Cabrini's Miracle Student
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Vivian Coutin, a Spanish teacher at Cabrini High School, who herself escaped from Cuba in 1961, read about the Frigolas’ plight in The Times Picayune of New Orleans. |
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Laura's world changed dramatically in April 2008. Laura and her family lived in Cuba where food was scarce and freedom of religion & speech were non-existent. Laura's mother, Mirtha, decided that her family could no longer bear living in the oppressive communist regime. Mirtha wanted her daughters to live in freedom, so the family decided to escape from Cuba.
After constructing a rudimentary boat and hoarding supplies for months, Laura's family set out for freedom in Cancun, Mexico. They chose Cancun, rather than Florida, because the Cuban government does not monitor the seas as closely for escape attempts bound for Mexico. Two days into what the group of 14 Cubans expected to be a 2 1/2-day trip, the engine on the boat died and the GPS ran out of batteries. The situation turned worse when oil from the engine poured into the boat ruining the drinking water that they had brought with them in the boat. Over the next ten rainless days, the boat floated with the tides as the sun beat down on the helpless Cubans.
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Laura recovers in the hospital following her emergence from her coma. With her are her mother Mirtha (l.) and her sister Lauriet. |
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Without water, the group was forced to drink their own urine to maintain life. They even turned to drinking saltwater. Sadly, six of the fourteen passengers, including Laura's father, would die before their boat was spotted by a Venezuelan oil tanker. The tanker radioed the U.S. Coast Guard, which brought the refugees to New Orleans. Sixteen year old Laura was taken to the pediatric unit at Ochsner Medical Center in a coma. Her mother and twenty-three year old sister, Lauriet, were also hospitalized.
Cabrini High Spanish teacher Vivian Coutin, who escaped from Cuba in 1961, learned about the Frigolas' plight by reading about it in The Times Picayune of New Orleans on Mother’s Day weekend. "I did not know them, but I thought it was my mission to help. I visited them in the hospital. I brought money, clothing, and prayers. I called everyone that I could think of who might be able to help," Coutin recalls.
Help did come. The Cuban community and many others from around the New Orleans area joined together to assist the Frigola family. Laura came out of her coma and slowly recovered. Cabrini High School chaplain, Deacon Uriel Durr, baptized Laura and her sister in the hospital's chapel. Vivian Coutin became godmother to Laura and Lauriet.
Among the places Coutin would turn to for help was her school. When Vivian asked Cabrini High School President Ardley Hanemann, Jr. and Principal Yvonne Hrapmann if Cabrini could help Laura, they immediately agreed.
Help came from many directions within the Cabrini family. Religion teacher Maria Bienes' class wrote cards and donated money to the Frigola family, while they were still in the hospital. Laura, who does not speak English, began auditing courses at Cabrini High in August. Uniforms were donated for Laura. Older students and faculty volunteered to drive Laura to and from school. Vivian would use some of the visual aids from her classroom that are normally employed to teach Spanish to Cabrini students, to help Laura learn English. Sr. Maria Loretta Caeti, MSC traveled to New Orleans in February to spend two weeks at Cabrini High School teaching English to Laura for four hours each day.
Laura has found a new home with her friends at Cabrini High School. One may never know if heavenly forces were involved in bringing her to Cabrini, but the birth of Christian spirit that her situation has inspired over the past year is undeniable.
An important postscript…
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Laura (r.) with sophomore Davionne McGee |
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Now, a year after their ordeal, Mirtha, Lauriet, and Laura are doing well. Vivian Coutin and Maria Crumley, one of Vivian's friends of Cuban descent, recommended Mirtha for a position at the Staybridge Hotel in downtown New Orleans. Mirtha got the job and is now earning $10 per hour as a room attendant. Lauriet is working in the home of a wealthy family in the Uptown section of New Orleans as the family's housekeeper. They have a strong work ethic and would like to find second jobs.
The family will soon be moving into a mixed income development, which was constructed after Hurricane Katrina. Laura is learning English and American social customs at Cabrini. She hopes to land a summer job; she loves animals, children, and helping others. Vivian is planning to help the three enroll in English language classes.
Recently, Vivian had been concerned about the family's immigration status. The Frigola family lives legally in the United States as refugees. They hoped to become permanent legal residents, but the cost to apply is more than $4,000. Cabrini High religion teacher Sr. Alice Zanon, MSC saw the anguish that this situation was causing Vivian. Sr. Alice offered her this ethereal advice, "Mother Cabrini has never said 'no' to me."
Sr. Alice and Vivian contacted Sr. Pietrina Raccuglia, MSC, Stella Maris Provincial, for help regarding the cost of the application. One day later, Sr. Pietrina emailed Vivian with the good news: a grant had been secured from the Cabrini Mission Foundation to pay for the application. Though it may have been just an everyday good deed to the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and their Cabrini Mission Foundation, the grant will forever change the future of Laura and the Frigola family.