Earthquake volunteers tell their story

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MISERICORDIE

The incredibile story of Valentina Carnielli, doctor for Misericordie, who rescued, Eleonora Calepini, a student from Rimini.

News can be astonishing: Eleonora Calesini, from Mondaino in the Rimini province, escaped a narrow death.

On April, 7th, around 9pm, volunteers and firemen had lost all hope in rescuing any more people in the debris of Villa Gioia, in what is left of Via Poggio, in L’Aquila’s old town centre. 42 hours had passed since the collapse. Eleonora’s father, who had joined diggers, had no hope of seeing her again. Dog units were searching in the rubble with no significant result. It was then decided that bulldozers could start clearing out the debris. Only one fireman was hesitating: somewhere, weak signs have been given by dogs. Bulldozers start moving their mechanic arms in the rubble.  It is at this point that the crazed fireman stops everything: he has heard a voice. Under the debris, with her last efforts, Eleonora was asking for help.

And the action of Misericordie’s volunteers begins here. Valentina Carnielli, volunteer doctor at Misericordie’s, tells of how she rescued the girl: «She was blocked upside down, with her feet in our direction and a smashed hand. We wanted to stabilize her, but that was not possible. Then we allowed the firemen to extract her from there. At this point, we stepped in with collar, spider and venous access, carried her to the ambulance and, with the escort of a local police team, we drove her to the advanced medical point of L’aquila’s hospital. Once there, we evaluated her injuries, which were minimal, and she was moved to Teramo. The only concern now are symptoms due to the reperfusion. That is: attention has to be paid to those toxins that the blood starts sprinkling again when the burden that blocks circulation has been removed». In a whisper, Eleonora even joked with the volunteers who rescued her life.

Carnielli continues: «In these cases, the neurological system and the spinal cord are the priorities, before the limbs. Both from a neurological and a spinal point of view she was fine, she even recognized her father and had a little chat with him».  The volunteer concluded with a smile: «It was a miracle. She escaped first the earthquake, then bulldozers; given the fact that the dogs could not find her, the policeman, despite shouting, noise, bulldozers, managed to hear her voice».

Valentina is a member of a Siena’s provincial group. Her team boss Giacomo Bartalesi explains: «We are 29 from Siena», and reports: «We arranged a Pma (Postazione Medica Avanzata, Advanced Medical Station) made up of three pneumatic tents and we have a mobile infirmary available. We are all doctors and medical attendants and we can provide on-site assistance to up to 25 patients».

As far as the situation three days after the terrible shake is concerned, she specifies: «We are guaranteeing medical assistance in the camp located in San Pio delle Camere, a hamlet 20 Km away from L’aquila, and we are providing assistance to 118 people from neighbouring camps, decentralized from the main town’s congestionated Pma.  Shortly, we will establish a supporting structure also in Poggio Picense’s camp, 5 km far from our camp”.

 

 

SAVE THE CHILDREN

Avoid letting children watch television.   Constant exposure to images of the disaster does not help them to overcome the trauma.

This is the first of ten suggestions from Save the Children, the international organization which also has a chair in Italy.  Save the Children is currently giving psychological help to children in the evacuee camp of Bazzano, 15 kilometres east of Aquila.

“There is a great need for specific assistance towards children”, says Filippo Ungaro on the phone from Abruzzo, who coordinates interventions on the field. “Children have suffered great trauma.  Escaping in the middle of the night, they lost their games but also all of their world and the normality of their daily life. They are scared of earthquakes that continue to come one after the other during the day and especially at night”.  Priorities, according to Ungaro, are also of a logistic nature: “Camps have been organized with rapidity and efficiency by the environmental services. However in this emergency phase a specific space for children has not been prepared, which is an error.  A leisure area where children can play and rework what happened with children of the same age is needed”.  

In agreement with the environmental services, Save the Children is organizing a recreational area for children in Bazzano, aiming at creating at least three other areas of this kind in the camps: “As we are part of an international network we have started immediately appealing to other chairs of save the Children in the world, we are already receiving help both in terms of funds and of human resources”.

 

 

TELEFONO AZZURRO

Telefono Azzurro, a non profit organization aiming at defending childhood’s rights, has formed an operational task force that is acting in Abruzzo supporting authorities and environmental services. In fact seven experts in emergency intervention and in management of traumatic community events are in L’Aquila, together with ten volunteers.

“We are organizing a series of support activities towards children, both in the short and in the long term”, says Ernesto Caffo, Telefono Azzurro’s President. “We are putting into practice a path which has already been tested abroad to heal children’s mental health.  We are using the advice of our American and Israeli partners.  In particular that of the Child Study Centre of the University of Yale and of the Israeli Cohen Harris Centre for Trauma and Disaster Intervention.  We also revolve around our previous experience in Molise, where for two years we have been cooperating with local entities and schools.  Troubles connected with these kinds of trauma, warns Caffo, have a development over time that requires support in the following months and years.  Similarly to what we did in Molise, we will build a strong alliance with schools.  It may be difficult for the school year to continue in L’aquila.  However, it is important for the children to interact with their school mates and teachers to rework what happened. Therefore it is necessary to think of an alternative location for them to meet.  Next school year will be very important.  Because of this, we are cooperating with local entities to build adapted training paths together”.