Laura Buendia died on June 5th but her unborn baby survived
SAGINAW – (WJRT) – “She is a miracle, a miracle baby.”
A baby who was born on the day her mother died from gunshots wounds is now home.
Early on June 5th, a family gathering was wrapping up in Saginaw when gunshots rang out, leaving three people dead.
One of the victims was pregnant.
The woman died, but her baby survived and is now out of the hospital.
The family is still mourning the loss of Laura Buendia, her nephew, and her cousin, there have been no arrests in this shooting case, so there is some frustration, but what’s holding them together right now is a little baby, who they call a miracle baby.
Meet Rosalina Laura Buendia. She weighs over ten pounds now. She was a little smaller when she was born on June 5th, weighing just a little over two pounds then.
“She was skin and bones, she was like the size of my hand,’ says Josh Tello, Rosalina’s father.
After spending her first three and a half months in the hospital, Rosie is now home.
“It was a bittersweet moment with the baby, taking her from the hospital, because it was supposed to be Josh and my sister taking her out,” says Sandra Escareno.
Sandra’s sister is Laura Buendia.
Laura was 24 years old and expecting to deliver her baby in August.
She died on June 5th, shot to death, along with her nephew Mariano Escareño and cousin Rafael Campos, when gunfire erupted after a family gathering outside the home on South 11th Street, the same home that now has baby products through the house.
The unborn baby was not hit by gunfire and survived.
“It’s amazing, its a different feeling like from the hospital and actually being here and holding here, its a really good feeling now that she is home,” says Tello.
Now that she’s home, she is like most babies, giving caregivers some challenging nights of sleep.
“She is a partier about three o’clock,” says Sandra.
Sandra says having her home is like having a piece of her sister here as well.
“She would be so excited, so excited, she would probably be dressing every hour, look at this,’ says Escareno of how her sister would be enjoying being a mom.
With the excitement of having Rosie home, there is still frustration that no one has been arrested in the shooting case.
Two men were also shot and injured that morning. Police are still investigating.
Sandra says she knows who did the shooting and so did the victims.
“All three of them, they cared for them, they loved them and they were family,” she says.
“There are a lot of emotions. I am happy but I am sad because nothing is really happening with the justice system, but still being here with Rosie, gives me motivation where I need to be, and what I need to do for her and myself, its definitely hard but you have to keep on going,” says Tello.
Its been a difficult time and the whole family is thanking Josh’s employer Pepsi and the Covenant Neonatal Intensive Care Unit for all they’ve done for helping get Rosie home.
