The Haitian Earthquake: A Personal Story

By Paola Baptiste

Paola Baptiste was born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, in 1977 and moved to New York City with her family when she was 16. Since 2006 she has worked in NYRR’s youth programs division, currently as the Young Runners program manager. Paola’s extended family and many friends live in Port-au-Prince.

I’m very fortunate to live in New York and to work with great people, but on January 12, my countrymen were not as fortunate as Haiti experienced one of the worst earthquakes ever recorded. This disaster would have been devastating for any nation, but it was even more so for Haiti. We are known around the world as “the poorest nation in the western hemisphere,” and we have long struggled for even the most basic necessities. Plagued by misfortune and corruption, we are simply not equipped to handle anything of the magnitude of this disaster. 

When I heard the news that a 7.2 earthquake had hit my hometown, I rushed home to Brooklyn to be with my frantic mother. And as the images began to pour in, we panicked. At the sight of a crumbled National Palace my heart sank to my stomach, as I knew that if the palace was so badly damaged, there would be no way the house I grew up in would have withstood the earthquake.

I was born in Port-au-Prince and spent half of my life there. I grew up about two miles away from the National Palace, so this tragedy literally took place in my backyard. The neighborhood where I grew up is completely wiped out—the school I attended is no longer standing. There is no denying it, this really happened in my backyard.

In the days following the earthquake, my mother and I frantically tried to make contact with Haiti but to no avail—all we had were the news images. Imagine the worst possible disaster and not being able to find out whether or not your family and friends are okay.  Eventually, I made contact and learned that my family survived. They are homeless and hungry, but they are alive, which makes me one of the lucky few. 

Surviving the earthquake is only half of the battle. For those who made it out alive, every day is a struggle. There is no shelter, and medicine, food, and water are in short supply. It’s heartbreaking to listen to your family call out for you, begging and pleading for your help, and not be able to do anything. These are my people, my family and friends, and I could have easily been one of those under the rubble.

The recovery period will be long and grueling, but we are a very strong and resilient people and with your help we will stand again stronger than before. From the bottom of my heart and on behalf of the people of Haiti, thank you for running. 

Paola Baptiste visited her family in Haiti in 2000, including her young cousins Florian and Christelle Polo. Her family survived the earthquake, though it was days before she knew for sure.

Paola (top row, third from left) in 1991 with her class at Institution de Sacre Coeur. The school was destroyed in the earthquake and the principal (top row, far left) lost her life.