Haiti Quake Amputee: 'All is Not Lost'

CNN.com—January 11, 2011

CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta reports on a woman who lost limbs in Haiti's earthquake.

When the earthquake struck Haiti, Darline Bertil watched as the hotel where she worked collapsed and falling stones sliced off both her hands. Five days later, U.S. troops dug her out of the rubble.

When State Senator Daniel Squadron contacted the hospital about Ms. Bertil's injuries, HSS offered to provide her with mechanical limbs and the extensive therapy needed to help her learn to use them. With an expedited visa to the U.S., the 25-year-old received expert care at HSS thanks to Glenn Garrison, director of Prosthetics and Orthotics and his team of engineers, along with hand therapist Aviva Wolff, orthopedic trauma surgeon Dr. David Helfet, and the generosity of the Joe and Ellen Wright Fund for Prosthetics and Orthotics (link to donation page) at HSS.
 
"She'll learn how to use her new arms very quickly," says Mr. Garrison.

Ms. Bertil is filled with hope. "It's a miracle," she says, "a blessing that I wish for all who are still suffering in my country."

This story originally appeared on CNN.com.