PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti - Even in a city choked with death, there comes life.
Shortly after the earthquake ended, the contractions started. Two days later, as aftershocks rattled the Port-au-Prince hospital's generator-driven lights, Nadege Bienaime-Acacia gave birth to a baby boy.
On Saturday, as Naize Acacia slept soundly in his father's arms at the Canadian Embassy, his parents were quietly hoping consular officials would overlook the rules and let them raise their family in Canada.
"It's complicated," admitted Aly Acacia, Nadege's husband and a Canadian citizen along with his three-year-old son. Nadege and baby Naize, however, don't have passports.
"We're asking for special permission for all of us to enter Canada."'
Aly and Nadege were stuck in a traffic jam on Tuesday afternoon when the ground began to shake. With the devastation readily apparent, and Nadege due in three weeks, they opted to spend the night in the car.
"We were praying that nothing would happen," said Aly. "At first we felt fear, then joy at being alive -- but also great dismay for seeing all the death."
Early the next day they made their way to a relative's home, but as the dead bodies in the streets began to fester, they grew worried about Nadege's health.
Then early Thursday morning, Nadege went into labour. Aly managed to contact their doctor.
Though the hospital had been shut because of damage from the earthquake, the doctor found a generator and opened it just for them. The gravity of the situation didn't escape him.
"He was very nervous," Acacia recalled. "He had the air conditioning on but we could still see he was sweating."
With water in short supply across the city, little communication, limited electricity and no anasthetics, Nadege needed her delivery to go perfectly. She went into labour at 6:30 a.m. and gave birth an hour and a half later.
"Thanks to God, there were no complications," said Nadege.
Realizing how dire the situation was in Port-au-Prince, Aly made his way to the embassy on Friday to see about leaving for Canada.
But he arrived as hundreds of other passport holders, and many more people without passports, were seeking the same thing. With no passport, they told him his wife wouldn't be able to leave with him.
"They gave me an administrative answer," Aly said. "But laws are man-made, so I decided to try again (Saturday)."
The second time round, consular officials were more receptive and are seeking special permission from Ottawa to let the young family fly back to Canada. To date, the embassy has turned away anyone who can't provide proof of citizenship.
Until they get word about their fate, the Acacias are staying at the embassy compound, where military doctors can monitor mother and son.
In the meantime, they dream about life in Canada where they hope to rebuild a life after losing everything, both home and business, in the earthquake.
Aly, who sold electronics in Haiti, thinks he'll try to return to teaching, which he did in Montreal before leaving.
As for Nadege, her attention, for the time being, will be focused on taking care of the newest member of the family.
