Andrea Bello, the wife of second-division soccer player Héctor Bello, died during the devastating earthquakes that struck Venezuela on Wednesday. She was killed while shielding the couple's one-year-old daughter, Alana, from falling debris. The child survived the incident and was rescued.
Bello, a defender for Marítimo de La Guaira, shared the news of his wife's death on Instagram, posting tributes and family photos. He wrote that his wife would be remembered as their "favorite heroine" for saving their daughter's life. He described how he would tell Alana stories of her mother's bravery and sacrifice.
"I’ll make sure to remind our baby girl how wonderful you were and how much you loved her; I’ll tell her the story of how you saved her—how you gave your own life for our daughter," Bello wrote in Spanish. "I’ll tell her you were a brave woman who never abandoned her, even as you breathed your last."
He also shared a message to his daughter, stating that she would help him heal from the profound loss. "Now it’s just you and me—and your mommy, who will be watching over us from heaven," he wrote. "I know Andrea will give me strength; I know she sees what I’m going through and is suffering for us, too."
Venezuela was struck by two earthquakes within approximately one minute of each other, measuring magnitudes 7.1 and 7.5. According to The Associated Press, these were among the strongest earthquakes to hit the country in over a century. The quakes caused buildings to collapse, and reports indicate at least 589 deaths and 4,300 injuries across the country.