Beiba Ameragua, Helen.
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Copyright 2012 by Teofilo Colon Jr (a.k.a. Tio Teo) for Being Garifuna. All Rights Reserved. Contact Tio Teo.
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Original Post – September 12th 2012.
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New York, New York — While looking at the number of people who paid tribute to either friends or family who passed away on September 11th 2001 in the news feed of my Facebook profile, I began to wonder, were there any Garifuna people among the victims of the attack on The World Trade Center on that day?
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If you know of any Garifuna people who passed away at The World Trade Center on September 11th 2001, please leave a comment below with their name and your memories of that person. If you allow me to, I can include a photo upon revising this posting. You can email a photo to me at tioteo@beinggarifuna.com. I figure someone knows someone of Garifuna Heritage who worked there.
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UPDATE: Here are some words about Garifuna American, Helen D. Cook (a.k.a. Helen Garcia) from the website of Pastor Burt Campbell.
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“Helen Garcia was born in Honduras. At the age of Twelve, she came with her mother and ten year old brother (Edson) to New York City and settled in the Bronx. Reflecting on that time, her brother once remarked, ‘We came over for a reason; to go to school and try to become somebody.”
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“Over the years, Helen proved to be an apt student and later decided to attend college in Buffalo, New York. After three years, however, she took a summer job working as a customer service account representative for General Telecom.”
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“Every day, she reported to work at 1 World Trade Center. While there, a new life began to form for her. She fell in love with Jermaine Cook, who worked for the stock exchange. Their love was passionate and furious.”
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“Helen soon even sported a heart shaped tattoo of Jermaine’s name on her neck. They were married in August, 1999, and she gave birth to a son, Justin, in October of that same year.”
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“Who could forsee what would happen that second Tuesday of September? Helen was diligently at work when the plane hit her Tower.”
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“From the 82nd Floor, she was overcome with the immensity of what was happening. She tried calling her husband, but was unable to reach him.”
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“In the midst of tears, however, she did get through to her brother, Edson. He did his best to comfort her in those final, all too few, moments before the building collapsed.”
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“Helen D. Cook died on September 11th 2001, at the age of 24. She was a devoted wife, mother, sister, and daughter. She is gone. But she is not forgotten.”
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Garifuna American Pablo Blanco added that Helen was from Santa Fe, Honduras.
“I met Helen at UB (University of Buffalo) orientation in the Summer of 1997. We looked at our name tags, then we asked each other where are you from? We bonded at UB Orientation, took the 8 Hour Bus Ride together (traveling back to New York City from Buffalo, New York).”
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“I found out she left UB after a year and transferred to Hunter College in Manhattan. She was a Commodities Trader in one of the Towers. I found out she was a victim about 3 Years after September 11th. One of our mutual friends at UB, another Garifuna, told me at a Funeral. RIP Helen Garcia.” – Pablo Blanco via Facebook.
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Garifuna American Teldy Sacaza-Casildo added that she went to High School with Helen Garcia at Adlai E. Stevenson High School in the Bronx and noted that she was a very smart girl.
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If you know of a Garifuna Person who worked in the World Trade Center and SURVIVED, feel free to also leave a comment below.
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May the Victims of the Attack on America at The World Trade Center continue to rest in peace.