American Nurse Makes First Statement After Kidnapping

Weeks after Alix Dorsainvil and her daughter were released following a kidnapping in Haiti, the American nurse has spoken out for the first time.

Dorsainvil released a nearly five-minute video — titled “A message for Alix’s Haitian friends and her captors” and captioned with English subtitles — during which she expressed her appreciation for the public support she received in the aftermath of the kidnapping and delivered a message to her captors.

“This morning I have a message for both the Haitian population and the gangsters,” she said in the video, which was originally posted on Aug. 17 and shared on Monday by her employer, non profit organization El Roi Haiti.

“For all my friends in Haiti, thank you so much to everyone who was praying for me. Although I was unaware that you were praying at the time, I could feel your prayers. God granted me courage and strength. This is a result of all of your prayers, so thank you very much.”

The New Hampshire native also shared that, while in captivity, a "gangster" had informed her that “the people of Duvivier are marching for you,” which she said “encouraged” her.

She then addressed the “gangsters” — who abducted her and her daughter on July 27 while they were “serving in our community ministry,” according to a July 28 blog post from El Roi Haiti — directly in the video. 

“For the gangsters, I have a message for you. I want you guys to know that everything I said during my time in captivity was sincere. They were not the manipulative words of someone desperate to escape, but simply the truth. Especially when I told you my clinic doors are always open to you or anyone in need, when you’re sick, or wounded, without any problem.” 

She also explained that she "understood" why visiting her clinic may not be an option for the group, but added that she held "no grudges" against them.

"I understand now why that doesn’t seem like a possibility for you guys, but if it were up to me, I would care for you without any prejudice and receive you with open arms.”

She added, “I want you to know that I hold no grudges against you in my heart.”

Dorsainvil — who is married to El Roi Haiti's director Sandro Dorsainvil — and her daughter spent 13 days in captivity before their safe return on Aug. 8. 

“It is with a heart of gratitude and immense joy that we at El Roi Haiti confirm the safe release of our staff member and friend, Alix Dorsainvil and her child who were held hostage in Port au Prince, Haiti,” an update released on the nonprofit’s website on Aug. 9 said. 

In the Aug. 17 video, Dorsainvil shared that she has “undergone a lot of trauma” and needs to “take some time to heal.”  

On July 27, when the two were abducted, the U.S. Department of State issued a Level 4 travel advisory urging American nonemergency government employees to "depart Haiti as soon as possible by commercial or other privately available transportation options, in light of the current security situation and infrastructure challenges.”

The advisory noted how “widespread” kidnapping is in the country, and that “victims regularly include U.S. citizens.”

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A State Department spokesperson previously told PEOPLE that it was aware of the kidnapping reports of the two U.S. citizens, and was in “regular contact with Haitian authorities” regarding the matter.

“The U.S. Department of State and our embassies and consulates abroad have no higher priority than the safety and security of U.S. citizens overseas,” the spokesperson said at the time.

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