Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Haiti Flattened by 7.0 Earthquake, Awaiting Rescue, Charity Worker Cousin Survived

From Denny: Since this 7.0 earthquake hit in Haiti yesterday I've been trying to reach the U. S. State Department. Their lines are jammed and on overload. Read that as they drop your call even if you are willing to stay on the line.

My cousin, Jeanne Pocius, is a music teacher who goes to Haiti at regular intervals, working with local charities and missionaries to work with the children. She teaches classical music and even developed a children's orchestra in Haiti. We still have no word about her condition. According to music world friends at Facebook, she survived the earthquake along with a priest and a nun with whom she was traveling, as they were in Jackmel, not the capitol city.

Well, at least she's in a remote village where there will not be quite the competition for food and water like in a metro area. These situations can get quite desperate within a few days if help does not arrive in large enough quantities fast. These people are already without food for two days now.

I live in south Louisiana and when Hurricane Katrina hit five years ago, destroying parts of the interstate and more infrastructure it was difficult to get to New Orleans to help the stranded. Once power was restored all we could do was watch the TV news like the rest of the nation as we saw people starving and dying in front of the cameras because of President Bush's ineptitude and lack of compassion. Hopefully, that will not be Haiti's fate as it seems the world has turned our attention to their plight.

Take a look at what the residents are facing in their uphill fight back to normalcy. Remember, this will take decades to rebuild Haiti as whole infrastructures of hospitals, roads and homes are now gone. Please pray for everyone as the injured are without medical care and will worsen in the next day, disease will begin to break out from unclean water and sanitation. Hopefully, enough help will get to them in time to avert the worst that can happen.

Search and rescue dog teams from California, the same wonderful folks who helped so much in Louisiana when we needed them, are on their way to Haiti. People from California are such a class act. They do so much whenever a disaster strikes. Pray for them too as long days lie ahead for them in the grueling work of rescue.

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