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PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti -- The people of Haiti are becoming more desperate with each passing day, and many volunteers from Utah are in Haiti right now working to save lives. Their stories are of ordinary people doing extraordinary things.
Coming Up:
Friday, Jan. 22
KSL's coverage continues Friday with a "Call to Action." KSL Newsradio, KSL 5 and the American Red Cross Utah Region will raise funds for the people of Haiti throughout the day. You can find out how to donate by tuning in to KSL Newsradio 102.7 FM/1160 AM, KSL Channel 5 and checking KSL.com between 5 a.m. and 7 a.m. Friday."People are just sitting around not knowing what to do. There's no future plans. They're really not waiting for anything. What do you do?" Utahn Rebecca Maesato says.
These are the faces, images and stories of Utahns in the thick of relief efforts -- those who have traveled hundreds of miles to roll up their sleeves, giving time, money, and expertise. They're trying to save the lives of the thousands of injured, amid the thousands of dead.
"This is a home across the street, completely demolished. But there's bodies in almost every home. The smell is starting to get really bad," Maesato says.
Maesato and volunteers from her nonprofit group Children in Need, have been shooting video for KSL News as they check on what's left of the orphanages and people they've served.
Maesato has now connected with other Utahns in Haiti. She says she is working with Utah entrepreneur, Jeremy Johnson, who has taken several helicopters and a plane to Haiti in an effort to transport orphans out of the country and take food in. [CLICK HERE to read Maesato's blog]
Deseret News:
LDS relief efforts in Haiti
Members of the LDS Church's team of volunteer doctors and nurses assist in surgeries and treatments of the injured in Haiti.Johnson is also now working with this team of Utah doctors and LDS Humanitarian workers.
"We actually have around 4,000 members and non-members sheltered in our chapels," Johnson says.
Deseret News reporter Scott Taylor and his photographer, Jeff Allred, also traveled to Haiti with the doctors and humanitarian workers to document their efforts. Taylor says in Haiti, it doesn't matter who you are or where you're from, everyone works together to save lives.
"They said that you got the Mormons, the Mennonites and the Cubans working side by side in a makeshift clinic there, so there's all sorts of cooperation, you know, between nationalities, between religions and even factions," Taylor says.
Johnson is flying doctors, workers and food to the growing number of those in need. "The earthquake has had a lot of damage. It doesn't matter where you go on the streets of Port-au-Prince or the surrounding areas, there are people who are still injured, people that are having injuries that just haven't been treated," says Utah Dr. Ray Price."The hardest thing is to see huge crowds, desperately injured people, and those that are also hungry, thirsty; they haven't got anything, and they're just in the street," says Utah Dr. Craig MacArthur.
On Friday, members of the 419th Fighter Wing out of Hill Air Force Base will leave for Haiti.
The Air Force reservists will unload cargo and passengers at the airport in Port-au-Prince. They will also help restore airfield operations to make delivery from humanitarian groups easier.
KSL's Alex Cabrero is going with the 419th and will report on what he saw.
E-mail: jstagg@ksl.com
