It’s been
several
weeks now
since I was
released
from the
hospital and
sending you
my
heart-felt
thanks is
long
overdue.
I’m truly
amazed at
the
outpouring
and
continual
showering of
prayers,
cards, and
visits from
so many
people. God
has blessed
me very much
in so many
ways and
circling me
with such
love and
care is just
one of the
ways He has
touched my
life. I’m
humbled and
so thankful
for each of
you and for
the many
more for
whom I am
unaware.
A number of
people have
seemed
confused
about the
events
surrounding
the January
12
earthquake
and my
current
status.
Many have
not been
able to read
the early
February
update sent
out. I’ll
try to give
a brief
recap below.
On January
12, I was at
the
university
teaching.
When the
time came
for my late
afternoon/evening
class to
begin we
discovered
the Internet
connection
was not
working.
Since this
was a class
based on
using the
Internet we
had to go to
our normal
“plan B.”
All work was
not only
done via
Internet, it
was also
submitted
via email so
each of us
disbursed to
our
alternate
locations.
Students
would use
friends’
computers, a
computer at
a family
home, or a
cyber café.
So at 3:30
pm I walked
home to my
office/satellite
classroom
set up in my
apartment.
I had been
checking
homework for
about 15
minutes when
the
earthquake
struck. The
shaking was
violent and
fast,
lasting less
than a
minute I’m
told. When
it was over,
I was buried
in the
rubble of my
apartment
building.
With much
difficulty I
managed to
dig and drag
myself out
of the
rubble as I
climbed to a
small
opening of
light.
Someone
pulled me
out of the
hole and
what met my
eyes was
horrific. I
had never
seen such
total
destruction.
I’ll skip a
lot of the
details at
this point
and merely
say that
eventually I
was taken to
the US
Embassy
where I was
among the
first to be
airlifted to
Guantanamo
Bay, Cuba.
After taking
many series
of x-rays
and MRIs I
was
immediately
airlifted to
Florida. I
spent nearly
a month in
North
Broward
Medical
Center and
have been
living in a
borrowed
condo
belonging to
a friend of
a friend. I
receive
occupational
and physical
therapy, as
well as
require help
bathing. My
‘turtle
shell’ brace
will remain
in place for
about three
months.
The gashes
to my hand,
foot and leg
have
healed. My
broken rib
has healed.
The three
compression
fractures in
my back are
healing
nicely. The
trauma to
the brain
had caused
some
challenges,
but my brain
is beginning
to act more
like normal
these days.
As each new
task is
conquered
(learning to
walk,
pattern my
arm motions,
focus, and
ability to
follow
conversations)
my brain
seems to
snap ahead
by leaps and
bounds. One
of my
biggest
hurdles
remains
stamina and
strengthening.
I am living
proof of
God’s
miraculous
powers and
answered
prayer.
Words will
never be
able to
express my
deep,
heartfelt
thanks for
each one of
you.
Rodney
remains in
Haiti
working with
reconstruction
of the
devastated
nation of
Haiti. He
is able to
take brief
forays to
Florida to
check on my
progress but
remains a
‘homesteader’
in a
condemned
neighborhood.
Soon he will
move to a UN
tent city
once the
engineers
officially
condemn his
building.
Please keep
him and the
others who
work and
live in the
middle of
this
devastation
in your
daily
prayers.
Sharyn
A