Haiti

Fr. Rick and emergency response teams attempting to dig children out of the collapsed school.

Some of you might remember the experience a few of us from the med school had last March spending time with Fr. Rick Frechette in Haiti.

I wrote an e-mail to Fr. Rick after the school collapsed last Friday, and he shared this reply:

hello friends

yesterday, a 5 story school shabily built in a ravine near our old hospital collapsed on a thousand children
there was a call for help on the radio for doctors and trained staff
and we went right away
in fact i just got home now

we worked like soldiers all this time
sledge hammers, torches, shovels and bare hands

we were able to rescue about 8 pretty battered kids after a lot of breaking concrete and digging
and we also pulled many dead children out of the rubble
other teams rescued a good number of children too
especially the doctors without borders and the UN soldiers
but i think there are a lot who are dead under the rubble

thousands of people lined the ravines..families of the children, neighbors
watching and crying and wailing
the sound of the wailing filled the whole valley
like a wailing nation
and there was the terrible sound of muffled screams of children
under the cement


very very sad

join us in prayer for the families
after yet another pathetic tragedy in this country



i was glad to see so many NPFS and St Luc people there to help
carrying stretchers
bringing water for the workers and the people trapped by concrete
carrying the dead
carrying the wounded
helping to dig
thanks so much for your concern

we have to move forward in hope

best regards
fr rick

He also shared his plan for moving forward. If the find the means, he would like to provide
1. A proper burial for all the children.
2. A team of psychologists for the families and neighborhood
3 Give each of the families a sum of money...about US$200 to helP them with the expenses for medical care, etc.
4. Get the living kids in a school right away. It's important to get them fast into normal routines and let them absorb the shock a little at a time in a setting that has predictable routine.
If there are no schools nearby we can try to pay transport to other schools not too far
If this doesn't work we can try to make a tent school for the rest of the year
5. Build a proper school

I also found out in case anyone would like to support his efforts that donations (addressed to him) can be sent to:

Fr. Rick Frechette
8980 SW 56th St.
Miami, FL 33165

More information about the situation and the response of St. Damian's hospital and Fr. Rcik can be found here as well.

sincerely,
nicole