“January 12, 2010” --a Day the world will remember. President Bill Clinton, George Clooney, Bono, Wyclef Jean, celebrities on the MTV tri-city telethon in Los Angeles, New York, and London answered the clarion call to “Help Haiti Now.” The death toll was immense – 300,000 lives lost, including 101 United Nations Staffers. Doctors, nurses, Medecins san Frontieres, and relief workers from around the world focused their efforts on the massive destruction and logistics/communications breakdown. On a daily basis, 30 to 100 amputations were performed, with all patients requiring post-operative care. The United Nations delivered food to millions, and UNICEF stepped up efforts to prevent human trafficking and children leaving the country illegally. UNICEF Director, Anthony (Tony) Lake recently visited the Accra Camp, home to 26,000 people, including 8,000 children. These children need education, healthcare, and child-friendly spaces. They deserve “physical safety and a psychological haven.” The UN Population Fund is training young leaders to provide critical healthcare. To stop the spread of cholera, UNICEF has provided free aquatab water purification tablets. But cases of malaria have been under-reported. 70-80% of low-lying areas are at risk, and 5% of children who contact the disease don’t get treatment. On a personal level, Ambassador Mo is on the Board of Directors, and I’m on the Advisory Board of GLOBAL MEDICAL RELIEF FUND. Its founder, Elissa Montanti, runs GMRF from Staten Island, New York. Its mission is to bring hope and dignity to children who are missing or have lost limbs, been severely burned, or otherwise damaged due to the atrocities of war, natural disaster, or illness. The Shriners Hospitals for Children provide prosthetics, and other medical partners include Long Island Plastic Surgeons. To-date, 100 children from around the world, as well as the United States, have been empowered and given a new life, one child at a time, through GMRF. Two weeks after the earthquake, Elissa traveled to Haiti to search for children in need of prosthetics. She brought back young Sara, who lost her leg, her house, and her mother. Elissa has been to Haiti three times, and in addition to Sara, Chantal and Margarette have received prosthetics. There are six children identified to come in the near future. GMRF children return home as young Ambassadors for America’s people and the values of openness and giving, everything noble about America. To learn more about GMRF, please visit their website at www.gmrfchildren.org. Following this “News” blog is a link to a 70-minute documentary that premiered at the United Nations, “To Walk Without Fear” about Kenan, the first GMRF child. Haiti's children will carry the legacy of the earthquake for decades to come, in physical and psychological wounds. One child at a time, the process toward recovery will be long. But if we keep our commitment to them steady, the future of Haiti will become brighter with their hope, self-determination, and resilience linking long days of reclaiming self-empowerment. The road toward recovery and even a better life for the people of Haiti starts today, with all of us. It culminates with the empowerment of the child of Haiti, one at a time. By, Susan Sacirbey Watch suggested film clips on Haiti’s Children & Earthquake Aftermath: “Daughter & Mother/Haiti” diplomaticallyincorrect.org/films/movie/daughter-motherhaiti/23958 “Haiti/Lake” diplomaticallyincorrect.org/films/movie/haiti-lake/22680 “Haiti/Missing Children” haitichild.com/films/movie/haiti-missing-children/18729 “Haiti Amputees” diplomaticallyincorrect.org/films/movie/haitiamputees/18634 “Haiti/Youth Health” diplomaticallyincorrect.org/films/movie/haiti-youth-health/21914 “Malaria-Haiti Cases Under-Reported” diplomaticallyincorrect.org/films/movie/malaria-haiti-cases-under-reported/22787 “Haiti One Year After/Cholera & Health” diplomaticallyincorrect.org/films/movie/haiti-one-year-aftercholera-health/23911 More at: www.haitichild.com www.haitiemergency.com Documentary: “To Walk Without Fear” 70 min. diplomaticallyincorrect.org/films/movie/to-walk-without-fear/421