She was a toddler when she survived the Haiti earthquake. Now she needs a laptop for school

When Marie Guychar Nicaisse is older, she wants to chase the dreams her mother left behind in Haiti and become an attorney.

Her mother, Marie Charline Francois, used to study law back when they lived in their home country. But then the historic January 2010 earthquake hit Port-au-Prince, devastating the island nation.

Francois was at work when the 35-second tremor hit. She raced home to look for Nicaisse, a toddler, and her cousins, 9 and 10 years old. A building had collapsed on top of their house.

“I thought everybody inside had died,” she said.

But the children miraculously survived the earthquake, which killed hundreds of thousands of people. It also injured many more, including Nicaisse when the roof of the residence collapsed on her.

Nicaisse’s cousin pulled her out from under the house and saved her life. But she suffered from spinal cord injuries that left her permanently paraplegic. In 2012, Francois migrated with her daughter to the United States to seek a better life and life-saving medical treatment.

Over a decade later, Nicaisse is a junior at the Law Enforcement Officers Memorial High School in downtown Miami. She’s also dual-enrolled at Miami-Dade College, where she just finished a marketing class.

She doesn’t know what kind of attorney she wants to become, but she’s interested in health or immigration law. Her mother found another profession as a phlebotomist.

“I want to finish that journey for my mom,” said Nicaisse, 17.

A laptop to help achieve her dream

But Nicaisse spends hours after school at the library to finish her assignments because she doesn’t have a laptop. A personal computer would make high school, as well as her college ambitions, much easier for Nicaisse.

“It would help access all the materials that I need to go to class, and have the online textbooks available,” said Nicaisse.

She would love a Macbook Pro, but would be grateful for any laptop she can use for college applications and future assignments for years to come. The Spinal Cord Living Assistance Development, an organization in Miami that provides support and affordable housing to Nicaisse and other people with similar injuries, also suggested an HP- Envy 2-in-1 15.6’ Full HD Touch-Screen Laptop as an alternative for her.

“Marie has a drive. She’s trying to become well educated,” said Jorge Guijarro, Nicaisse’s case manager at the organization, which nominated her for community help through Wish Book.

Now that senior year is fast approaching, Nicaisse is starting to imagine her life after high school graduation. She’s thinking about staying in the state for college, but outside of South Florida. She’s considering applying to the University of Central Florida, among other schools.

Guijarro told the Herald that having a laptop would help Nicaisse stay on top of her schooling and reduce mobility issues for the teen, who uses a wheelchair. She could stay home instead of going to the library to finish assignments, find research materials online, and even do part of her coursework virtually. This will be even more critical in college, where she will become a young woman living on her own for the first time.

“It’s a way to help her gain access from her own home instead of relying on transportation,” said Guijarro.

Nicaisse lives in an apartment customized for wheelchair users provided through Spinal Cord Living Assistance Development. The mother-daughter-duo have filled the home with mementos of their lives in the United States and Haiti. There are American flags and photographs of their naturalization ceremonies. The walls are filled with photos of Marie, cousins, and other family members.

Nicaisse’s achievements are showcased throughout. There are the honor roll and history awards from elementary and middle school, as well as a positive role model plaque from the Miami Police Department. Decorations of the Miami Dolphins adorn the sofas, reminders of when her mom used to work at the stadium when she first came to the U.S.

In her free time, Nicaisse loves to watch movies, crochet, and play games on her phone. Sometimes, she bakes cakes for her and her mom. Her favorite flavor is vanilla.

Nicaisse told the Herald that it’s not always easy to get people to see her for who she is because of her physical disability. But she said that she has opted to focus on herself and become a motivation for other wheelchair users.

Earlier this year, Nicaisse did something she had never done: She participated in a local pageant and ended up winning the crystal-studded crown, becoming Miss Teen South Florida Juneteenth 2023. She became the inspiration she wanted to be.

“Sometimes life is easy, sometimes it’s hard. But God has us, and we feel protected,” said Nicaisse.

HOW TO HELP

To help this Wish Book nominee and the more than 100 other nominees who are in need this year:

▪ To donate, use the coupon found in the newspaper or pay securely online through www.MiamiHerald.com/wishbook

▪ For more information, call 305-376-2906 or email Wishbook@MiamiHerald.com

▪ The most requested items are often laptops and tablets for school, furniture, and accessible vans

▪ Read all Wish Book stories on www.MiamiHerald.com/wishbook

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