While Typhoon Haiyan Destroyed Philippines, These Stories Are Keeping The Hope Alive
Is it possible for anything beautiful to come out of something so tragic? The tragic stories and devastating images from the Philippines following typhoon Haiyan are inescapable, but in the aftermath there are also stories of hope, determination, courage, and kindness. Here are some of them.
By Sadho Ram — 15 Nov 2013, 03:22 PM — Updated over 10 years ago
1. The "miracle" baby born to a Filipino mother in debris laden clinic as typhoon Haiyan devastates Philippines
Super typhoon Haiyan killed her friends and family, along with thousands of Filipinos who live on Leyte Island — the part of the Philippines that received the full force of the storm — but Emily Sagalis, who was pregnant, and her husband, Jobert, were determined not to let the storm take their unborn child's life.
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Emily Ortega, 21, gives birth to baby girl Bea Joy, after being in labor for five hours at an improvised clinic at Tacloban Airport in Tacloban city, central Philippines.
Image via wordpress.comEmily Sagalis cried tears of joy after giving birth to a “miracle” girl in a typhoon-ravaged Philippine city, then named the baby after her mother who went missing in the storm.
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"She is my miracle. I had thought I would die with her still inside me when high waves came and took us all away," Sagalis told the AFP.
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Baby Beatriz Joy is born at a makeshift medical center in the storm damaged central Philippine city of Tacloban on November 11
Image via afp.com2. The 23-year-old electrical engineer who became the saviour in the storm as he saved dozens of men, women and children after breaking down their hotel doors just before typhoon Haiyan destroyed the building
He thought there was a good chance he wouldn’t make it through Typhoon Haiyan, but Jonathan Fitzpatrick decided that if these were his last moments on earth, he would spend them helping people in need.
British electrical engineer Jonathan Fitzpatrick saved dozens of people from his hotel after breaking down their doors just before the storm swept the walls of the building away.
Image via dailymail.co.ukFitzpatrick, of Walsall England, was in the Philippines working as an electrical engineer when one of the worst storms on record hit, claiming an estimated 10,000 lives. The 23-year-old initially barricaded himself in a room at the Ormoc Villa Hotel on Thursday as 170 mph-winds barreled through outside, but then decided to venture out to help trapped victims
dailymail.co.uk“He admitted he thought that was going to be it,” Fitzpatrick’s sister, Rachel, told Express and Star. “But he decided he didn’t want to go like that, and he wanted to go fighting.” The brave hero connected with his family via Skype as the storm struck, but the call was quickly cut off.
To aid struggling victims, Fitzgerald and four of his colleagues kicked down hotel room doors, shuttled people to the stairwell to seek refuge and handed out waters. Though he risked his life for complete strangers, Fitzgerald doesn’t see himself as a hero.
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Residents try to salvage belongings in Tacloban, Leyte province, where up to 10,000 people are feared to have been killed.
Image via dailymail.co.ukWhen the storm settled down, and before he headed to a ferry to make his way back to England, Fitzgerald completed one more “heroic” act. He handed money to a man to help him rebuild his home, Express and Star reported. Such donations are critical for the Philippines where the full scope of the devastation has yet to be measured.
3. The Filipino reporter who became the eye of the storm as he braved the strongest typhoon on record to report on the devastation it caused in the city of Tacloban
A Filipino reporter has become an internet sensation for his live reporting on the deadly Typhoon Haiyan.
Atom Araullo, a reporter for ABS-CBN News, was called a hero on social media for braving the strongest typhoon on record to report on the devastation it caused in the city of Tacloban.
Filipino reporter Atom Araullo reports on Typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda that devastated the Philippines (YouTube)
Image via ibtimes.comVideo footage recorded by Araullo when the typhoon, locally known as Yolanda, hit the central Philippines, has gone viral on the internet and has been viewed more than one million times on YouTube.
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Araullo, 31, spoke live as howling winds and torrential rain battered him on a deserted street. Hours after the report was broadcast the reporter's name was trending worldwide on Twitter.
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"Atom Araullo is the real Superman," tweeted @Yhangskieee. "@atomaraullo is indeed a hero. Thank you for giving us the information," wrote @judajudaas.
The name of the cameraman who dared the typhoon with Araullo is not known.
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Photos of people helping the victims of Haiyan
Volunteers work at a volunteer centre in Manila, packing food packages to be sent to areas hit by Typhoon HaiyVolunteers work at a volunteer centre in Manila, packing food packages to be sent to areas hit by Typhoon Haiyan. (Channel NewsAsia/Jackson Lee Board)Volunteers work at a volunteer centre in Manila, packing food packages to be sent to areas hit by Typhoon Haiyan.
Image via channelnewsasia.com
Philippine and US military personnel load relief goods for Tacloban for victims of Super Typhoon Haiyan.
Image via wordpress.com
Rescue workers place people aboard aircraft as they evacuate typhoon survivors at the airport in Tacloban.
Image via wtsp.com
A member of the Japanese Disaster Relief Team carries goods in Tacloban on November 12.
Image via turner.com
Philippine troops load boxes of water at Villamor Air Force Base in Manila, Philippines, on November 11.
Image via turner.comThese are by no means the only stories of recovery and survival and as communications are slowly restored to the region
There are sure to be other stories of hope and heroes that we will learn about. In case, you across any, let us know in the chat section and we will update this story.
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