By Cheryl Brown
Black Voice News
The devastating 7.0 earthquake that hit Haiti sent shockwaves around the world and poured in millions of dollars that has yet to get out of the bottleneck of bureaucracy. It has been a week since the devastation killed thousands and the recovery is still bringing out people alive but in need of help that too often is not there. Many hospitals, doctor, nurses and other first responders were buried in the rubble.
Haitian born Gary Thomas, a resident of the Inland area for 33 years and a US citizen, tells the story of losing his family members to the earthquake. Losing them is difficult he relays but them not having the last rites is something he said will be with the family for years to come.
It is a double hit.
He said that his uncle, the man who raised him when his father left, didn’t have a chance. The two story wood house fell and everybody got out except the mother-in-law and a cousin.
Unlike the reports it only took two hours for their rescue. One of the cousins, Jean Rene Delsoin lived on a hill and was not as affected came to rescue the family and took them to his house. It took him two days to travel 25 miles because of the condition of the roads. Thomas had just called another cousin, whose mother felt the shocks and died of a heart attack. His sister lost her older brother, Dr. Tico, when the clinic he worked in collapsed, everyone including the doctors were killed. One cousin, Antonio Boicasis lives in the states with his daughter but went home to visit was hit by a car, had hip surgery and could not get out of the bed at home when the earthquake hit he too was lost.
Cousin Jean Rene rescued 20 people at his home but the food he has left has to be rationed. He said that the market it also rationing their food and that prices are very high.
“The Red Cross is good. They have been in Haiti for a long time they know who to get the help to,” said Thomas. A devout Catholic, he said, “our culture dictates certain things,” and when that is broken they have heartache and don’t know what to do.
He asked for donations to the Red Cross or Pomona First Baptist Church and prayers for people.
“It has been over a week and now more that ever the people of Haiti need our help. We must not turn a blind eye to the untold suffering just off our shores,” said Congress Member Barbara Lee, in a resolution to be considered on the House Floor.
Source: www.newamericanmedia.com
