WASHINGTON TERRACE, Utah (ABC 4 News) - One of the heroes of last Friday's evacuation of 66 Haitian orphans returned to Utah and spoke with ABC 4 Tuesday afternoon.
Chareyl Moyes, the Haiti Program Manager for Wasatch International Adoptions, had been 10 days in Haiti. Many of her days were spent at the US Embassy pushing through the paperwork for the orphans and her nights were spent sleeping on the ground with them outside of their damaged orphanage.
All of her work was to make sure that when the charter flight from the Utah Hospital Task Force arrived late Thursday, everything would be ready. But then Thursday afternoon came the devastating news that the Prime Minister could not sign the final documents -- rumor was that he'd left the country.
The task force plane landed around 11:00 p.m. Thursday night. She knew that it would only have a couple hours on the ground according to strict rules set down by the US military that controls the Port au Prince airport. Chareyl remembers, "When that time had come and gone ... that was a pretty low moment because I thought, 'That's it. We missed our ride."
Then she found out that the pilot and crew had somehow convinced authorities to allow them to stay past the deadline. What's more, she was told the prime minister had signed the last papers thanks to the intervention of Stephen Studdert, the leader of the Utah Hospital Task Force.
Chareyl and the others hurried to get the kids to the airport. "We didn't have time to think. The plane was supposed to leave at 11:00 in the morning. We piled into these tap taps (vans) and we headed to the airport. And the whole time I'm thinking, 'Please let this really happen."
Her patience would be tested many times later that Friday morning and into the afternoon. But finally, Studdert and others arrived at the airport with the documents. "They handed the packets to us and they asked for my master list and we just go through and start checking off the packets and checking off the kids," Chareyl said. "And they're loading them on the plane." But not all board.the plane. 15 children did not get approval.
And then there was one little 8-year old boy who's paperwork had been lost. "He fell apart. He went down on his knees. He was sobbing uncontrollably holding onto me." Chareyl admits she was sobbing too. But there was no time to correct the problem. There was no time to do anything but get on the plane with the others. She said, "It was like bitter sweet. I got on the plane, I'm looking around... and I see all these kids on the plane with me. And yet I'm leaving these children behind... and especially this little boy."
In fact one of the only reasons Chareyl was convinced to board the plane was the assurances of a Lt. Colonel that he would get the boy on another fight, another day. And true to his word, Chareyl got word Tuesday that he had made it to Miami and would probably be in his new home in Utah in another day or so.
Another small victory in the aftermath of the devastating Haitian earthquake. But Chareyl is reluctant to accept praise for her victories. She said, "I am a religious person and I believe that God will use the willing. And I was willing to go and do my part.
Chareyl Moyes, the Haiti Program Manager for Wasatch International Adoptions, had been 10 days in Haiti. Many of her days were spent at the US Embassy pushing through the paperwork for the orphans and her nights were spent sleeping on the ground with them outside of their damaged orphanage.
All of her work was to make sure that when the charter flight from the Utah Hospital Task Force arrived late Thursday, everything would be ready. But then Thursday afternoon came the devastating news that the Prime Minister could not sign the final documents -- rumor was that he'd left the country.
The task force plane landed around 11:00 p.m. Thursday night. She knew that it would only have a couple hours on the ground according to strict rules set down by the US military that controls the Port au Prince airport. Chareyl remembers, "When that time had come and gone ... that was a pretty low moment because I thought, 'That's it. We missed our ride."
Then she found out that the pilot and crew had somehow convinced authorities to allow them to stay past the deadline. What's more, she was told the prime minister had signed the last papers thanks to the intervention of Stephen Studdert, the leader of the Utah Hospital Task Force.
Chareyl and the others hurried to get the kids to the airport. "We didn't have time to think. The plane was supposed to leave at 11:00 in the morning. We piled into these tap taps (vans) and we headed to the airport. And the whole time I'm thinking, 'Please let this really happen."
Her patience would be tested many times later that Friday morning and into the afternoon. But finally, Studdert and others arrived at the airport with the documents. "They handed the packets to us and they asked for my master list and we just go through and start checking off the packets and checking off the kids," Chareyl said. "And they're loading them on the plane." But not all board.the plane. 15 children did not get approval.
And then there was one little 8-year old boy who's paperwork had been lost. "He fell apart. He went down on his knees. He was sobbing uncontrollably holding onto me." Chareyl admits she was sobbing too. But there was no time to correct the problem. There was no time to do anything but get on the plane with the others. She said, "It was like bitter sweet. I got on the plane, I'm looking around... and I see all these kids on the plane with me. And yet I'm leaving these children behind... and especially this little boy."
In fact one of the only reasons Chareyl was convinced to board the plane was the assurances of a Lt. Colonel that he would get the boy on another fight, another day. And true to his word, Chareyl got word Tuesday that he had made it to Miami and would probably be in his new home in Utah in another day or so.
Another small victory in the aftermath of the devastating Haitian earthquake. But Chareyl is reluctant to accept praise for her victories. She said, "I am a religious person and I believe that God will use the willing. And I was willing to go and do my part.
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