It is a voicemail message that Monique Vanderschot will never erase.
“Mom -- this is Wilmer Bosse -- I want you to know that I’m still alive, but Haiti is broken -- it’s hurting badly.”
The message came on Friday morning -- three days after the 7.0 Magnitude earthquake that devastated the Central American nation of Haiti -- and three days of worry, optimism and concern on behalf of family and friends.
Bosse, had travelled to his native land at the end of December to finalize immigration papers so he could bring his six-year-old son Wensley home to Canada with him.
His wife Fran Vanderschot, a special education teacher at Anne Hathaway Public School in Stratford, called her parents Monique and Tony to alert them about the quake. “She was overwrought,” recalls Monique. “She called at about 5 p.m. -- and that’s when we started our wait.”
The family tried to stay optimistic at first that Wilmer -- affectionately known as “Bosse” -- would be ok.  “You just keep hoping -- (we said) we’ll wait until we hear (either way),” Monique says of the family’s mindset when the quake first occurred. “We had the tv on the whole time (looking for him).”
Bosse has been in Canada for only a year; he and Fran met when she travelled to Haiti to teach at an international school about five years ago. They married in Haiti three years ago today -- Wednesday, Jan. 20.
“Bosse is a survivor,” Monique says of her son-in-law. They were sure he would survive the devastating quake.  
The family’s optimism began to wane as the days wore on and there was no contact. Fran posted his image on Facebook, Twitter and to the Canadian Embassy in the hopes that her husband would be found.
“But after a couple of days, you starting thinking that maybe you’ll never see him again,” Monique says.
The intensive media coverage became oppressive to the family as there was still no word of Bosse.  “You can see (the destruction) on tv but we’re not there,” Monique says of the situation. “You can’t smell the decaying bodies, or feel the flies and the heat...”
Aside from Bosse, the family has close ties to the country. Tony has visited the country before for missionary trips with Hope for Haiti, most recently in November.
Monique says that Fran had some “dark moments” on Friday morning. She didn’t go back to work after the quake, instead dedicating her time to finding her husband.
And then, Monique and husband Tony heard Bosse’s message at 10:30 a.m. on Friday morning.  “It takes you a while to believe (that it was actually him)... I’m never going to get rid of that message,” she adds.
Monique says he called them first because he thought that Fran might be at work. Monique explains that the people of Haiti have no way of knowing how aware the rest of the world is of their situation.
“We know more about the earthquake than those who live there -- they’re too busy surviving,” she says.
In addition to those fateful words, Bosse also left a phone number so they could call him back. However, Bosse’s cellphone has become a precious commodity as, due to lack of electricity, he can’t recharge it. Monique says they’ve been continuously trying to call the entire family in the hopes of getting through.
Bosse has been leaving messages, however.
Bosse has told them that food is expensive, but at least he has fresh water to drink. “As long as he has water, it’s so important,” says Monique. They are hoping to wire him money to use to feed the family (Western Union has waived its fees for the time being). A friend works at the Canadian Embassy and Monique is hoping he can go there for food.
He has been sleeping outside every night since the quake, in front of what was once the family home. Monique says he hasn’t spoken much about the experience of being in the quake.
“I have no idea (when he can come home),” Monique says of when the family will be reunited. “Not for months... unless he can come out with his family.” Bosse has one sister with a three-month-old baby, as well as three brothers and their families. At the very least, Monique says, he could come back with Wensley and his sister and baby.
 “He’s an amazing person,” says Monique of her son-in-law. “He’s such a giver who cares about everyone else first...  He was afraid they were going to send him back to Canada right away.”
As relieved as the family is, Monique worries that the spotlight shined on the impoverished country in the wake of the disaster will only be temporary.
“I’m crying for the people of Haiti,” says Monique. “The focus is now on Haiti, but for how long?”