Day Three Of Anderson Cooper 360's Live Reporting From Haiti
Edit 1/18/10: For those searching, here is the video of Anderson Cooper rescuing the Haitian boy who was injured during looting chaos. Warning, the boy's face is covered in blood. Graphic.
Hi everyone. If Wednesday was a night of uncertainty and panic, tonight was a night of despair and confused outrage. I feel completely drained and I didn't even do anything but watch. Until today, I'm not sure I really felt this tragedy. That all changed earlier this evening when I heard Anaika Saint Louis had died. She was the young girl that Ivan Watson reported on all day yesterday. Trapped under rubble, but ultimately freed.
I knew that her injuries were pretty substantial, and Haiti's medical care is currently rudimentary at best, but I guess I had convinced myself that since she was finally rescued, she was going to be okay. Learning that she died was like a sucker-punch; learning her reported final words: "maman, ne me laisse pas mourir (Mother, don't let me die.)", was like having your heart ripped out. I completely understand Campbell Brown's emotional response (earlier tonight). Poor Ivan has had to tell this story over and over on air all day.
A "stupid death" was what Anderson Cooper called the little girl's passing. I suppose you could say that, given Haiti's poverty, they (and many other places in the world) have suffered many "stupid deaths" before the earthquake even hit, but it doesn't make it any less outrage-inducing. Yesterday Anaika Saint Louis was alive. Today she is dead, and it didn't have to be that way.
There will sadly be more "stupid deaths" tonight, perhaps in the make-shift hospital where Sanjay Gupta and crew are trying their hardest--even as I type this--to keep abandoned patients alive. At the top of the broadcast we learned that the United Nations had ordered the hospital's doctors and nurses to leave due to "security concerns," and they were subsequently complying. I don't know what the punishment would have been if they defied orders and stayed, but it's unfathomable to me that a doctor would just abandon their patients. Thank God for Sanjay and crew, though they can only do so much.
I'm not sure there are any words for Anderson's piece on the mass graves. All those people, treated like trash, gone forever. I don't want to think about how many of those pits there will end up being.
Gary Tuchman's piece on the orphans contained much adorableness (him sitting with all of them--aw!), but of course left a feeling of unease. Jamie and Ali McMutrie are amazing. I'm afraid for them though. What happens if things get really bad? I hope Ross Haskell and Jean Griffith are reunited with Alexander David soon. Unfortunately, unless laws are waived, I don't see any of those children being adopted in the near future. Right now I just fear for their safety, but a bureaucratic nightmare looms.
Chris Lawrence's piece pretty much confirmed my fears that things would soon start to get out of control. It's heartbreaking that the hungry threw away perfectly good food due to a stupid rumor.
There was a bit of good news tonight though. Thank God for the good news, and for people like Deiby Celestino, who threw caution to the wind to rescue a little girl.
Please see my prior post for links on how to help and other information. There will be a special edition of AC360 tomorrow night at 8pm ET. I'm assuming it will be live, and plan to have a post afterward. I'll be gone most of the day tomorrow, so no tweets from me. That'll do it.
Hi everyone. If Wednesday was a night of uncertainty and panic, tonight was a night of despair and confused outrage. I feel completely drained and I didn't even do anything but watch. Until today, I'm not sure I really felt this tragedy. That all changed earlier this evening when I heard Anaika Saint Louis had died. She was the young girl that Ivan Watson reported on all day yesterday. Trapped under rubble, but ultimately freed.
I knew that her injuries were pretty substantial, and Haiti's medical care is currently rudimentary at best, but I guess I had convinced myself that since she was finally rescued, she was going to be okay. Learning that she died was like a sucker-punch; learning her reported final words: "maman, ne me laisse pas mourir (Mother, don't let me die.)", was like having your heart ripped out. I completely understand Campbell Brown's emotional response (earlier tonight). Poor Ivan has had to tell this story over and over on air all day.
A "stupid death" was what Anderson Cooper called the little girl's passing. I suppose you could say that, given Haiti's poverty, they (and many other places in the world) have suffered many "stupid deaths" before the earthquake even hit, but it doesn't make it any less outrage-inducing. Yesterday Anaika Saint Louis was alive. Today she is dead, and it didn't have to be that way.
There will sadly be more "stupid deaths" tonight, perhaps in the make-shift hospital where Sanjay Gupta and crew are trying their hardest--even as I type this--to keep abandoned patients alive. At the top of the broadcast we learned that the United Nations had ordered the hospital's doctors and nurses to leave due to "security concerns," and they were subsequently complying. I don't know what the punishment would have been if they defied orders and stayed, but it's unfathomable to me that a doctor would just abandon their patients. Thank God for Sanjay and crew, though they can only do so much.
I'm not sure there are any words for Anderson's piece on the mass graves. All those people, treated like trash, gone forever. I don't want to think about how many of those pits there will end up being.
Gary Tuchman's piece on the orphans contained much adorableness (him sitting with all of them--aw!), but of course left a feeling of unease. Jamie and Ali McMutrie are amazing. I'm afraid for them though. What happens if things get really bad? I hope Ross Haskell and Jean Griffith are reunited with Alexander David soon. Unfortunately, unless laws are waived, I don't see any of those children being adopted in the near future. Right now I just fear for their safety, but a bureaucratic nightmare looms.
Chris Lawrence's piece pretty much confirmed my fears that things would soon start to get out of control. It's heartbreaking that the hungry threw away perfectly good food due to a stupid rumor.
There was a bit of good news tonight though. Thank God for the good news, and for people like Deiby Celestino, who threw caution to the wind to rescue a little girl.
Please see my prior post for links on how to help and other information. There will be a special edition of AC360 tomorrow night at 8pm ET. I'm assuming it will be live, and plan to have a post afterward. I'll be gone most of the day tomorrow, so no tweets from me. That'll do it.
Labels: Alexander David, Anaika Saint Louis, Anderson Cooper, Chris Lawrence, Deiby Celestino, Gary Tuchman, General Russel Honore, Haiti, Ivan Watson, Ross Haskell and Jean Griffith, sanjay gupta
posted by eliza at 11:59 PM
3 Comments:
Eliza,
Upon learning about Anaika's death, my response was like that of Campbell Brown's. It really has affected me. Anderson put into words the anger about this stupid and preventable death the way I am sure many feel. On ABC's Nightline, Dr. Richard Besser expressed how helpless he felt not being able to help those waiting for medical attention. A volunteer was there using peroxide to help. The most touching moment came when a women reached up and held his hand as he was reporting. She said it can be worse for her. She was grateful for not being as bad off as the others. I felt General Honore's frustrtion as he talked with AC. He experienced firsthand what happens when people are left on their own for too long. Here in America, security guards are needed for shopping the day after Thanksgiving. By the 4th day there, any violence should not be have been unexpected. I hope this weekend there will be a mass breakthrough to get to those suffering waiting for medical attention. Anne D.
Anderson, I want you to follow up on the reporting you did last night about the UN abandoning the patients they had operated on when Sanjay Gupta was standing around being bewildered. WHY did they do that? It's outrageous.
@Anne: I share your hope, but fear the people of Haiti are going to greatly suffer for a long time to come.
@danspeak: This is an independent blog and not affiliated with Anderson Cooper or CNN in any way. It is now being reported that a UN spokesperson says they did NOT order the physicians to leave:
http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/01/16/haiti.abandoned.patients/index.html
I have a feeling there are going to be many questions to come.
Post a Comment
<< Home