After evacuating hurricanes, woman has 'Irma baby' at Colorado hospital

Lying in a Colorado hospital bed after giving birth Monday — thousands of miles from home — Tara Stoutt finally felt something she hadn't in almost two weeks: peace.

"Having her yesterday was my moment — my breakthrough and my moment of peace," the new mom said, cradling her day-old baby girl, Saniyah, in her room at UCHealth's Poudre Valley Hospital in Fort Collins Tuesday afternoon.

The quiet tidiness of the hospital room is a far cry from what's going on in Stoutt's home of Tortola. The largest and most-populated of the British Virgin Islands was also the one hit hardest by Hurricane Irma earlier this month.

Now, after evacuating the devastation a week ago to give birth safely, Stoutt must wait and watch as another Category 5 storm, Hurricane Maria, closes in on her home.

“It was not easy, it was not fun. It's still not easy, it’s still not fun,” Stoutt said of her experience with Irma and evacuation from Tortola. "I left my sisters there, my boyfriend is there, other friends and family are there."

“Although we were evacuated — and I’m thankful — you still have that part of you that’s home," she added.

More:How to help Harvey, Irma victims from afar

Stoutt was nine months pregnant when Irma struck. 

The 31-year-old catering company owner is from the west end of Tortola. After hearing the news of the storm's intensity earlier this month, she and her boyfriend, Byron, secured her home there before heading to the island's capital city, Road Town.

They hunkered down in a hotel room, wanting to be closer to a hospital in case Stoutt went into labor.

After withstanding the storm, finding her family and sifting through the devastation for five days, Stout was confronted with the prospect of having her baby girl on an island in turmoil.

For Charisse Bowen, that wasn't an option. 

Friends through their work at Forge International — a Caribbean entrepreneurial hub launched in part by Fort Collins' Blue Ocean Enterprises earlier this year —  Bowen and Stoutt were in close communication as Irma hit Tortola. 

Bowen, director of strategic initiatives at Blue Ocean, saw the island's damage through pictures and videos Stoutt sent her. Roofs had been ripped off of houses and hotels. Buildings were crumbled and rubble and debris littered the streets.  

"We saw the devastation in front of us, and of course everyone asked ... What can we do, how do we help?” Bowen said, adding that Blue Ocean Enterprises quickly partnered with Convoy of Hope, a faith-based nonprofit organization dedicated to disaster relief.

PFA:Hurricanes Harvey, Irma reminders of emergency preparedness importance

Convoy of Hope, which has a satellite office in Fort Collins, deployed to the British Virgin Islands to distribute water, food, fuel and much-needed tarps.

And less than a week after Irma struck Tortola, Stoutt and her mom were among the many being evacuated from the British Virgin Islands on a Blue Ocean plane.

A week later, she gave birth to Saniyah, a healthy, 6-pound, 7-ounce baby girl with unplanned Colorado roots. 

With her daughter in her arms, Stoutt talked of the future. 

As Hurricane Maria approaches, Byron and Stoutt's sisters are preparing to weather another storm. Stoutt will continue staying in Fort Collins with Bowen until Byron is able to leave Tortola. 

Then Stoutt said he'll likely come to Colorado and the family will travel to Florida, where Byron has family. 

Until them, Stoutt will wait and watch for Hurricane Maria, recalling the chaos of Hurricane Irma. 

This story continues after the photo.

Tuesday, she described the sound of wind ripping open the doors of her and Byron's hotel room, the sound of light bulbs shattering and the sight of water flooding their floor. 

She talked about the crippled roadways and how it took days to travel back to the west end of Tortola — how "it took me three days to find my mom."

And, after surveying the damage, Stoutt recalled one last thing.

"It’s crazy, you're living a nightmare," she said. "But you have an opportunity to rebuild and start over."

"Although it was very traumatizing ... you still had that sense of gratitude for being alive."

Related:Bohemian Foundation boosts hurricane relief match to $3M

How you can help

As the British Virgin Islands deal with Irma's destruction and brace for Hurricane Maria, Convoy of Hope will continue to provide its residents with basic needs like water, food and emergency supplies. It is currently handing out thousands of solar lamps and hygiene kits and is providing 2,000 hot meals a day, according to Kirk Noonan, the organization's vice president of communications and innovation. 

By going to helpthebvi.com and donating to Convoy of Hope, you can help provide food, water and supplies to those affected on the islands.