I’m following updates from Haiti through people I know in addition to CNN. It lends a certain personal touch. These are people I’ve traveled with.
For example, we work with a Haitian doctor who recently completed a nice house for himself and his family.
He and his family are safe, but have lost “everything.”
Here’s a bit that touched me. There’s more at the link.
Our 4th story apartment was one of the casualties. Sharyn had returned from teaching yesterday and was in the apartment for about an hour when the quake struck. Details are still difficult to write, but a wall and the ceiling (concrete) collapsed simultaneously. As they collapsed, she was thrown from her computer station and high backed office chair. The concrete slabs hit the chair which caused them to slide to the side rather than crushing her. She began to crawl toward an open space. About that time, another wall fell partially crushing her. Again there was some room to wiggle and she managed to continue to crawl toward open spaces as the building collapsed totally.
Eventually the 4 stories became a single story of rubble. She continued to crawl and eventually made it to the street. All told, perhaps 3 minutes.
Neighbors carried/ dragged her away from other buildings and walls. Eventually she went to a hospital that was overflowing and was given a couple aspirin—all they had for medicine. The hospital was closed shortly afterwards due to damage.
