The body of brave mum Andrea Bello was discovered protecting her one-year-old daughter after the earthquakes broke out in Venezuela.
Her husband, Marítimo de La Guaira player Héctor Bello, penned an emotional tribute to her, asking for ‘strength’.
Miraculously, their toddler, Alana, survived because of her mum’s sacrifice and was discovered under the rubble in time by search and rescue.
Nearly 50,000 persons are missing and no less than 589 people have died following magnitude 7.2 and seven.5 earthquakes in and across the capital Caracas on Thursday.
The rare double strike, which were 39 seconds apart, was the strongest since 1900, in accordance with the US Geological Survey.
The organisation has also predicted greater than 10,000 deaths.
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On social media, the Venezuelan defender said she had ‘left them alone within the fight’, leaving him ‘on their own’ with their little girl.
‘How do I tell that to my daughter?’ Héctor wrote. ‘Andrea, how do I explain to your daughter that you just lost your life to avoid wasting hers and I wasn’t there in that moment to do anything?
‘How do I explain? Give me strength now because I can’t take any more.’
In one other message today, he added: ‘You’ll at all times be our favourite hero, Mummy. I’m going to be sure that our baby remembers how wonderful you were, how much you liked her.
‘I’ll tell her the story of the way you saved her, the way you gave your individual life for our daughter, the way you were a brave woman who, even along with your last breath, never abandoned her.’
Remembering his wife, Héctor – also often called Kike – shared how her cheeks would ‘turn red’ when she laughed ‘all in love’.
‘Oh Andrea, Mummy, I can’t handle this, my love, I actually can’t.’
The heartbroken dad shared a snap of Alana after the earthquake, sporting an enormous black eye and cuts round her eyebrow.
‘You won’t see your daddy looking strong or smiling like at all times, but I promise I’ll heal and make you the happiest girl on the planet,’ he penned.
Alana remains to be within the hospital along together with her aunt, after the pair were saved from their home, which had collapsed within the earthquakes.
In one other post, he said: ‘My daughter and her aunt are doing well, they won’t be discharged today – they’re staying on the hospital. Thanks a lot for supporting me through this immense pain.’
He continued to share information in regards to the Venezuelan relief efforts, in addition to more tributes to his wife and updates on his daughter.
The country’s football federation also confirmed the death of Yordelis Pereira, a player for Academia Puerto Cabello.
The earthquakes have left 1000’s homeless, particularly across the coast and La Guaira State, where Héctor and Andrea lived.
Buildings were reduced to rubble while videos showed people fleeing violently shaking areas.
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