Haiti kidnapping: Who is Alix Dorsainvil, the New Hampshire nurse taken with her child
Misty Severi
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An American nurse and her child were kidnapped in Haiti last week. They were taken from the campus of a Christian nonprofit organization near the country’s capital of Port-au-Prince, according to the organization.
Here is what’s known about the New Hampshire nurse Alix Dorsainvil and the Thursday kidnapping of her and her child.
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Who is Alix Dorsainvil?
Dorsainvil is a nurse from Middleton, New Hampshire. She moved to Haiti after her husband asked her to work as the school nurse for the nonprofit organization El Roi Academy in Haiti. Her husband, Sandro Dorsainvil, is one of the founders of the Christian academy, and he is the father of the child who was kidnapped on Thursday. The gender and name of the child has not been released.
The academy has 390 students enrolled from pre-K through 12th grade, according to its website.
Alix Dorsainvil has been described as a “compassionate and loving person” who loved living and working in Haiti. She was kidnapped while working on the campus, where she works as the school’s nurse.
“Alix is a deeply compassionate and loving person who considers Haiti her home and the Haitian people her friends and family,” El Roi Haiti President Jason Brown said in a statement on Saturday. “Alix has worked tirelessly as our school and community nurse to bring relief to those who are suffering as she loves and serves the people of Haiti in the name of Jesus.”
Dorsainvil went to Regis College, a small private Christian university in Weston, Massachusetts, which has a program that trains and supports nurses in Haiti.
“It doesn’t surprise me that Alix chose to get involved in this type of service work,” Regis College President Antoinette Hays told WMUR-TV. “She was amazing. She was passionate, she was compassionate.”
The Washington Examiner has reached out to Regis College for comment.
The kidnapping
The kidnapping occurred Thursday morning on the El Roi campus near Port-au-Prince. The kidnapping occurred on the same day that the State Department raised its travel advisory for Haiti to a level four “do not travel” advisory. The change was because of an increased risk of kidnapping, crime, and civil unrest on the island.
The State Department also ordered the departure of nonemergency U.S. government employees and their family members from the island, and it warned that kidnapping on the island “is widespread, and victims regularly include U.S. citizens.” It also said the kidnappings often involve ransom negotiations, and U.S. victims have been physically harmed.
El Roi Haiti said it is working with its trusted “relationships” and partners to bring the pair home safely.
What the State Department has said
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The State Department has confirmed its awareness of Dorsainvil’s and her child’s kidnapping, and it said it will continue to work with authorities in Haiti amid the law enforcement investigation to return the pair safely.
“We are aware of reports that two U.S. citizens were kidnapped in Haiti. Obviously, the safety and security of American citizens overseas is our highest priority,” a State Department official told the Washington Examiner. “We are in regular contact with the Haitian authorities. We’ll continue to work with them and our U.S. government interagency partners.”