I got this in an e-mail.
"Go outside and study for a little while. "These are the last words Yannick, a little boy in Port-au-Prince, heard from his mother. He reluctantly went outside as he did not want to argue with his mother. Yannick and his mother lived alone in their small house. His father had left them a long time before. "Luckily" says Yannick "because he often hit me and my mom." Yannick and his mother, who had a disability that prevented her from walking properly, were a strong team in coping with their difficult everyday life.
Yannick remembers the moment his life changed..."The earth started to shake and there was a loud noise." And then the little house collapsed behind him, burying his mother who was unable to save herself because of her disability. The boy was horrified and ran out onto the street. He slept on the street and had hardly anything to eat until he was taken to an emergency aid camp.
On January 22, Yannick was taken in by the SOS Children's Villages, Haiti. He has been very withdrawn and quietly observes what goes on around him. During the day he appears well, but during the night he has nightmares about his experience so severe that he wakes with chills and even vomits. The trained staff at SOS Children's Villages are helping Yannick. Although he is emotionally devastated and grieving, he knows and feels that he is in a safe place where people are taking care of him.
Many children like Yannick have arrived at SOS Children’s Village in Santo, Haiti, with more coming every day. Most are severely traumatized and need a warm hug in addition to food, water, and medical attention.
WARNING: The following passage contains a certain amount of disturbing information relating to child trauma.
"Go outside and study for a little while. "These are the last words Yannick, a little boy in Port-au-Prince, heard from his mother. He reluctantly went outside as he did not want to argue with his mother. Yannick and his mother lived alone in their small house. His father had left them a long time before. "Luckily" says Yannick "because he often hit me and my mom." Yannick and his mother, who had a disability that prevented her from walking properly, were a strong team in coping with their difficult everyday life.
Yannick remembers the moment his life changed..."The earth started to shake and there was a loud noise." And then the little house collapsed behind him, burying his mother who was unable to save herself because of her disability. The boy was horrified and ran out onto the street. He slept on the street and had hardly anything to eat until he was taken to an emergency aid camp.
On January 22, Yannick was taken in by the SOS Children's Villages, Haiti. He has been very withdrawn and quietly observes what goes on around him. During the day he appears well, but during the night he has nightmares about his experience so severe that he wakes with chills and even vomits. The trained staff at SOS Children's Villages are helping Yannick. Although he is emotionally devastated and grieving, he knows and feels that he is in a safe place where people are taking care of him.
Many children like Yannick have arrived at SOS Children’s Village in Santo, Haiti, with more coming every day. Most are severely traumatized and need a warm hug in addition to food, water, and medical attention.
If you want to donate: https://secure2.convio.net/scv/site/Donation2?idb=0&df_id=5060&5060.donation=form1&JServSessionIdr004=hiqepj4t91.app7a
Here's more information about SOS Children's Villages: http://www.sos-childrensvillages.org/What-we-do/Pages/default.aspx
