their Port-au-Prince home at the time of the quake, and were crushed beneath the rubble of the home.

"They couldn't get out," Rosarion said. "It was like the house just fell on its knees."

Also in the home was Rosarion's father, Ricard, who initially survived the collapse and was later pulled from the debris by family living in the area. "When they found him in the rubble, he said 'Don't let me die ... help me,'" Louis said.

Though his family managed to get him to a hospital, Ricard never got to see a doctor. and succumbed to a severe head injury on Sunday. "There was so many people ... he couldn't get help," Rosarion said. "He was waiting at a hospital for 12 hours."

Despite the tragedy, the family is trying to keep their spirits up.

"There's nothing in the world that anybody could have done — nature makes the decision," Rosarion said. "In that way, I have no hard feelings. When your time comes, it comes."

Louis said she puts her faith in God in these challenging times. "At a time like this, we're going through a phase," she said. "I trust in God in every situation. Everything that happens, happens for a plan."

On Saturday, the family will hold a funeral mass at St. Christopher's Church to honor the memory of their five relatives. The mass is scheduled to begin at 10:30 a.m.