Youth fell off a roof in Haiti. His mother is in Miami, working to pay for his surgery

A thin hospital gown and a cold operating table were the humble comforts given to Fabienne Samedi in Port-au-Prince this past February. As doctors cut a deep incision into her lower abdomen to remove fibroid tumors from her uterus, the 34-year-old thought back on the agonizing month-long hospital stay that preceded it.

Then her thoughts turned to a more deeply rooted pain: her 12-year-old son Deandre needed costly, life-changing surgery.

Soon she recovered. Then she headed for Miami to earn the money to make her son’s surgery happen.

“After the operation,” she said, “I wasn’t scared to travel to the United States.”

Samedi is no stranger to adversity. Her life has been marked with unexpected hardship that she’s met with undeniable resilience. Economic distress, sudden loss, freak accidents and Haiti’s chaotic sociopolitical climate stoked her will to survive.

Alpha Fleurimond, executive director of Three Virtues Organization, a family-oriented social services provider, nominated Samedi for Wish Book.

“Where she comes from, she didn’t have much opportunity,” Fleurimond said. “Right now, she’s finding the opportunity to thrive.”

Born and raised an only child in Port-au-Prince, Samedi grew up extremely close to her single mother. Her father wasn’t in the picture. Their home was frequently filled with extended family and friends, food, and her mother’s nurturing presence.

“Being the oldest of all my cousins, I always joined my mother in cooking food for my whole family,” reflected Samedi. “I fell in love with those times.”

At age 22, she lost her mom to a stomach tumor. She was just a few months short of getting a degree in hospitality, but financial troubles prevented her from finishing her degree.

Seven months later, Deandre was born, marking a new season of hope. They were inseparable. His routine hugs were reserved for Mommy.

Samedi lived modestly, supporting her small family by selling goods at her local marketplace and picking catering gigs on the side.

In December 2020, when Deandre was 9, he suffered a debilitating fall from the rooftop of his home, shattering the bones in his right leg and severely bruising his left eye.

“I wasn’t home at the time of his fall,” said Samedi. “I was selling goods at the marketplace.”

Since then, Deandre’s ability to walk has been severely impaired. He now requires a costly operation to walk normally again.

“People back home call him ‘retarded’ just because of how he walks,” grieved the mother. “They don’t even know his story. If they knew everything, they wouldn’t call him that.”

Unfortunately, the operation remained a pipe dream. Hospitals were so crowded in Haiti that Deandre sometimes received medical attention while lying on blankets in a parking lot outside.

Samedi’s expensive month-long hospitalization last February further complicated the matter. She knew something needed to change and she knew it had to be quick.

Just two months later, on April 30, she received humanitarian parole from the U.S. government and came to Miami, leaving behind Deandre until she could raise enough money to bring him over and support him.

“After I was released from my surgery,” Samedi said, “my aunt told me I had been approved to come to America.”

These days, Samedi stays with her aunt, nieces and nephews, occupying a cramped space in their Homestead living room. She begins her workday at 5 a.m. to make room for the family.

She started as a housekeeper in Key Largo. However, a lack of transportation coupled with late-night shifts and safety concerns led to her leaving the position.

“I took the bus but it stopped running by the time I finished my shift,” Samedi said. “I couldn’t find anyone to take me to work and Haitian men would expect inappropriate favors if I kept asking them for a ride.”

Having recently earned her home health aide certification, she hopes to secure transportation that will allow her to visit clients’ homes.

“Things are hard for me here,” Samedi said, “but I think of my son and that gives me all the encouragement I need to keep going.”

Samedi attributes her resilience to the communities that embraced her in her darkest moments, Sacred Heart Catholic Church and Three Virtues Organization.

“She tries to contribute and wants to volunteer while here,” Fleurimond said. “She also helps the church and my agency.”

She recently completed an ESOL placement exam and hopes to enroll in Miami Dade College’s hospitality program.

“She’s a strong woman,” Fleurimond emphasized. “Willing to learn, willing to make it through life.”

This holiday season, Samedi needs a car to get to and from work and a new home to accommodate her son.

“When it comes to providing help, it’s not all about money,” said Samedi. “Just by telling my story, I feel a little bit better.”

How to help

To help this Wish Book nominee and the more than 100 other nominees who are in need this year:

▪ To donate, use the coupon found in the newspaper or pay securely online through www.MiamiHerald.com/wishbook

▪ For more information, call 305-376-2906 or email Wishbook@MiamiHerald.com

▪ The most requested items are often laptops and tablets for school, furniture, and accessible vans

▪ Read all Wish Book stories on www.MiamiHerald.com/wishbook

This story is the product of a partnership between the Miami Herald and the Lee Caplin School of Journalism & Media at Florida International University

This story was originally published December 11, 2023 at 5:30 AM.