1. Provide the title of your story or series and the names of the journalists involved.
Haiti Amputees
Merrill Schwerin, Producer / Project Director
Ray Suarez, Senior Correspondent
Denis Levkovich, Cameraman / Editor
Talea Miller, Reporter / Producer
Catherine Wise, Reporter/Producer
2. List date(s) this work was published or aired.
14-Jul-10
3. Provide a brief synopsis of the story or stories, including any significant findings.
Six months after the devastating earthquake, the PBS NewsHour's global health team returned to Haiti to highlight the country's on-going challenges, as well as the resilience of its people. One of the most urgent concerns for medical officials immediately after the quake was caring for the thousands who needed amputations. Six months later emergency care was largely over, but as NewsHour Producer Merrill Schwerin and Senior Correspondent Ray Suarez describe, a long journey of recovery was just beginning for many who lost limbs. We highlighted the work of the Hanger Ivan Sabel Foundation and Handicap International to equip people with prosthetics that could withstand the rough streets and hard living conditions in Haiti. And we profiled the inspiring story of prize-winning Haitian dancer George Extantus who lost his leg when he was pinned under rubble for two days. The optimism and sheer will that kept Exantus alive in the wreckage was obvious as he relearned to walk and eventually even dance again. He told us of his hopes to return to teaching and competitive dancing one day, and we told him we'd come back to see him when he does.
4. Explain types of documents, data or Internet resources used. Were FOI or public records act requests required? How did this affect the work?
We used Nexis and online searches for up-to-date information about the recovery efforts.
5. Explain types of human sources used.
Staff at the Hanger Ivan Sabel Foundation and Handicap International helped connect us with their colleagues on the ground in Haiti and the amputees who we interviewed in their clinics.
6. Results (if any).
George Exantus, the professional dancer we profiled in our report, became a symbol of Haitian hope and courage for many of our viewers. In July he told Senior Correspondent Ray Suarez, "The main thing for me is the idea of competing again – make money, teach and compete, and compete at a very high level. But to dance you need an extremely expensive leg, but that's not available in Haiti. I will probably never get that." After receiving emails from a number of people who wanted to help Exantus purchase a more sophisticated dancing foot, NewsHour Producer Merrill Schwerin contacted a prosthetics foundation, who in turn, secured a specially made athletic foot from an internationally known prosthetics manufacturer. When the small clinic in Haiti received the new foot for Exantus, they emailed the NewsHour a video of him happily dancing with one of their staff and we immediately posted the video on our website.
7. Follow-up (if any). Have you run a correction or clarification on the report or has anyone come forward to challenge its accuracy? If so, please explain.
No corrections were made to this story.
8. Advice to other journalists planning a similar story or project.
We found a great local fixer who helped us make contacts before we arrived, and made sure everything went smoothly when we were on the ground in Haiti.