Jean Max has been working as a radiologist at the St. Damien pediatric hospital in Port-au-Prince for a few years now, interpreting images and providing diagnoses in maternity and gynecology, among other areas. He is happy to be helping improve living conditions in his country.
Jean Max has experienced firsthand what many Haitians have experienced after the earthquake of 14 August, 2021. He has felt the anguish of not knowing the condition of some family after the quake in the hard-hit southwest of Haiti, specifically in Perenie, in the countryside of Les Cayes.
The first news he received was that his aunt and uncle had lost their house, as well as their personal belongings, everything they had worked for over their lifetimes. Jean Max also received the news an uncle had died during the earthquake.
A few days later, he decided to go with a cousin and an uncle to Perenie to visit and support his family. However, they were unable to reach them due to a gang that controlled the road to Les Cayes at Martissant. “They prevented us from entering the affected area where my family is. This is a real catastrophe,” explains Jean Max.
He was able to contact his relatives by phone. They sent him images through the WhatsApp program that showed that his family has lost everything: house, garden, animals, and personal belongings.
His family has immediate needs, like a shelter where they can live and be protected from rain and tropical storms, as well as sheets and other household items. Later, they will need a new house and other items as they attempt to recover their lives. Emotionally, in addition to the trauma of the disaster and the material losses it caused, they have also had to deal with the loss of a loved one.
They are surviving in the countryside near Perenie, an area that is not receiving any of the international aid that has begun to arrive, but mainly to the big cities, such as Jeremies and Les Cayes.
They hope that NPH Haiti can support them in recovering from their tragic personal situation caused by the earthquake of 14 August . NPH Haiti is assessing the situation of dozens of families like Jean Max’s in order to bring our help to them as quickly as possible, given the challenging circumstances.
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