EXCLUSIVE - Revealed, the full tragic story of little girl who made David Beckham cry: Star wept as Filipino child told him how her sister, four, was swept to her death from father's arms in typhoon

  • Footballer and UNICEF ambassador visibly moved when he recounted story at the UN HQ in New York of how he met tragedy-hit family
  • Revealed how little Viana's father had clung on to her, but lost her to the waves which rose up when Typhoon Haiyan hit the Philippines in 2013 
  • UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Beckham met family three months later
  • MailOnline can now reveal how visit helped ease the burden of the family's grief - and what has happened to them in the two years since the storm 

It may have been a brief meeting more than a year ago, but as David Beckham retold the emotional encounter, his eyes welled up.

At a UN meeting in New York last month, Beckham recounted the story of how Viana, aged just four - the same age as his beloved daughter Harper is now - was swept out of her father's arms and to her death after Typhoon Haiyan struck the coast of the Philippines.

It was her older sister Venus who told Beckham of the full horror of that night, during a trip to their disaster-ravaged village with UNICEF in 2014. As the former England captain told the tale, it was clear he remembered every heartbreaking word of the haunting encounter.

But what of the little girl who had left an imprint on Beckham's heart? MailOnline has been to the Philippines and found Venus to discover what happened after the cameras left her village - and found a story of hope.

Scroll down for video 

Tragedy: Venus, pictured during the visit, told David Beckham about the waves as 'big as a man' which pulled her little sister Viana from her father's arms. Viana's body was found in the water two days later

Tragedy: Venus, pictured during the visit, told David Beckham about the waves as 'big as a man' which pulled her little sister Viana from her father's arms. Viana's body was found in the water two days later

Missed: Viana, aged four, was swept out of her father's arms and to her death after Typhoon Haiyan struck. All the family have left of her memory is a mobile phone video of her dancing (above)

Missed: Viana, aged four, was swept out of her father's arms and to her death after Typhoon Haiyan struck. All the family have left of her memory is a mobile phone video of her dancing (above)

Hope: The were not only dealing with the devastation of losing Viana, but also their home and possessions

Hope: The were not only dealing with the devastation of losing Viana, but also their home and possessions

Their story though, started with tragedy. Speaking at the United Nations General Assembly in his role as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, Beckham recalled how he heard it for the first time, as a stranger sitting with a bereft family on Valentine's Day.

'I met a family in the Philippines – a mother, a father – who wanted to tell the story about their two young girls, Venus and Viana,' he said. 'On the night the typhoon hit, the family were on their roof trying to protect themselves.

'The mother, tired, scared, exhausted, said to the father, "Can you please take Viana", so the father did. Unfortunately, the father was knocked off the roof by one of the waves. He then woke up six hours later.'

He then paused to gather himself, the tears welling up in his eyes.

'This was the night of the typhoon. A day and a half later, unfortunately, Viana was found face down and unfortunately, she had died. This was one of the most devastating stories I heard.'

See more news from David Beckham and his wife Victoria 

Smiles: David Beckham smiles as he sits and watches a video of little Viana with her family in the Philippines

Smiles: David Beckham smiles as he sits and watches a video of little Viana with her family in the Philippines

Devastation: Venus pictured walking arm-in-arm with her father during Beckham's visit to the Philippines

Devastation: Venus pictured walking arm-in-arm with her father during Beckham's visit to the Philippines

Choking up: The 40-year-old star became emotional and held back tears as he recalled the story during a press conference in New York in September, saying it was one of the most 'devastating' he had heard

Choking up: The 40-year-old star became emotional and held back tears as he recalled the story during a press conference in New York in September, saying it was one of the most 'devastating' he had heard

Two years on from the typhoon, Viana's parents Trinidad Ojeda and Rodolfo Mueva are still haunted by the decisions they took.

They weren't to know at the time, but the typhoon was set to become the deadliest to strike land since records began. Haiyan affected 1,473,251 families in the Philippines, leaving some 6,300 Filipinos died, including Viana. 

