Months after facing the harrowing aftermath of a violent attack in Panama, Geneviève Plouffe and Martin Audette, a couple from Gatineau, Quebec, are steadfastly focusing on their recovery. The couple had been on a long-anticipated road trip across South and Central America when tragedy struck.
On October 28, as they parked their transformed bus near the Miraflores Locks of the Panama Canal, they became victims of senseless violence. Unwittingly caught inside their mobile home, Plouffe and Audette encountered assailants who opened fire and broke inside their vehicle. The attackers violently dragged Audette from the bus before assaulting him with hammers and the butt of firearms.
"I still have some aches, like my sternum still hurts and my ribs. I have scars all over the back of my head," Audette shared, now back home but still grappling with the physical and emotional scars from the attack.
After the traumatic experience, Audette and Plouffe returned to Canada, but their hearts still lingered back on the open roads of Central America. Plouffe candidly reflected, "I think it's good to be with friends, with family, but at the same time, my heart is over there. It's somewhere else." Initially driven by the spirit of adventure, their plans had dramatically shifted, bringing them face-to-face with painful memories and recovery.
The couple acknowledges the long road to mental healing before them. Audette articulated the complexity of emotions flooding over them—"You feel anger, you feel sadness, you feel a lot of emotions... joy, pain and sadness for what happened. But it's part of life. We all know life is not always great, with different chapters and different obstacles to go through; they say what doesn't kill you makes you stronger." Indeed, the trek toward healing appears set against the backdrop of uncertainties and traumatic recollections.
Yet, recovery goes beyond the psychological spectrum; the couple is very much grappling with the financial repercussions of their ordeal. With no insurance to cushion their fall, they have accumulated hospital and legal expenses totaling between $40,000 and $50,000. Facing such staggering figures has added layers of stress to their recovery.
Global Affairs Canada has acknowledged their case but opted not to share specifics due to privacy concerns. Consular officials remain engaged, working with local authorities to provide assistance. They consulted with local legal counsel and sought justice against the perpetrators of the crime. Audette underscored his commitment to ensuring accountability, saying, "Before leaving Panama, we hired this lawyer... and the last thing I said to him before we left was, someone has to pay, and it's not going to be me."
Despite updates on the judicial front being infrequent, there’s been some progress, with two suspects reportedly identified by police. Yet, the uncertainty remains, posing more challenges for the couple to navigate.
Recognizing the importance of mental well-being, Plouffe and Audette sought help from professionals specializing in post-traumatic stress disorder during their stay prior to returning to Canada. Plouffe commented, "To have [a] psychological appointment in Quebec, it's very difficult. So in El Salvador, it was very quick, very easy." Their decision to address their psychological health is bolstered by the love and support they continue to receive from family, friends, and fellow members of the van-lifer community.
"The van-lifers are a crazy, amazing community. They are very kind, and they give us a lot of help," Plouffe expressed, highlighting how communal ties have provided them with strength through the aftermath.
Looking forward, the couple intends to stay grounded for several weeks before returning to El Salvador, where they hope to benefit from medical, psychological, and psychiatric support. The allure of warmer weather is also contributing to their return plans. Audette has indicated the couple’s ambitions of reclaiming their bus one day, outlining the road to recovery between the dual realms of emotional healing and physical restoration of their mobile home.
Their story serves as a remarkable reminder of resilience amid unspeakable hardships, as they continue to forge their path to recovery and reclaim their narrative, one step at a time.
