There comes a point in everyone’s life where at that very second you know that your life will never be the same. On Tuesday, Nov. 12th I as well as everyone who was greatly affected by the earthquake that occurred in Haiti felt the impact on how much seconds can affect your whole life. I am of Haitian heritage and my father resides in Petionville, Port-au-Prince where the 7.0 magnitude scale earthquake had affected Haiti the most. The world watched as Haiti collapsed into ruins with an impact that’s equivalent to a world war. The body count in Haiti was plummeting from 15,000 to 50,000 from minutes to days leaving countless people injured and homeless. Words cannot express how this catastrophe affected millions in more ways than one.
What scared me the most was that one of the deceased bodies could have possibly been my father’s. Telephone lines were disconnected and internet access scarce but not being able to hear or contact my father had to have been the most devastating experience of my life and something that I would never wish upon anyone else. My mother and I were glued to our television screens with news coverage on the wreckage with rubble filled streets and deceased bodies and having to wonder if that house was his or even his body. Days had passed as we were not able to sleep we watched as people were being rescued from underneath homes, orphanages and hospitals which reassured us that hope still exists in Haiti.
The feeling of helplessness dawns on you when you know that you can’t physically be there to help those in needs or find the people you love and the only choice that you are left with is to wait. Finally Friday night we got the long awaited phone call from my father. He was able to explain to us that he lost his home and everything that he has worked for. Having to watch everyone that lost everything they had, searching for their loved ones and lastly hearing my father cry is more than heart-wrenching. I know that I am not the only one who experienced this and can only pray for the best and to find the beauty that I have always seen within my country, Haiti.
Fabienne Pierre and I have partnered with the Foundation of the World to run a drive for the children and toddlers that have been affected by the earthquake. Many children are left without homes, food, or supplies and orphanages have been robbed for the food and formulas that they had. We ask everyone to help and provide anyway that you can. We are collecting items such as baby food, bottles, formulas, diapers, clothing, baby meds such as Tylenol, first-aid kits, etc.
DROP-OFF LOCATIONS:
NYC
Pace University
41 Park Row
New York, NY 10038
SOUTH FLORIDA
Trebor USA Corp
3901 N. 29th Avenue (Please drop off items at the side entrance)
Hollywood, FL 33020
Running till February 01, 2010 at 3pm
KeishQuish | Gossip & Entertainment | Follow me on Twitter @KeishQuish
