My name is Ann Kloos. My brother John Kloos graduated from Notre Dame in 1974. He was, I believe, an editor for The Observer in 1973 and 1974. His son Ryan Kloos, 23 years old, was killed in the Haitian earthquake on Jan. 12, 2010. His 26 year old daughter Erin is in critical but stable condition at a Miami Trauma Hospital. Ryan was visiting his sister, who has volunteered for Friends of The Orphans PNH in Haiti for the past two years. The two were very close while growing up. Both swam for their Universities, UCSD and Washington. Both had applied to and were waiting to hear from medical schools. Ryan was always very interested in Erin's work in Haiti. He chose that week to visit.
They were in the same building but on different floors. Ryan was killed instantly. Erin was pulled from the rubble 12 hours after the collapse. It took 48 more hours to evacuate her to a Miami hospital where her parents could finally get their hands on her. We feel so fortunate to have Erin home.
These are just two of the tens of thousands killed and hundreds of thousands injured. The wait from 5 p.m. Tuesday to 7 a.m. Friday was agonizing for our family. Too many Haitian and American families are still waiting.
The rescue effort is massive. It will take a very long time to unravel and process the physical and emotional damage. Please consider donating to a long-standing reputable organization like Doctors Without Borders, Mercy Corps or The American Red Cross. If you would like to donate directly to Friends of The Orphans PNH in their honor the website is: https://secure.imodules.com/s/769/inner.aspx?sid=769&gid=1&pgid=890&cid=1918.
Thank you. All your thoughts and prayers are greatly appreciated by our family.
Blessings to us all.
Ann Kloos
Saint Mary's alumnus
class of 1973
Jan. 16
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
