WKOW 27: Madison, WI Breaking News, Weather and SportsThose with ties to Haiti work to help
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MIDDLETON (WKOW) -- The devastation in Haiti has hit close to home for two local doctors.
It was just over a year ago, Doctors David Olive and Elizabeth Pritts finally brought their little girls home from Haiti.
Dr. Olive says, "We adopted them four years ago; we got them out 13 months ago."
News of the earthquake brought a bittersweet feeling.
Pritts says, "We started to wake up our children, give them a hug, we're just really really glad that they're here with us and not there."
With relief, comes fear.
Dr. Pritts adds, "Once you have a connection to Haiti, the info hits you in a different way."
After heading to Haiti nearly a dozen times, both to adopt and to help the community through an organization called Family Health Ministries, the couple now has friends throughout the impoverished country, and their daughters have family members there, many, who remain unaccounted for.
Dr. Pritts says, "We don't know about the children in orphanage, we haven't heard about the nuns, the school, nor have we heard about the mission group."
Friends and family are close to the epicenter of the earthquake: their daughters lived in the village of Fondwa, and the organization they work with, called Family Health Ministries, has a clinic in the village of Leogane. The organization is also working to build a Women's and Children's hospital there as well.
Dr. Olive adds, "The country is not in great shape to begin with, to have this type of devastation on top of that compounds it to a level we can't really conceive in this country."
The only thing this Middleton couple can do at this point, is to send donations, and wait until one of them can head to Haiti.
Family Health Ministries has different clinics throughout Haiti, and one of them is accounted for, and is currently providing medical assistance for those in Haiti.
To donate directly to Family Health Ministries and to their clinic in Haiti right now, click on the link to the left of this story.
Online Reporter: Teresa Mackin
Email Teresa at tmackin@wkowtv.com
Follow Teresa on Twitter
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