While the hostage-taking couple’s son turned 2.

Jean-Dickens Toussaint and Abigail Michael Toussaint used to visit Haiti frequently. However, due to COVID limitations and the killing of President Jovenel Moise in recent years, the Tamarac, Fla. pair has remained in the United States.

Finally, this year, the two decided to return to Haiti’s rara celebration in Jean-Dickens’ birthplace of Léogâne. When the Toussaints arrived in Haiti two weeks ago, they were on a bus travelling from the Port-au-Prince airport to Léogâne when the bus was stopped by a gang. The bandits demanded that foreign visitors and their guides leave.

What happened next on that day, their kidnapping, would send their family racing for money to pay for their release, as well as draw attention from the media and the US State Department in a frantic bid to secure their safe release. “We’re all hanging in there, calling and checking in on each other,” said Christie Desormes, the couple’s niece, who has been sharing information about the couple’s struggle. “It’s extremely difficult and overwhelming. The Rara season is tied to the Lent season. It begins on the first Thursday after Ash Wednesday and lasts until Easter Sunday.

On the same day, three more passengers on the bus were kidnapped in Martissant. According to the Nouvelliste, it was Wesly Leriche, Decanel Desrosiers, and Menger Mimy. Rara bands and Rara distribution platforms, some of whose victims include CEOs, had ceased operations in protest. According to the publication, the kidnappers first requested a single ransom for all of the victims. However, after collecting the money, they failed to release the captives as promised and instead demanded a fee for each abducted individual. For the time being, the demanded payment has not been disclosed, and there is no word on whether the hostages have been freed.

According to statistics compiled by the Center for Analysis of Research on Human Rights, Jean-Dickens, an accountant, and Abigail, a social worker, are among 29 foreign people abducted in Haiti this year. (CARDH). According to the monitoring group, 389 individuals were abducted in the first three months of the year. For the same period, the value is 173% greater than in 2021 and 72% higher than in 2022. That means, there will be 141 kidnappings in 2021 and 225 in 2022. The statistics do not reflect the traumatic experiences of the actual victims or the relatives who have been left yearning to assist in their safe release.

According to Desormes, Jean-Dickens’ older sister and niece in Maryland, as well as the rest of the family in Florida, have been in an emotional and financial spiral. The family was initially approached by a kidnapper who used the phone of a family friend who was travelling with the Toussaints and was abducted with them. The kidnappers wanted $6,000, and friends and relatives chipped in to cover the cost. The monies were sent through Western Union using the name provided by the kidnappers. The family then waited.

The family in Haiti travelled to that place since it takes around 45 minutes by automobile or two hours walking from where they were abducted in Martissant to the border of Léogâne. The Toussaints never came up hours later. The kidnappers instead increased the payment to $200,000. For each individual. “When they asked for the $200,000 for each person, we were stunned and defeated,” Desormes added. “We don’t have that much money.” There’s this misconception that if you come to America, you’ll be wealthy, which is not the reality.” This is when the family contacted federal agencies in the United States. According to Desormes, the family has received the most help from the Federal Bureau of Investigation thus far.

“We’re trying to contact the [FBI] again,” Desormes added. “We just keep ringing their phones so we can start bargaining and they can let them go.”

A couple skips their son’s birthday, so the family raises awareness.

On March 28, the Toussaints’ son turned two. Desormes stated on a FaceTime conversation that Abigail’s mother was celebrating, and he was beaming with presents and balloons in hand. “You can tell he misses them because he says papa when his grandpa does something for him that dad would normally do,” Desormes added. “Like the circadian rhythm, he knows when his mother usually returns home, so he’s like mama.” “But he’s still in that toddler bubble for the majority of the day,” Desormes continued.

Desormes created a Change.org petition to demonstrate public support for her aunt and uncle when visiting state and federal authorities. She used social media to disseminate the message and encourage others to contact their local legislators. Besornes is attempting to find the time to locate the perfect representatives to boost her message between college studies and caring for younger siblings. When a supporter joins a petition on Change.org, they are offered the opportunity to donate in order to increase the petition’s exposure on the Change.org community platform. Desormes closed the petition for a day before reopening it with the proviso that donations were not required and that the money will be sent to Change.org rather than the family.

“There is no need for donations,” Desormes stated. “Just sign and share because we don’t want [the kidnappers] to believe money is on its way to us when it isn’t.” They requested images, but the kidnapper said his employer told him not to provide them.

“They are citizens of the United States.” They have children. They are related. They are my relatives. They are loved, and most importantly, they are individuals who need need your assistance…”Spread the word and contact your local representatives to help them,” Desormes stated in the petition.