Hugs, tears and shouts of “daddy’s home” greeted a Calgary father returning from Haiti after being caught in the devastating earthquake last week.
Lisa Honorat, her three children, and other family and friends anxiously awaited Marc Honorat’s return from Haiti with mixed emotions as he flew in from Montreal on WestJet with students from Nelson, B.C.
Honorat was doing humanitarian work with the organization Haiti Arise when the earthquake hit, and he didn’t think he would make it home to his three children and pregnant wife.
“It’s wonderful (to be home) because I didn’t know if I was coming back. It’s really hard to explain, but I have never experienced anything like that before. I thought it was a bomb,” he told reporters while holding his children.
“I didn’t know where to run.”
Honorat has conflicted feelings about returning home and vowed to return to Haiti as soon as he can after organizing relief in Canada.
“I didn’t want to come back, but we are expecting a baby … I’m looking forward to going back as soon as possible.”
His wife is expecting their fourth child on Saturday, joining siblings Asher, 6, Miesha, 4, and Jasmine, almost two, who were all excited to see their father during the reunion.
“There are not words to describe it. Elated,” Lisa said when asked how she felt about seeing her husband.
“I would have understood if he stayed because of the situation. I’m glad he will be here, but I know he’ll have to go back as soon as he can and that’s wonderful.”
The group of B.C. students who were on a humanitarian mission in Haiti were sequestered onto a bus immediately after getting off the plane in Calgary at the request of the B.C. government, according to airport officials.
