Earthquake Ecuador 2016 Paz fam

April 16, 2016, was a day that changed my life. In about 57 seconds the simple life we lived and the little that we had was ripped from us all. It is something that is very hard to talk about but I'm not sharing my experience for me I'm sharing for my family that lost a lot more than me. My husband and I lost our home and all we had our family lost a life they had lived for decades. I had come to Ecuador to help in a volunteer work, now I do that same work helping deaf people. My name is Hailey Paz I am 21 years old and I am in Ecuador volunteering to help Deaf people who speak Ecuadorian sign language. I moved here when I was 17 to help people, three years later I married a local and well we have a different forever after due to the earthquake. My husband does this same volunteer work i do. We lived in Pedernales, Manabi, Ecuador, his hometown. We moved there to be closer to my husbands family, little did we know a few months later all would be taken from us. My husband's family lost everything, my father-in-law lost his job and all he had known, everyone lost their jobs, homes, family, and friends. I have to watch my beloved in-laws who have taken me in taking care of me as their daughter scramble to make ends meet. This pains me because my father-in-law took me in and treats me like the daughter he never had, that means a lot to me since i am here alone i only have my husband. Many people helped after the earthquake they would say we will help till you get back on your feet. Sadly getting back on your feet takes longer than three months. Is staying on your feet that's hard afterward. its like when you fall hard yes you need help getting back up but you need help to walk and if you fell really bad you made need years of help. Both my mother-in-law and I have back problems and we can't afford to go to the doctor to help relieve the pain. The government promised to help and give us food but the food has not come and help has not been enough for them. Life was ripped from us. Our home, our future, our dreams, our plans, Our friend, and family were taken in less than 1 minute. I want to give back to my Father-in-law who has taken me in and been a father to me and take care of him but i can't because we are in the same boat so I need your help. We would use this money to rebuild our lives. build our home again, a bed, a stove, pay bills like electricity, water, not only for us but our family. At the moment I feel like I am sinking to the bottom of the ocean but would be so thankful for help to bring my family back to the surface, just so we can breathe and enjoy how beautiful life is. It's not about rebuilding things but rebuilding our lives. I want to give them their lives back.