The Remarkable Story of Gael, the Baby Born Beneath the Rubble After Venezuela’s Devastating Earthquakes

Baby Born During the Earthquake

A Childbirth Among the Rubble

Hope Amid Tragedy

Gael Jesús was born in the midst of the devastation caused by the earthquakes that struck the Venezuelan state of La Guaira, where hundreds of families struggled to survive among collapsed buildings, constant aftershocks, and the complete absence of basic services.

While rescue teams searched for survivors beneath mountains of concrete and thousands of people tried to reach safety, a 19-year-old pregnant woman went into labor inside a makeshift outdoor shelter.

What had been planned as a scheduled cesarean section became an emergency delivery assisted by complete strangers who stepped forward despite the extreme conditions.

An Unexpected Birth Changed One Family’s Fate During the Earthquake

«With no hospitals operating, no running water, and complete darkness, a group of strangers came together to help deliver Gael—a baby born beneath the rubble in Venezuela.»https://t.co/x36HSzZJBk

— Primer Impacto (@PrimerImpacto) July 8, 2026

Doctors had warned Eliana García that she would not be able to deliver naturally.

At 38 weeks pregnant, she was expecting a scheduled cesarean section the following week because of a narrow pelvis.

Everything changed on the afternoon of June 24 when two powerful earthquakes measuring 7.2 and 7.5 struck La Guaira.

Eliana and her family fled to a baseball field to escape collapsing buildings, and it was there that her contractions began.

«I felt like I needed to urinate. But I kept pushing, and when nothing happened, I realized the baby was coming,» García told AFP from a temporary shelter.

Within minutes, the family realized there was no time to reach a hospital. They improvised a delivery area using the only bedsheet they had managed to save while everyone around them tried to survive.

No Hospital, No Water, Surrounded by Rubble: Gael’s Birth Begins

«BABY IS BORN AMONG THE RUBBLE, BRINGING HOPE TO VENEZUELA. A baby was born amid the rubble following the emergency caused by the recent earthquakes in Venezuela, a story that has deeply moved thousands of people and quickly became a symbol of hope.» pic.twitter.com/XPGdQQAGAG

— News On Demand (@OnDemand_News) July 6, 2026

It was the early hours of June 25, and everything remained completely dark. Julia Di Giuseppe, Eliana’s sister-in-law, desperately searched for help while surrounded by destruction, sirens, screams, and rescue crews working through collapsed buildings.

Initially, no one responded to her pleas.

Julia returned just as Eliana was giving birth and managed to persuade a paramedic—who had been searching for her own relatives among the ruins—to assist with the delivery.

«I begged a paramedic who was looking for her family among the rubble, and she agreed to help,» the 37-year-old recalled.
The paramedic stepped in despite having no water, gloves, or medical equipment.

She had only hand sanitizer and the light from several cell phones that still had battery power while aftershocks continued to shake the ground.

Dozens of Strangers Helped Save the Life of the Baby Amid Venezuela Earthquake

For several minutes, the people gathered at the shelter set aside their own grief to focus on bringing the baby safely into the world.

When the child was finally born, there was another surprise: the family had been expecting a girl, but it was a boy.

The newborn did not cry immediately.

According to Julia Di Giuseppe, it was the spontaneous applause from those witnessing the birth that finally prompted his first cries.

«We had nothing to cut the umbilical cord with, so people took off their hair ties, we tied the cord at both ends with plenty of alcohol, and cut it using a small pair of nail scissors.»

After giving birth, Eliana partially lost consciousness.

Her relatives first carried her by hand, then transported her in a motorized cart before an ambulance eventually took her to a public hospital.

Arrival of the Baby Was Marked by an Unforgettable Tragedy: The Venezuela Earthquake

By the time mother and baby arrived at the hospital, the healthcare system had been overwhelmed by the large number of the Venezuela earthquake victims.

Doctors were able to treat both of them, although no vaccines were available for the newborn.

The family was later relocated to a public school that had been converted into a temporary shelter in La Guaira.

According to official figures, the twin earthquakes have claimed more than 3,600 lives.

The tragedy struck Eliana’s family directly. Two girls, ages 14 and 11, were killed after being trapped beneath the rubble of the apartment building where they lived.

Julia Di Giuseppe broke into tears as she watched the baby while Eliana fed him. «We saved him, but we lost our two nieces.»

Their father was able to identify the girls only by a silver bracelet one of them was wearing.

Eliana’s sister—the girls’ mother—remains missing, along with another young family member.

Before giving birth, Eliana had decided that if the baby were a boy, she would name him Daniel Eduardo.

Instead, she chose another name for a deeply personal reason.

«My sister always told me to name him Gael,» the young mother said through tears. «So because of her, I decided to name him Gael Jesús. It’s my way of keeping her with me.»

The story of the Venezuela earthquake baby has become one of the most moving accounts to emerge from the disaster.

His birth, made possible through the compassion of complete strangers amid the rubble, has become a symbol of hope for a family that, despite unimaginable loss, found in his arrival a reason to keep moving forward.

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SOURCE: Univision