“My son kept me alive,” says mother who emerged with her 18-day-old baby from earthquake rubble in Venezuela: I touched his nose to see if he was breathing

Dayana Patino, who was rescued alive from the rubble of her home together with her 18-day-old baby, has recounted the terrifying moments she endured after the devastating earthquake in Venezuela. According to her, it was her son, Juan David, who gave her the strength to keep fighting for her life.

“As long as he was alive, I would live too. From time to time I touched his nose to make sure he was still breathing,” she told the BBC.

Images from the rescue operation have gone around the world, while baby Juan David has become a symbol of hope in Venezuela, a country struck by two powerful earthquakes on Wednesday. The death toll has reached at least 1,450, while tens of thousands of other people are still reported missing.

The country’s interim president has described the tragedy as “the most brutal natural disaster in Venezuela’s history.” Meanwhile, search-and-rescue teams are continuing operations, although with each passing hour hopes of finding other survivors are fading.

At the moment the earthquake struck, Dayana was in her eighth-floor apartment in the coastal area of La Guaira, washing dishes. She immediately ran to her baby, at first thinking it was only a mild tremor.

“I felt like I was flying. Then it felt as if I were sinking into water and mud. I ended up in a pit among the rubble. I don’t know how I didn’t drop the baby from my arms as I was thrown against furniture,” she recalled.

Trapped under concrete, with her left leg pinned and unable to move, Dayana decided to conserve her energy.

“I realized no one could hear me. I decided to scream only when I heard voices or footsteps near me,” she said.

In the darkness, she found a Bible beneath her, something that gave her the courage not to give up.

“That’s where my journey to survive began,” she said.

Her hope took shape when she heard her brother calling her name.

“I told myself it was my only chance. I screamed with all my strength, ‘I’m here!’ He told me, ‘I found you and I promise I won’t leave until I get you out of here.’”

That promise was kept. On Thursday evening, after a difficult rescue operation, Dayana and the baby were pulled alive from the rubble.

As a result of the earthquake, Dayana suffered injuries to both legs, while Juan David escaped with minor wounds.

Her husband, Gerson, had arrived near the home just moments before the earthquake struck and managed to save himself by jumping over a fence. When he saw the collapsed building, he thought he had lost his wife and son.

“It was a miracle. I thought they had died. When I saw my son, I felt as if I had been born again. I couldn’t believe it. It was as if life had come back to me,” he said.

Today, the family has been left homeless and has lost almost all of their personal belongings, while their dog remains missing. Nevertheless, they say they are determined to start over.

“We lost almost everything, but we are alive. We will rebuild everything we have lost,” Gerson promised.