Gov. Rendell Rescuing Orphans From Haiti

[Turborama]

Source: NBC

Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell hopped on a plane bound for Port-au-Prince, Haiti Monday afternoon to rescue children from an orphanage with ties to the Pittsburgh area.

Rendell and several medical staff are set to bring 61 children to the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh from the BRESMA orphanage in Haiti, says governor spokesperson Gary Tuma.

The governor left Pittsburgh International Airport around 11 a.m. Monday en route to Miami, Fla. where he then boarded a plane for Haiti.

Officials say the number of children returning with the governor could change depending on their medical condition and documentation.

Read more: http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/breaking/Rendell-Rescuing-Orphans-From-Haiti-82007687.html

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Anderson Cooper just reported that he's bringing 26 orphans back with him.


Governor, Orphans Take Off From Haiti
Jan 18, 2010 11:32 pm US/Eastern

Efforts to rescue dozens of Haitian children from the earthquake-ravaged BRESMA orphanage run by two Ben Avon sisters hit a snag Monday night.

However, despite the earlier delay, Gov. Ed Rendell and an unknown number of the orphans are en route to the United States.

Late this morning, a plane filled with physicians, nurses, aid workers, Rendell and Congressman Jason Altmire left Pittsburgh en route to Haiti.

According to the governor's office, some good news came out of the situation shortly after 11 p.m.

The governor's office confirmed that Rendell and an unknown number of orphans are onboard a C-130 aircraft heading to Homestead Air Force Base in Florida.

Read more: http://kdka.com/local/haiti.orphans.rescue.2.1434200.html

[Abq_Sarah]

1. At this point

Why are we worried about documentation? Help the kids first and sort it out later.

[Skittles]

4. YES

INDEED

[blue neen]

2. It will be quite a moment when they finally land in Pittsburgh.

The article said it will probably be early morning some time. :)

I'm proud of our PA delegation right now!

[Orrex]

3. Extraordinarily cool.

K/R

[qanda]

5. I saw the story about the sisters from Pittsburgh who were in Haiti

I'm from Pittsburgh and was so proud of them. My heart is overjoyed that those beautiful children are going to be helped.

[Name removed]

6. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Proletariatprincess]

7. The gov. evidently didn't have any problems landing at the airport

Unlike the French and many others bringing needed doctors and medical supplies who were refused permission to land.

[No Elephants]

8. People are allowed to fly into a country and remove children at will?

This part of the article makes no sense:


"However, as of 9 p.m. the plane had not left Port-au-Prince for its return trip to the United States due to an unscheduled delay.

KDKA's Ralph Iannotti has learned that a two to three hour delay was holding everything up.

The delay is a result of government officials in Haiti only wanting to let 47 orphans out of the country, but the two local sisters who operated the orphanage want all 61 kids to be let out.

According to the governor's office, as of 10:30 p.m. Rendell and the children were still on the ground in Haiti, but the original plane they flew down on had begun its return trip to the United States."


Why would the desire of Haitian officials and the sisters who run the orphanage to get the kids out of the country result in two to three hour delay of the departing plane.

And what "ties" does a Haitian orphanage have to Pitsburgh that it would not have to any area where Haitians have settled?

Are the children to stay in the U.S. permanently? Do they have relatives in Haiti?

Either this article wins awards for lousy reporting or something about the story is off center.

[Turborama]

10. Apparently Rendell was asked by the ambassador

Later in the 1st article: "The governor was apparently asked to make the trip by the U.S.'s Haitian ambassador after he helped coordinate the evacuation."

Are the children to stay in the U.S. permanently? Do they have relatives in Haiti?"

Also from the 1st article: "Over 40 of the children set to come to the U.S. were already adopted prior to the quake. After being released from the hospital, the kids will be cared for by Catholic Charities as the adoptions are finalized."

The tie to Pittsburgh seems to be this: "Two young sisters from the Pittsburgh area -- Jamie McMurtie Heckman and Alison McMurtie -- help run BRESMA." Again, this was later in the 1st article.

[kayla9170]

9. K & R................

:patriot:

[Vidar]

11. Kudos to Gov Rendell.