After surviving Hurricane Dorian, boy returns to school, gets touching welcome from classmates
Makai Simmons, who got stuck in the Bahamas with his mom during Hurricane Dorian, received a warm welcome from his pre-school friends after returning back home to Florida.
According to the Red Cross, Hurricane Dorian ravaged the Abaco and Grand Bahama Islands for two days, destroying an excess of 13,000 homes. However, in the midst of all that devastation, the heartwarming reception that one 3-year-old boy received from his classmates in Florida has made its rounds on social media as a small but mighty beacon of hope.
According to ABC News, Makai Simmons and his mom, Tekara Capron, were stuck in the Bahamas during the storm, causing him to miss a whole week of school. On Monday, when he returned to the Learning City Academy in Pembroke Pines, Fla., his friends could not have been happier to see him.
READ MORE: Hurricane Dorian Aftermath: Two women lead a mission to save lives and rebuild the Bahamas
“As soon as he walked in, everyone just jumped up,” Capron said of her son’s first day back. “It was really emotional.”
Capron, who lived in the Bahamas until she was 19, decided to take her son to visit family over the Labor Day weekend. When they left, the 22-year old mom believed that she and her son were heading towards safety because Dorian was on track to hit Florida at that time.
“Everyone [in South Florida] was going crazy preparing for the storm,” Capron told Good Morning America. “We had to rush to the airport and there were huge lines at gas stations.”
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Unfortunately, they weren’t able to escape. By the time Dorian hit the Bahamas, the hurricane escalated to a Category 5 storm and Capron and her family were right in its crosshairs. That’s when she made the decision to stay with her mom, sister, grandparents and extended relatives through the hurricane, as it slammed into the Bahamas on Sept. 1st.
READ MORE: Sidney Poitier missing more than 20 relatives in Bahamas after Hurricane Dorian
“Makai was asking, ‘Is that a monster? Is that a monster?’ because that’s what he thought the storm was,” she recalled. “I just had to lie down and hold Makai in my arms.”
While her grandparent’s house held up in the storm, the inside was significantly flooded causing the family to lose nearly everything, including their clothes and Makai’s toys.
“He handled it very bravely, thankfully,” Capron said of her son who put on a Spiderman costume before wanting to go to help with the relief efforts. “He said, ‘Mommy I have to go save the children.'”
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After waiting in lie for a staggering 13 hours, Friday evening, mother and son were able to board a cruise ship back to the U.S.
“The love we got when we got back to the U.S. was unbelievable,” Capron said. “I just want people to know that the Bahamas is a nation with loving people and a rich culture. We will gladly accept any help that anybody can give, and are extremely grateful for everyone who has been so loving.”
READ MORE: Rihanna vows to send aid to the Bahamas after ‘catastrophic damage’ from Hurricane Dorian
As for the reaction her child received from his friends she admits it was, “something he needed, and I needed it too.”
She shared video of the moment on her Instagram account, where it already has more than 15,000 views. Check out the heartwarming moment below.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B2MZxO5Hett/
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