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Megan Rapp
MIA '11
United Nations Environment Programme
Megan Rapp was one of the six SIPA students in Port-au-Prince, Haiti when the earthquake struck on January 12, 2010. This summer, she returned to work as a research assistant for the United Nations Environment Programme.
What a day.
Immediately after the earthquake, I worked in an infirmary night and day for the first 60 hours or so after the event. It was hell on earth. I will never forget those few days. We did not sleep - maybe 2 hours over the 3 days - but worked in the infirmary tending to victims, translating, organizing supplies, feeding people, and attempting to humanize the incredible catastrophe that had just destroyed millions of people's lives.
In those three days, countless personal and emotional connections were made. One in particular stood out in my heart and in my mom's. Among the hundreds of screams and cries, there was a young man about 20 years old quietly lying on his cot. His left arm was severely mangled and his legs were almost rotting with infection. His entire face was swollen and I could only see his eyes the first few hours we were with him. His name was James Julien and he broke my heart. I was convinced that James was going to die. Every time I came to his cot, I halfway expected him to be dead. But James kept on. He was barely breathing and had lost a tremendous amount of blood.
After about 24 hours with him, I thought "Wait a minute, this boy might make it." So I started telling him that he was going to be fine and that doctors were on their way. I just kept trying to give him hope. I fed him, gave him water, changed his bandages, cleaned his wounds, and sat by his side. I did not cry once, but kept telling him to be strong and that he wasn't hurt that badly. (All lies - he was incredibly injured.) I thought that if I just kept giving him hope and encouragement, that he just might make it to one of these doctors that was supposedly arriving.
Well, we were soon airlifted out of Port-au-Prince and to the Dominican Republic.
James was lost. I had written his name on a post-it note and put it on his cot. I also wrote his mother's number on the sheet. Mere hopes that someone else would come along and care for him.
But I did not know.
When I got back to New York, I could barely function, let alone track down James. Well, my mother, one of the most persistent people I know, took it upon herself to find James. And she did! She tracked down his relatives in Miami and his mother's phone number in Haiti.
I've been in Haiti since May 2010 and have been constantly trying to call his mom and visit James.
Well, this morning I finally did just that.
His mom has been living in a tent city by the Presidential Palace. As I drove up to the street corner where we were meeting, my heart raced with nerves and emotions. When I saw James, his little mother and older brother, I leapt out of the car. We hugged and our eyes were filled with tears. His mother could not stop hugging and kissing me. His brother kept saying thank you and that I was an angel. James was quiet, polite, and incredibly grateful. We exchanged stories and recounted the nightmare of January 12 and the events that followed.
James had spent 3 months in a hospital recovering and had 4 operations. He did not have to have any limbs amputated, but has limited movement in his left hand. His left arm is badly scarred, but his life is a miracle.
After a while of talking, hugging and smiling, it was time to leave. I felt torn to leave, but knew it was time. As I drove away, we smiled and waved. But then, as soon as James and his family were out of sight, I broke down in tears in the car. My mind was racing with emotions and flash-backs.
After a teary ride back to our office, I asked for the afternoon off. I felt sick to my stomach and just needed to be alone. I am now just getting back to my computer to write and think about what just happened.
I am so grateful for my mom and that I was able to reconnect with James. It is unbelievable that he is alive. It is an absolute miracle that God let me be a part of. I am so grateful for Life.
Megan Rapp, 08/04/2010