The family of four fled the house at around 7pm, grabbing a few belongings and running for Sto. Niño Elementary School. They - along with three other families - believed it was the one building which might be able to withstand the storm because it was made of concrete. 

'Around 4am, the wind was whipping everything. We became terribly afraid of the rain. So afraid that we left the schoolhouse and transferred to the CR [loo],' Trinidad told MailOnline.

'I was carrying Viana, with Venus in tow. But the floodwaters started pouring in where we were, up to our knees. We all panicked and fled outside.'

She vaguely recalled handing over Viana to Rodolfo 'because I did not know how to swim'.

'As for me, Bahala na,' the 37-year-old said, uttering a common Filipino saying which means leaving everything up to God.

Clutching on to Venus, who fortunately knew how to swim a little, Trinidad managed to wade in the deepening floodwaters toward the barred window of the schoolroom.

From two years distance, Trinidad can still recall Venus constant refrain at the height of the raging storm: 'Mama, don't let go of the bars, please hold on, Mama!'

'I told her, anak [my child] don't ever let go of the bars. You don't need to worry about me. But you, you shouldn't let go,' Trinidad said. 

Imprinted on his heart: It was Venus, then just eight, who told David Beckham the tale of what happened to her family on the night of November 7, 2013, when a super-typhoon hit the shore of the Philippines

Imprinted on his heart: It was Venus, then just eight, who told David Beckham the tale of what happened to her family on the night of November 7, 2013, when a super-typhoon hit the shore of the Philippines

New joy: Trinidad says little Venice has helped numb some of the pain of losing Viana, but she will never forget her. When she is particularly sad, she watches a video of her daughter, recorded on her son's phone

New joy: Trinidad says little Venice has helped numb some of the pain of losing Viana, but she will never forget her. When she is particularly sad, she watches a video of her daughter, recorded on her son's phone

Trinidad did not know how long she clutched on to the bars, unable to see either Rodolfo or her little Viana. At one point, she was able to get Venus to take shelter inside a nearby 'multicab', or small passenger vehicle.

Slowly, the floodwaters receded. And when it dropped to knee-level, Trinidad let go of the bars and waded to her daughter Venus. 

A mother's loss is really different even if they say it was a tragedy. For months I could hardly eat even though my family and neighbors warned I would die if I did not eat
Viana's mother, Trinidad  

On her way to the multicab where Venus was, Trinidad saw a mineral water bottle bobbing in the water and she got it and gave it to Venus 'in order to calm her down because she was all wet and shivering and we hadn't had breakfast.'

Then she went outside to look for the rest of her family. 

'When I saw my spouse looking for something in the water, I asked him, "Pa, what happened? Where's Viana?".'

'Ma, she's gone,' Rodolfo replied.

Trinidad explained: 'That’s when I realised that my daughter was gone, but I could not believe it then and there and I did not know what to do.'

Venus still remembers the last moment she saw her sister before she was swallowed by the waves 'as tall as a man', which were lapping up against the window of the toilet where they were sheltering. 

The last thing Venus recalled was seeing her parents putting Viana on top of a table and her father trying to keep his head above the floodwaters. 

Devastating: Viana was one of some 6,300 Philippinos who died in the super-typhoon. Pictured: Leyte four days after the storm hit the country, which is the third most disaster ravaged in the world

Devastating: Viana was one of some 6,300 Philippinos who died in the super-typhoon. Pictured: Leyte four days after the storm hit the country, which is the third most disaster ravaged in the world

HOW UNICEF HELP CHILDREN HIT BY DISASTER AROUND THE WORLD 

David Beckham was in the Philippines to see how UNICEF was helping the children of the Philippines in the wake of the disaster.

Children are the hardest hit in emergencies. When a disaster or conflict hits, children are put in terrible danger: many lose their families, their homes, their schools, even their lives. During disasters children are left vulnerable to many other dangers, from disease and malnutrition to violence and exploitation.

But Unicef staff are able to respond rapidly. within 48 or 72 hours. On the ground, emergency specialists assess the immediate need, focusing on children and women. And because Unicef has permanent offices in the field all over the world, it is well placed to coordinate relief by road and air and provide life-saving aid: critical information on preventing the spread of infection, food, clean water, warm blankets, schooling and protection from violence, exploitation and abuse.

Unicef's international supply division in Copenhagen and regional hubs in other parts of the world allows it to send out life-saving supplies like water containers, nutrition supplements and mosquito nets, as well as essential education materials very quickly.

In 2014, UNICEF responded to 294 humanitarian situations of varying scales in 98 countries.

Of the 102million people affected by natural disasters in 2014, approximately 50−60 per cent were children. 

The family not only had to come to terms with the loss of their youngest, but also the loss of their home and everything they owned.

Home became a temporary camp, metres from the school where they had clung desperately to life.

Those first days and weeks were the darkest: when Trinidad's pain gets particularly acute, she borrows her oldest son's phone, which has a video of the little girl singing.

'A mother's loss is really different even if they say it was a tragedy,' Trinidad said. 'For months I could hardly eat even though my family and neighbors warned I would die if I did not eat. 

'Others even told me I was lucky because I only lost one child, but even then I felt very sad over the loss.' 

Then, three months after their daughter was so cruelly taken from them, Beckham arrived in Tacloban, to see how UNICEF's disaster response was helping those left picking up the pieces from the shattered shoreline.

It was a little bit of light during an otherwise dark time for the devastated family - even if little Venus wasn't entirely sure who the footballer was.

Still, it was an exciting moment for the delighted girl. 

'It was the first time in my life I saw a football player,' she said this week, as she struggled to recall exactly how their conversation had gone.

Less difficult to remember was the time the father-of-four took to play with the children. 

'We played football with Beckham and it was fun,' she said, smiling.

At night, sometimes, Venice still dreams Viana is alive and they are playing by the seashore. They often played with a small Barbie doll, she said, together with Jayden and Joshmar.

Storyteller: Venus revealed the full horror of the night to Beckham during a trip to their village with UNICEF

Storyteller: Venus revealed the full horror of the night to Beckham during a trip to their village with UNICEF

That too, was lost in the storm. 

But the family, who, like thousands of others, have rebuilt their lives. They are no longer in the camp, but have a new make-shift home, further inland, thanks to government grants, and charity donations.

They are still struggling to make a living, however. Trinidad hawks goods near the school, her partner is a carpenter and mason, while Trinidad's son Vincent, by her first husband, contributes with his income from the gas station where he works.

She dreams of someday opening her own small store to earn more. 

'We get by,' Trinidad said, 'because sometimes my husband gets a job [as a mason and carpenter], my son works in a gas station. 

'As for me, I buy and sell a little near the school and when I earn, I buy something for our house.'

Medicine man: David smiled adoringly at one young child while giving them a polio vaccination in the Philippines last year

Medicine man: David smiled adoringly at one young child while giving them a polio vaccination in the Philippines last year

David Beckham playing with children affected by Typhoon Haiyan at a school in the typhoon devastated town of Tanauan in Leyte province, Philippines in 2014

David Beckham playing with children affected by Typhoon Haiyan at a school in the typhoon devastated town of Tanauan in Leyte province, Philippines in 2014

Close to home: Beckham's beloved little girl Harper is now the same age as Viana when she died

Close to home: Beckham's beloved little girl Harper is now the same age as Viana when she died

But then there is something else to be happy for - to help mask some of the pain of losing Viana.

Six months ago, the family welcomed their newest addition: a little girl named Venice. 

'Today, I no longer feel that bereft of joy because of Venice,' Trinidad said. 'Our baby has helped ease the pain of missing Viana.'

But it will certainly never go away: Trinidad will always remember Viana, how she loved to sing, to help out with chores and to tell stories. 

  • To help children like Venus around the world, donate to UNICEF here

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