Uncle reunited with 2-year-old Swedish boy found wandering alone

[Shakespeare]

We'll see more and more stories like this coming out of the disaster, most of them unimaginably tragic (and they will involve people of ALL colors and class). This one struck me because of the amazing odds against the uncle seeing a random photo on the internet. It's amazing this child survived.

And I really, really hope we can talk about some of these remarkable stories without descending into flame wars. It's nice to see a few stories about unlikely survivors in the face of overwhelming death and destruction.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/news/archive/2004/12/28/international1348EST0545.DTL

A 2-year-old boy who was found dazed and alone on a roadside in the wasteland of a tsunami-devastated Thai resort was reunited Tuesday with his uncle, who spotted the child's picture on the Internet.

The boy, identified by his uncle as Hannes Bergstroem, was found Sunday night on a road in Phang Nga province near the beach resort of Khao Lak, about 60 miles from the island of Phuket. He was taken to Phuket International Hospital where the staff posted pictures of the blond-haired boy with red spots all over his face from mosquito bites on its Web site on Monday. They also published his photo in a local newspaper.

The Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet reported the boy's mother and grandmother were missing. His father and grandfather were believed to be in another hospital in Thailand, but their exact location and condition were not immediately known.

A man, who identified himself only as Jim, told the Associated Press on Tuesday in a telephone interview that he found his nephew after he saw his picture on the Web.

[Texasgal]

1. Well... let's not feel sorry for him

since he's blond haired and blued eyed..../dripping sarcasm

[redqueen]

7. Lord, Lord

It's amazing how many people managed to TOTALLY miss what really was the issue in that thread.

[HEyHEY]

8. I still don't get the comment

Did I miss something?

[redqueen]

10. Brief summary: Supermodel hurt - Huge flamewar -

I and MaddyMcCall were ticked at the reminder of how the media insists that the troubles of the pretty are more important than regular ole humans.

Somehow some people got that we were saying that either:

a) pretty people don't deserve any sympathy
b) guys are evil
c) whothefuckknowsorevencares?

I can find you a link if you'd like. Some of it was pretty farkin funny IMO.

[Beware the Beast Man]

16. Not me, though, so shoosh!

:D

[ronnykmarshall]

11. Lifetime network annouced today:

Coming in spring 2005


"Searching For Lars: The Adorable Blonde Toddler Story"

[Shakespeare]

12. My only regret.....

...is that I didn't meet you before I moved away from WeHo earlier this year! :yourock:

[ronnykmarshall]

22. Ohhhhhh poop!

Where did you move to?

[Shakespeare]

24. The whiiiiiiiine country!

Up to Sonoma, where the air is fresh and sweet (except when the wind changes and we catch a whiff of the dairy farm).

I love it up here, but do occasionally miss living right off the strip!

[Beaverhausen]

2. I saw this on the news this morning. Glad he still has some family left

They showed the boy being cared for by an obviously very loving Indonesian nurse at the hospital.

It is nice to at least hear some good news out of this tragedy.

[Shakespeare]

3. I know. I wonder what makes them think his father is still alive?

What's really, really heartbreaking is that I've read estimates that 1/3 or more of the fatalities are children. It's too awful to get your mind around. :-(

[redqueen]

13. They haven't found the bodies?

I think that's usually how it's done... they assume they're alive until enough time has passed, or the bodies are found.

[Shakespeare]

14. Gee, really? Yes, I know that.

I'm referring to the specificity given about their whereabouts. They mention vaguely that they're "probably" in a local hospital. I'm just wondering if there's more detail on that that's not in the story, or just what it is that lead them to that conclusion, because it strikes me as odd. :eyes:

[redqueen]

15. Deleted

Because Shakespeare's a sweetie and doesn't deserve my going nukuler. :)

[Shakespeare]

17. Whoa, whoa, whoa....

Look, I thought you were being EXTREMELY condescending in that last post. If I misread that, then I apologize sincerely.

[redqueen]

18. Nope... I totally wasn't.

Don't know how I managed to come off that way... I guess it is a bit obvious, what I said... still, I was only trying to help in my dumb little way.

You hurt me!

:cry:

[Shakespeare]

19. Aw, I'm sorry.

Discussion board do-over! :hug:

[redqueen]

20. You're so sweet!

You'll have to learn to take everything I say with a grain of salt... I'm prone to overdo things for dramatic effect.

:hug:

[Shakespeare]

21. Hey, we all need a little drama.

Besides, I can't stay on bad terms with a fellow Cowboys fan!

[redqueen]

23. What?!

Hey, now you're talkin!

:toast:

[mcscajun]

4. Good news that he has some family somewhere...

...and yes I wonder how they know his father and grandfather were alive without actually knowing where they are.

But what's not amazing is that the uncle found and recognized his nephew's picture on the net. If I'd been that uncle, I'd not have gotten a wink of sleep or a bite of food, because I'd have been crawling through every link on the 'Net looking for something about my family.

As it was, I had concerns about a friend of a friend who lives near Bangkok but could have been anywhere at the time. And my first thought was to send an e-mail requesting his check-in. I got word from him about 12 hours later.

Last thought: I like the style of your original post. My sentiments exactly: "It's nice to see a few stories about unlikely survivors in the face of overwhelming death and destruction."

[Shopaholic]

5. I see this little boy last night on CNN--he looked completly dazed

and out of it. And you're right-his nurse looked/acted very loving towards him. I'm glad to hear he's been found by family members. Seeing all of the children last night just broke my heart. Of course, it killed me seeing the adult victims too. So many of these people have so very little to begin with and now they have nothing. The scope of this thing is so very difficult to even begin to comprehend.

[mcscajun]

6. Exactly...it's the scope that is staggering.

Millions impacted directly, bereft of homes, livelihoods and loved ones; countless thousands gone with the toll still rising hourly; entire villages and towns wiped out at a stroke in country upon country, and islands leveled, or moved(!) out of position by the force of the quake.

It's beyond our capacity to grasp, with our faculties intact, sitting in the warm comfort of our homes; we cannot even begin to understand what is in the minds and hearts of those victims we see on our TV screens.

[redqueen]

9. That's one lucky kid.

Both for being found, and being young enough that he'll remember none of this.

[Zing Zing Zingbah]

25. Well, at 2 years old he might remember it,

especially since it was a very significant event. He'll probably recall being seperated from his parents.

I remember stuff that happened when I was two.

[cliss]

26. Good news!

The Swedish online newspaper reports that Little Hannes Bergström has been reunited with his uncle. The boy's father is seriously hurt and in another hospital. Both grandparents have been located. The mother, however, is still missing.

Here's the story, from Aftonbladet:

"The family was sitting by the hotel pool in Khao Lak when the tsunami struck. Everyone was thrown in different directions. They were pulled into the water. The father ended up under the ruins and lost consciousness.

The father was located at a different hospital with serious injuries. He does not remember being rescued. Also the grandfather was in the same hospital. The grandmother was found at another hospital. "