By The Tablet Staff
PROSPECT HEIGHTS — A nurse from New Hampshire and her child are the latest victims of kidnapping in Haiti, according to reports.
Alix Dorsainvil is a nurse for the Christian nonprofit community development group El Roi Haiti, based near the capital, Port-au-Prince.
She is married to the group’s director of Haiti operations, Sandro Dorsainvil. She reportedly was taken on July 27.
El Roi Haiti posted on its website’s blog on July 29 about the kidnappings of Dorainvil and her daughter.
According to the statement, “We can confirm that Alix Dorsainvil, our director’s wife, and their child were kidnapped on the morning of Thursday, July 27th from our campus near Port-au-Prince while serving in our community ministry.
“We continue to work with our partners and trusted relationships to secure their safe return.”
The U.S. State Department told The New York Times that officials were working with Haitian counterparts regarding the nurse, but provided no other information.
No information was available July 31 about which group abducted Dorsainvil and her child, nor was there any mention of a particular ransom.
Deeply Compassionate
El Roi Haiti’s post urged a “refrain from speculating on social media about this situation in order to protect Alix and her child during this time.”
The group, however, did express gratitude for “the outpouring of prayers, care, and support for our colleague.”
“Alix is a deeply compassionate and loving person who considers Haiti her home and the Haitian people her friends and family,” the blog post stated.
It went on to say that the New Hampshire native “has worked tirelessly as our school and community nurse to bring relief to those who are suffering as she loves and serves the people of Haiti in the name of Jesus.”
Dorsainvil’s love for Haiti’s people is expressed in a video posted on the El Roi Haiti website.
“My name is Alix,” she began. “I’m a nurse from New Hampshire, but now I live in Haiti. Sandro invited me to come to the school to do some nursing for some of the kids. I didn’t think that there was going to be much of a need there, but when I got there, there were so many cases.”
The video shows Dorsainvil doing follow-up treatment with a little boy who had a large abscess on his leg.
Dorsainvil also described her daily routine.
“Generally, in the morning, I go to my makeshift clinic,” she said. “Kids from the school will get permission from their teachers, and they send them over.”
She said Haitians are “such a resilient people who are full of joy, life, and love.”
“I’m so blessed to be able to know so many amazing Haitians,” she said.
Leave Now
Kidnappings for ransom have become a scourge perpetrated by rival gangs in Haiti.
On the day Dorsainvil was abducted, the U.S. embassy in Haiti issued a Level 4 “Do Not Travel” advisory for the Caribbean nation.
The embassy also ordered “the departure of family members of U.S. government employees and non-emergency U.S. government employees.”
“Kidnapping cases often involve ransom negotiations and U.S. citizen victims have been physically harmed during kidnappings. Victims’ families have paid thousands of dollars to rescue their family members,” according to the statement.
Hedge of Protection
The embassy’s advisory also mentioned a vigilante movement in Haiti, whereby citizens have organized and armed themselves to strike back against the gangs.
“Mob killings against presumed criminals have been on the rise since late April,” the embassy said.
The U.S. officials also noted that police in Haiti “generally lack the resources to respond effectively to serious criminal incidents.”
El Roi Haiti urged continued prayers to Jesus for Dorsainvil and her daughter.
“We are asking people to pray and cry out to Him, that He would hold our friends safely in His hands and place a hedge of protection around them as He makes their path straight back to us and to freedom,” the blog post stated.