After hurricanes Maria and Irma hit Puerto Rico and the Caribbean, my life changed dramatically. The events were significant in that they drastically changed the life around me as well as my daily life, and compelled me to become actively engaged in working to help Puerto Rico and our Caribbean neighbors in the aftermath of these hurricane and to make a difference in the life of others. In a blink of an eye I no longer had a University with an accessible campus, not a single tree was left standing and the mountains that always looked so green were all brown with no leaves or grass… A hurricane of this magnitude had not happened in over a century in Puerto Rico. Although, we prepared as much as possible for the hurricane, no one could really anticipate the devastation Maria would bring until after it happened. Everything I did on a normal basis I could not do anymore. Therefore, there could be no excuses! It was my call to action! I had to get involved! My country and our Caribbean Islands needed me then more than ever. That is why I decided to start working as a volunteer different hurricane relief organizations.
Two weeks before hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico, Irma had devastated our neighboring islands in the Caribbean such as St. Thomas, St Croix, Granada, Barbados, and many others. Patients who were in hospitals and receiving specialized treatments, had to be medically evaluated to Puerto Rico which was the "least" affected of the islands so they could receive proper care. Little did they know, that a category 5 hurricane would catch-up with them again a few days later. Therefore, efforts had to be made to relocate them once again somewhere were their lives were not threatened. In this case, interestingly, the patients, many of them with end-state-renal disease ended up being evacuated to Miami, and were actually cared for by teams from Florida International University which would eventually and become my Alma Mater. So, without much preparation and planning, I found myself volunteering with groups such as the Red Cross supporting with logistics and basic operational processes to make the process assist these patients, and their families, and literally help safe their lives. Here is a picture which can portray a bit better:
Below, you see a girl from Barbados which ended up in Puerto Rico after being transferred as a refugee with her mom and younger brother. Despite all the difficulties, and having lost all of their belongings, this girl had a sense of resilience which was admirable. She remained positive and hopeful that eventually she will be able to go back home and was simply grateful that she was safe and sound with her close family.
Comments