Haiti

A friend of mine shared this story with me about a family from Haiti. It brought tears to my eyes. I wondered about how the members were doing in Haiti. This story just made me think about how much Conner loves to sing his primary songs.

Boy sings Primary songs until rescued in Haiti:

When the earthquake hit Haiti on Tuesday January 12, Olgan Saintelus was working at the Holiday Inn and his wife Soline was at The church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Centrale chapel, meeting with the bishop about a new church calling. Both parents were unharmed and went to check on their three children at home who were staying with a caretaker. They found their three-story apartment complex had collapsed.

Olgan thought the children had died. "I kept praying to Heavenly Father to help us find our children", he said. It took ten hours to dig out the children out of the rubble. The oldest son Gancci, was singing Primary songs that could be heard by the rescue workers trying to dig him out. The Saintelus children and their caretaker were the only survivors found in the collapsed building.

Gancci had the most serious injuries and needed medical attention right away. Olgan left his wife and two children at the church building and went to get medical help for his son. He went to the hospital and was told to wait because there were so many people who needed help. He went to the Holiday Inn, where he worked and pleaded with people he met in the hallways of the hotel to help him. "I kept praying for someone to help my son", he said.

Another twelve hours passed and he met a former EMT from South Florida, who had come on his own to Haiti. Mark Eisaman, the EMT, got help from the British search and rescue team and got Olgan and Gancci to Miami. Gancci's right arm had to be amputated but his life was saved. Eisaman went back to Haiti and got the rest of the family to Miami.

Church members of their new ward and stake in Miami have brought them food, clothes, toys, diapers and other needed supplies. "I am so grateful for my church", Olgan said with tears in his eyes.