You never know when an earthquake is going to strike. In fact, you never know when any disaster is going to strike—so even though being prepared could very well save your life or that of your loved ones or neighbours, earthquakes can cause devastation no matter what you do.

Today, though, we’re not here to focus on devastation. We’re here to  focus on resilience and yet another inspiring story of perseverance and hope among so much death. We’re here to tell an amazing story of life and earthquake survival.

The 2004 and 9.1 magnitude earthquake in the Indian Ocean caused a tsunami to rise up and wreck parts of 14 countries across South Asia and East Africa. The earthquake killed more than 200,000 people displaced more than 1.7 million from their homes.

In Malaysia, though, one family experienced a miracle among the disaster. Suppiah was only 20 days old, and was sleeping on a mattress in the back room of her parents’ restaurant while they worked.

Suddenly, when the tsunami hit, her parents and all of their customers were swept out with the wall of water. Her parents were beside themselves with grief, believing that they would never see their baby girl again.

But when Suppiah’s father fought his way back into the restaurant later in the day—to survey the wreckage—he heard a baby’s cry and found Suppiah floating safely atop the mattress she’d been sleeping on.

It’s always important to remember the lives that were saved, when disasters strike. Because for every time of darkness, there’s a light, and we can only hope to prepare for happy outcomes if we believe that they’re possible.

Article contributed by Sophie Wooding – Avid gardener and cyclist in Victoria, BC and Content Writer for Frontier.io