::::::::::::: E Street :::::::::::::
Nancy Perry Graham
Editor, AARP THE MAGAZINE
aarpmagazine@aarp.org
Help for Haiti
Gillout is just one of an estimated
200,000 older survivors who are
grappling with catastrophic conditions in Haiti, from rat-infested
camps to crumpled nursing homes
lacking food or water. Many of you
have pitched in from afar: in the
When I succumb to the
late-winter blues, I think
about people like 67-year-
old Remercier Gillout. Her
21-year-old son, Christian,
died in the magnitude 7
earthquake that devastated Port-au-Prince, Haiti, in
January. “My mind comes
and goes with grief,” she
says. “Sometimes I eat, and
sometimes I cannot eat.
My health is not good. And
I don’t have anyone to
support me.”
immediate aftermath of the quake,
AARP members and other caring
individuals donated nearly $1 million
to the Haiti Relief Fund through the
AARP Foundation (which contributed another $500,000) and HelpAge
USA, the only global relief agency
to focus specifically on the needs of
older people. Your money is being
used for emergency medical attention, food, shelter, and supplies.
HelpAge has also signed a memorandum of understanding to manage
the Port-au-Prince Municipal Nursing Home—to do everything from
caregiving to sanitation to long-term
planning. Observes Marilyn Grist,
MOURNING HER BOY “I felt the earth
tremble, and I called out, ‘Jesus!
Jesus!’” recalls Remercier Gillout,
holding photos of the son she lost.
Meet Our Pet-Contest Winner: Magic
Back in September 2009 we launched a
search to find America’s most heroic pet.
The winner—a miniature, blue-eyed therapy
horse named Magic (shown with owner
Jorge Garcia-Bengochea)—is transforming
lives in hospitals and hospice programs in
north Florida. One of Magic’s many miracles:
inspiring an assisted living resident to speak
for the first time in three years. “Isn’t she
beautiful?” the woman asked. “It’s a horse!”
She’s been talking ever since. To read about
Magic and nine more astonishing animal
deeds, go to aarpmagazine.org/petcontest.
executive director of HelpAge: “The
residents are currently living in what
looks like a tent city for older people.”
Families are suffering as well.
Grandparents in Haiti play a big role
in raising children, a job that’s be-
coming more daunting with the loss
of businesses and jobs. “My house
was destroyed,” says Port-au-Prince
resident Elmont Lucie, 69. “How am I
going to take care of my grandchild?”
Says Grist: “Many grandparents were
taking care of AIDS orphans before
January 12. They have even more
responsibilities now.”
Rebuilding will be an enormous
challenge, but, Grist says, “the amaz-
ing story is the resilience of these
older people. Their resolve is, ‘I’m
here, I’m working, and I’m proud.’ ”
To support these determined older
Haitians, please call 877-742-4848
to make a donation, or go to aarp
.org/Haiti. Your prayers will help.
And with springtime comes hope.
