There are stories one would rather not have to tell. But this one must be told, because in the midst of the most brutal pain, when life expectancy was almost nil, life leaves a mark.
On June 24, 2026, a double earthquake struck several towns. This story took place in Catia La Mar, in the state of La Guaira. The building where Francis García lived with his family collapsed. Fourteen stories, five blocks, from A to E. Blocks A and B collapsed completely. Francis lived in block A.
It was a holiday, and she wasn't home that day. She had traveled to Caracas with her sister and her three-year-old nephew. Her father, mother, and two cats, Félix and Luca, stayed in the apartment. Her mother had gone out to buy something, and her father was alone inside the building when the ground shook, changing the lives of many.
That afternoon Francis lost his home, his belongings, the computer he used for work and study…everything, but there was still a little more.
Thirty-seven days
For 37 days she searched for her two cats. During those 37 days she held onto the hope of finding her father and her cats alive. That hope, as they say, "is the last thing to die."
On July 27, the news no one wants to receive arrived. Her father's body had been recovered from the rubble. That same day, she was told that Luca, one of her two cats, had also perished.
Four days later, a heartbeat brought back hope.
The rescue
On July 31, rescuers from the PDVSA group located Félix under the rubble. They had to lift a massive slab to reach him. He had been sheltering under the metal support of a mattress, without water or food for over a month—quite a feat!
Francis found out through a photo someone uploaded to a WhatsApp group. As soon as he recognized Felix, he ran out. When he arrived, the cat was already at the veterinary hospital set up in the McDonald's in Caraballeda.
Thirty-seven days of waiting and Felix restores faith.
"A true miracle"
He arrived severely dehydrated, extremely malnourished, with several scrapes and superficial injuries, and in general pain—what one would expect after so many days trapped. The veterinarians noted that despite the time spent under the rubble, he had no crush injuries.
And here's a curious detail. Before the earthquake, Felix was an overweight cat, one of those chubby ones, who brought smiles to people's faces with his gait around the house. According to the doctors, those same fat reserves were what allowed him to go so long without eating.
The veterinarians bluntly described it as a true miracle.
Gratitude
Francis has repeatedly thanked the entire veterinary team and assistants, volunteers, rescuers, and everyone who has been concerned about Felix's health, whose name, by the way, many are saying should be changed. Felix to Phoenix, after being reborn following this rescue.
In a video, he addressed his followers, thanking the PDVSA rescue team that found him when time was running out.
Her words, exactly as she said them: "Felix has been my little miracle in the midst of so much tragedy," "That he is alive is a miracle to me," "I have only been there for him and he for me."
She couldn't get her father back alive. But she feels, with what little faith she has left, that her prayers were somehow answered when Félix reappeared alive against all odds.
Life goes on
Today, Felix is walking normally again. He seems lively and is gaining weight. The veterinary hospital even posted a video jokingly calling him "Supplies and Food Supervisor," showing him in the dog and cat food area.
Behind the joke is a genuine gratitude towards the thousands of people who followed the case and sent help.
Felix is proof that sometimes life finds a way to peek through again.
Continuing to support, donate, and contribute medical supplies, food, and other essential items is vital. They continue to find survivors under the rubble. Support, spread the word, and never lose faith.
