[Europe.justus] Fwd: Quake Crushes Haitian Violinist's Hand, But Not His Spirit

[Pierre Whalon]

Début du message réexpédié :

> De : Cynthia Wilson <cwilson1976 at gmail.com>
> Date : 17 janvier 2011 01:30:45 HNEC
> À : Pierre Whalon <bishop at tec-europe.org>
> Objet : Quake Crushes Haitian Violinist's Hand, But Not His Spirit
> 
> Dear Bishop,
> 
> I wanted to share the following story on the NPR iPhone App- hope truly springs eternal...:
> http://www.npr.org/2011/01/15/132940504/quake-crushes-haitian-violinists-hand-but-not-his-spirit?sc=17&f=1001
> 
> Quake Crushes Haitian Violinist's Hand, But Not His Spirit
> by NPR Staff
> - January 15, 2011
> 
> Last February, violinist Romel Joseph was being treated at a Miami hospital for injuries he suffered during the devastating earthquake in Haiti. The school he founded in Port-au-Prince had literally crushed him in the quake. He was trapped underneath the rubble for 18 hours before being rescued; his pregnant wife did not survive.
> 
> From his hospital bed, Joseph promised: "The only thing I do know is as soon as I am able to walk and I am functional that I will go back to Haiti, and I will start the reconstruction of the Victorian School."
> 
> Sure enough, about a month later, he returned to Haiti and began to rebuild the school. During that time, he also wrote a book and nursed himself back to health, paying special attention to his crushed left hand. That's his fingering hand, the one the Julliard-trained musician uses to press the strings of his violin.
> 
> A year after the earthquake, Joseph, like much of southern Haiti, is rebuilding. He has returned to Haiti several times to oversee the reconstruction of the New Victorian School. In September, a temporary shelter was set up, where 208 students resumed their studies.
> 
> Even with three broken fingers on his left hand, Joseph has regained enough strength to begin playing the violin again. There are signs of hope everywhere.
> 
> "Haiti has a long, long way to go," Joseph says. "However, we have to hope that it's going to get there. We have to hope.”
> 
> Having to remain resilient in the face of tragedy is not unfamiliar to Joseph. He lost his eyesight as a child, and 10 years before the earthquake struck, a fire destroyed The New Victorian School. Though the loss of his wife and physical recovery has been trying, Joseph remains optimistic.
> 
> "Eventually, life has to go on," Joseph tells Weekend All Things Considered host Guy Raz. "This is a whole new episode of my life. I have to follow the mission I have for the rest of the time I have around."
> 
> Joseph's left hand has recovered to the point where he can play simple pieces, which has made moving on from the tragedy a little easier.
> 
> "I'm really thankful because I'm able to play some things. And it's really wonderful because I never thought I'd be able to again," he says.
> 
> Accompanied by his daughter Victoria on viola, Joseph demonstrates his newly regained ability with Handel's "Passacaglia."
> 
> "[The song] reminds me of remembrance, which is kind of sad," he says. "But at the same time, it has a happy ending, which is what it's going to be all about: a happy ending and happy recommencement." [Copyright 2011 National Public Radio]
> 
> To learn more about the NPR iPhone app, go to http://iphone.npr.org/recommendnprnews
> 

Bishop (Mgr) Pierre Whalon
Convocation of Episcopal Churches in Europe
23, avenue George V
75008 Paris France
+33 1 53 23 84 06  (tel)
+33 1 49 52 96 85 (fax)
office at tec-europe.org



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