A teenage girl nearly crushed by collapsing debris from the earthquake in Haiti was flown to South Florida for life-saving surgery.
Meghan Edma, 16, was rescued from the rubble following Saturday’s catastrophic 7.2-magnitude earthquake.
The Trinity Air Ambulance medical team made sure Edma was comfortable on the plane. She was alert and conscious but suffered serious injuries such as a broken pelvic bone.
Doctors said she needed surgery immediately.
A few short hours later, Edma landed in Fort Lauderdale with her uncle and aunt waiting for her.
“See, I told you we were going to get you here,” her aunt told her.
Edma was at home near Les Cayes when the earthquake struck. Her uncle, Jean Junior Boutin, said her parents shielded her from the falling debris and neighbors rescued her from the rubble.
“After they went and got her out of the rubble, all the family members that were there realized that she could not walk,” Boutin said. “That was very tough and an emotional situation.”
Edma spent Saturday at a hospital in Haiti, where doctors there said she was critical and needed treatment fast. Her family in Miami called the American embassy in Port-au-Prince to get Edma, an American citizen, the attention needed.
For Edma’s family, her story of survival is a glimmer of hope in a country that has seen so much despair and unrest. They are counting their blessings she is alive when many are still unaccounted for.
Edma’s family said she was scheduled to get surgery on her pelvis Sunday night.
If you would like to support Edma, a GoFundMe page has been set up that can be accessed by clicking here.