Earthquake Survivor to Eagle Scout

JAMESLY JESSE WAS JUST 2 WHEN HE WAS SAVED FROM THE RUBBLE IN HAITI. NOW HE'S INSPIRING HIS COMMUNITY TO SEND FOOD AID TO HIS BIRTHPLACE

- By DAVID CHIU

When Mary Jesse visited a hospital in Milot, Haiti, in 2010—about 10 months after an earthquake killed hundreds of thousands of people in the country—she was struck by a surprising sight. While many patients had been discharged after the disaster, a 2-year-old orphan was one of the few left behind. At one point a sign had been hung with him that said “Do not pick me up”—because he was so beloved that the staff had to urge others to hold him less so he could walk on his own. Looking back, says Mary, an orthopedic volunteer and physical therapist from Illinois, “it’s very humbling that our paths wouldn’t have crossed without the earthquake.”