Orphans from quake-ravaged Haiti arrive in U.S.

[RamboLiberal]

Port-au-Prince, Haiti (CNN) -- About 50 Haitian orphans arrived Tuesday at a Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, airport and will be taken to Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, where adoptive parents are expected to greet them.

The first children to leave the plane were infants wrapped in blankets.

The children were accompanied on the flight by Pennsylvania Gov. Edward Rendell, several doctors and a few members of Congress. These are children whose adoption cases were at the end of the bureaucratic process before the 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck Haiti last Tuesday.

Allegheny County spokesman Kevin Evanto told CNN that the children will be placed in foster homes until details of their adoptions are finalized.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/01/19/haiti.earthquake/index.html?hpt=T1

Biggest story in my hometown today! Kudos to Gov Rendell, Congressman Jason Altmire, Senators Casey & Specter, and all involved! Also to the two local sisters, Jamie and Ali McMutrie, from Pittsburgh who have been at this orphanage as volunteers for several years and who refused to leave their charges until they could be evacuated with the sisters.

[lamp_shade]

1. Oh this is wonderful news. Thanks.

[Warpy]

2. Haiti has extremely stringent adoption requirements

because they would rather keep their children. These orphans were kids whose adoption had been nearly completed. The government of Haiti has been expediting paperwork on all adoptions that have gone through preliminary approval.

I think this is a very classy move on their part, giving up bureaucratic fiefdoms temporarily for the sake of kids who have ready families in the US.

[RamboLiberal]

3. There was also a helluva lot work by Rep Altmire

Senators Casey and Specter, Gov Rendell, even former U.S. attorney Repub Mary Beth Buchanan(sp) including last minute by the White House to get these children here.

[The Wielding Truth]

4. This is an Herculean feat. State dept. will use this as blue print.

Hurray for the sisters and their children!

[Kadie]

5. Here are some pictures...

Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell, second from lower left, watches as some of the 53 Haitian orphans whom he accompanied on an Air Force plane overnight from Haiti, arrive at Pittsburgh International Airport Tuesday, Jan 19, 2010 in Imperial, Pa.
(AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)


Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell, right, arrives on an Air Force plane carrying 53 Haitian orphans at Pittsburgh International Airport Tuesday, Jan 19, 2010 in Imperial, Pa.
(AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)


The first of 53 Haitian orphans, whose orphanage was destroyed by last week's massive earthquake, is carried off an Air Force plane at Pittsburgh International Airport Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2010 in Imperial, Pa. The orphans will be taken to Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh for medical care and be placed in group homes until their adoptions are finalized. Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell and other officials escorted the children from Haiti, where they and their American caretakers spent days in dire need of food and water.
(AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)


Haitian orphans, whose orphanage was destroyed by last week's massive earthquake, arrive at Pittsburgh International Airport Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2010 in Imperial, Pa. The orphans will be taken to Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh for medical care and be placed in group homes until their adoptions are finalized. Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell and other officials escorted the children from Haiti, where they and their American caretakers spent days in dire need of food and water.
(AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

[lamp_shade]

6. Oh thank you Kadie. I'm all choked up.