Help for victims and families of Air Disaster

[springrite]

Hi!
The two girls who died are from a group of 36 from the same school. I know the town well since I have done work there every year to help with mental health education, parenting, etc., and have great relationship with people there. I have volunteered to help the families and to work with the school to help the students upon their return, including later go there every month for a year to do followup work.
It would be great if I can get contact and information from the hospitals there (I think SF General and Stanford) to know what work they have done and how I may best follow up on it. If they have identified certain things on certain students it would be most helpful if I know before hand. I wonder if you or anyone you know may be able to help me get in touch with the hospitals or related people who may have worked on them or may have access to information.
I may leave as early as tomorrow to start work. Any help or lead would be most appreciated!

Also, if needed I can get one a plane for SF tomorrow!

Paul

[mc ukrneal]

I really have no idea, but you could try starting with the Chinese consulate in San Francisco. It would help if you had some sort of official introduction I would think. They should be able to provide you more information and contacts (and stuff like that).

[springrite]

I really have no idea, but you could try starting with the Chinese consulate in San Francisco. It would help if you had some sort of official introduction I would think. They should be able to provide you more information and contacts (and stuff like that).

I would try everyone except contacting any part of the Chinese government. I am contacting the US embassy in China indirectly and they can be better help. I am also contacting the SF chapter of EAPA and some mental health related organizations I know or that knows me. Whichever one works first.
Thanks for the tip. You never know in a pinch where the best help may come from. Often it is from a most unexpected source!

[springrite]

Just got in touch with the psychologist who worked with families after the TWA air disaster, which is a big help. The linkage came from an unlikely source -- a business consultant.

[Parsifal]

I would try everyone except contacting any part of the Chinese government. I am contacting the US embassy in China indirectly and they can be better help. I am also contacting the SF chapter of EAPA and some mental health related organizations I know or that knows me. Whichever one works first.
Thanks for the tip. You never know in a pinch where the best help may come from. Often it is from a most unexpected source!

If you do not think the Chinese government would be useful, I suppose you could consider offering your services to the airline.

[springrite]

If you do not think the Chinese government would be useful, I suppose you could consider offering your services to the airline.

Good idea.

Just got in touch with San Mateo crisis intervention/management people. So I should be able to get in touch with the people I really need very shortly!

[Herman]

Also, if needed I can get one a plane for SF tomorrow!

Paul

I was kind of struck by pictures of passengers leaving the plane with their bags, which basically means they attached more worth to their stuff than helping their fellow man or woman.

[springrite]

I was kind of struck by pictures of passengers leaving the plane with their bags, which basically means they attached more worth to their stuff than helping their fellow man or woman.

Me, too. Not to mention it could have damaged the slide and prevent some people from escaping!

[MishaK]

I was kind of struck by pictures of passengers leaving the plane with their bags, which basically means they attached more worth to their stuff than helping their fellow man or woman.

We shouldn't assign blame that easily. Keep in mind that this is a situation where instincts take over and you aren't really thinking rationally. A lot of the passengers were young girls on their way to summer camp who probably had little flying experience. The daft "safety ballet" performed at the beginning of each flight together with the advice for proper behavior in emergency situations isn't exactly what goes through most people's minds after surviving a plane crash (assuming they have even processed that reality at that point). I can completely understand someone clutching the bag that contains their passport and credit cards as they leave the plane. If you're in a foreign country where you don't speak the language and you don't have your ID documents or source of funds it can be panic inducing.

[springrite]

Got in touch with the first response team as well as have full understanding of procedure and necessary contacts for medical records and evaluation reports. Just finished a one hour skype session with some seasoned experienced experts in the field in the US. So much progress in just a few hours.
Thank you, America!

Now, almost sunrise, I need some sleep... Work starts when I wake up!

[springrite]

After several mostly sleepless days and nights, much of it was getting through red tape, I will be leaving tomorrow for the town. I am grateful for all the help I received from all over the world, including here, and especially from the good ole USA. Thank you all!

I am nervous because I know how important my work is.

It also mean something extra as it is the 3rd anniversary of my younger sister's sad passing. She would have wanted me to do this.

Thank you and give me your strength and blessing!

[mc ukrneal]

Glad you were able to track them down so quickly. Good luck!

[Parsifal]

After several mostly sleepless days and nights, much of it was getting through red tape, I will be leaving tomorrow for the town. I am grateful for all the help I received from all over the world, including here, and especially from the good ole USA. Thank you all!

I am nervous because I know how important my work is.

It also mean something extra as it is the 3rd anniversary of my younger sister's sad passing. She would have wanted me to do this.

Thank you and give me your strength and blessing!

Reserved a seat in the emergency exit row?

sorry, bad taste 

[springrite]

Reserved a set in the emergency exit row?

sorry, bad taste 

Well, seat belt buckled, that is for sure!

[Karl Henning]

Best wishes to you, Paul!

[vandermolen]

My best wishes too.

[springrite]

I left Quzhou on Friday. As I just got off the plane, I got the message that the kids are on their way home. I had no chance to get to Beijing to meet them, so I worked the phone for hours and finally selected two wonderful counselors with experiene who are also former teachers to go, just to make sure that during their one day stay in Beijing they will be OK. The local gov also sent a large contingent to the airport to pick them up.
The counselors reported that most of the kids appear to be OK, except for two girls and, most importantly, most of the teachers. That is understandable since teachers had no time to deal with their own emotions as they had to take care of the kids and, as I know, the gov and the school officials "forgot" to send caring messages to them and "forgot" to even call their families.

Now the kids are home with their families. I am delayed by typhoon and stuck in a hotel. But I will be there in the morning. I have been in transit all day and on the phone with parents to direct and counsel via remote control. Everyone seems reasonably alright. The father and son situation is also within my expectations. Many families are waiting for me tomorrow.

Unbelievably, the officials called me to tell me that everything seems fine now and "thank you" but "there does not seem to be need for anymore work. We will call you when problems occur". And after I reported the observations that the teachers need help, they told me "we apologized to them so now everything is fine".

Of course I am going. I am paying for my current trip and I have used my time at the airport to raise some money through pledges to pay for some of my future airfare to Quzhou. I will still work with the officials but I can not rely on them. I will do mostly on my own with the pledges I got to pay for most of the cost and I will cover the rest, maybe renting an apartment there as well. I will get this done no matter what.

Two of the families of the dead are still in SF. One is back.

I will get some rest tonight at the airport and be on my way at around 9am, arriving at 12.

Paul

PS:This from my wife who is on a three week visit to Canada:

Dear Paul, what you are doing is wonderful! If you do not do it, who will? It is your duty and mission, and you have my full support, at whatever cost. I wish I could do more to help. But the least I can do is to cut my visit short and go home early to take care of the kid so you can have your full attention on helping those families, especially the kids. Yes, I do have important work to do here. But it is nothing, absolutely nothing, when compared to what you are doing. Go ahead. Do whatever you need to do. I love you more than ever.

Your loving and supportive wife 

[springrite]

I was in Quzhou for a few days, working with parents teachers and officials. The toughest was this family: The mother drove the son to the airport to go to SF, but died on the drive home in a car crash. Dad was driving. He was totally devastated and was suicidal. How could he then face his son who is also injured in the plane crash (we kept the news of the mother's death from him when he was away)? He is much better now. But the process of getting him better took so much out of me. I slept an average of 2-3 hours a day for the past 5 days.

[Karl Henning]

God bless you, friend!

[vandermolen]

Goodness me. I can't think of anything more important than what you are doing. How lovely that your wife is so supportive too. All strength to you.