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Effects of Typhoon Haiyan Felt at Tri-City Regional Medical Center in Hawaiian Gardens

Nurses from Tri-City Medical in Hawaiian Gardens gathered box loads of clothes, shoes, cash and supplies that are all being sent to help victims of the Typhoon in the Philippines.  Seen in the photo are Helen Duca, Lita Caguin, Juliet Miranda, JD Windsor and Lila Mappo.  Randy Economy Photo

Nurses from Tri-City Regional Medical in Hawaiian Gardens gathered box loads of clothes, shoes, cash and supplies that are all being sent to help victims of the Typhoon in the Philippines. Seen in the photo are Helen Duca, Lita Caguin, Juliet Miranda, JD Windsor and Lila Napo. Randy Economy Photo

By Brian Hews
When Typhoon Hiayan took a direct hit on the island nation of the Philippines earlier this month, the aftermath was felt around the world, including tens of thousands of residents who live in and around the Hawaiian Gardens, Cerritos, La Mirada and Downey area who have loved ones that were directly impacted.
As the death toll approaches 6,000 victims, and with millions of Filipino residents left without nothing except for the clothes on their backs, trying to get direct help from around the world into the most devastating areas has been beyond a challenge.
On Monday, a group of doctors, nurses and other personnel who oversee Tri-City Regional Medical Center in Hawaiian Gardens united to collect dozens of bags of clothing items including shirts, pants, shoes, blankets, and money that is being directly sent to the victims on the killer typhoon thousands of miles away.
According to Jim Sherman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Tri-City Regional Medical Center, staff members approached him even before the typhoon reached land to begin a conversation on how they could assist the eventual recovery process.
“We were devastated to see what took place, and when we saw the area that was destroyed many of us realized that we had family members living in the direct path of the storm,” Sherman said.
Lisa Napo, who works as a Registered Nurse at Tri-City Regional Medical Center told Hews Media Group-Community Newspaper that she lost communication with six members of her husband’s family, and that one additional family member is missing.
Napo said that her husband Nilo has family living and working in the resort area of Tacloban, and that “everything is totally destroyed, for as far as the eye can see.”
Napo said that the normally “happy, beautiful community” has “dead bodies floating in the lagoons and ocean.”
“Death is all around, I have no words to describe the horror they experienced,” Napo said.
“You can’t go fishing, you can’t travel in the streets, and all of the homes have been destroyed,” she said.
The employees from Tri-City Regional Medical Center have been in regular contact with Diplomats from the Philippines Consulate located in Los Angeles to see what they can do to continue to assist in the effort.

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