In a harrowing tale of survival and maternal instinct, Faustina Mercedes, a 31-year-old mother from the Dominican Republic, has been hailed as the “Little Angel of the Sea.” Lost in the vast expanse of the Caribbean Sea for twelve agonizing days, sixteen souls clung to life, their hopes dwindling with each passing hour. Dehydration took its cruel toll, leaving throats parched and bodies weakened. Just when despair threatened to consume them, Faustina Mercedes offered a lifeline as extraordinary as it was selfless: her breast milk.
The ill-fated journey began with the promise of a better life in Puerto Rico. For 16 individuals, the dream of opportunity outweighed the inherent dangers of traversing the treacherous Mona Passage in a small, handmade boat. Each passenger paid between $125 and $250 – a significant sum representing roughly two months’ wages for someone earning minimum wage in the Dominican Republic. Setting off from a beach near Sabana de la Mar on January 3rd, their hopes were high, but their rudimentary vessel was soon betrayed by a faulty compass.
Adrift in a region notorious for the clash of Atlantic and Caribbean currents, the group quickly became disoriented and lost. Their limited supplies of food and water vanished within three days. As the relentless sun beat down, dehydration intensified, and painful sores erupted on their skin. The weakest among them succumbed to delirium, collapsing onto the boat’s floor, their strength completely depleted.
By the fifth day, desperation had reached its peak. It was in this bleak moment, after fervent prayers for deliverance, that Faustina Mercedes conceived an unprecedented solution. She turned to her sister, Elena Mercedes, 24, and proposed sharing her breast milk, originally intended for her one-year-old daughter back home. Elena initially helped Faustina by suckling to express the milk and then carefully transferring it back to her sister. Immediately, both sisters felt a surge of revitalization. Inspired by this unexpected relief, Faustina Mercedes offered her precious milk to the entire group.
One by one, the eight men and seven women gratefully accepted Faustina’s extraordinary gift. Each person received only mere seconds of nourishment per day, tiny sips that were carefully rationed. Yet, even these meager amounts proved transformative. The breast milk acted as a balm, coating their parched throats and moistening their cracked lips, providing vital hydration and a renewed glimmer of hope. Roberto Rodriguez, a 35-year-old passenger, ingeniously used the edge of a nail clipper to divide a floating apple into sixteen portions, supplementing their minimal intake. They even managed to salvage a half-rotten orange that the waves pushed towards them, further highlighting their desperate circumstances and resourcefulness.
Days blurred into nights as they drifted aimlessly, spotting cruise and cargo ships in the distance, their desperate waves for attention going unanswered. Just as their spirits began to wane once more, Santa Demorizzi, 24, spotted a faint outline on the horizon – land. Summoning their last reserves of strength, they fashioned a makeshift sail and harnessed the currents to guide them closer. As dawn broke on the twelfth day, they tore planks from the boat’s sides to create oars and began to row with renewed determination. Navigating treacherous reefs, they were ultimately pushed ashore by a powerful wave, collapsing onto the beach, exhausted but alive.
Their ordeal underscores the perilous journeys undertaken by many Dominicans seeking better prospects. The same week Faustina Mercedes and her group miraculously returned to shore, another overcrowded boat headed for Puerto Rico capsized off the coast of Miches, claiming the lives of approximately 45 people, their bodies lost to the sea. The U.S. Border Patrol has reported a surge in Dominican migrants attempting to reach Puerto Rico, apprehending 1,288 since October 1st, while the U.S. Coast Guard has intercepted and returned 303 others. Alarmingly, it’s estimated that 1,517 individuals have successfully evaded authorities during this period, surpassing the number of those caught.
Dominican President Hipolito Mejia has acknowledged the growing crisis, implementing a “social package” aimed at providing housing, food, and education to alleviate poverty and address the desperation driving these risky migrations. However, for individuals like Santa Demorizzi, who sold their meager possessions to finance the ill-fated voyage, the immediate future remains uncertain. “We did this because we had to. No one wants to leave their children behind,” she lamented, highlighting the stark realities of economic hardship in their homeland.
Faustina Mercedes’ selfless act of sharing her breast milk transformed her into a symbol of hope and resilience. Dubbed the “Little Angel of the Sea,” her story is a testament to the extraordinary lengths people will go to survive and the enduring power of human compassion in the face of unimaginable adversity. While Faustina herself has been unable to breastfeed her daughter since the ordeal, her courageous gesture ensured that sixteen individuals returned home, their lives spared by a mother’s love and an act of unparalleled generosity.
