Cache Valley Daily

Cache Valley residents alive, assisting in Haiti (w/ Photo Gallery)
By Jennie Christensen

Story Created: Jan 14, 2010 at 12:34 PM MST

Story Updated: Jan 14, 2010 at 5:24 PM MST

Two local registered nurses, Mandi McBride of Mt. Sterling and Carol Smith of Nibley, left Sunday on a humanitarian mission to an orphanage in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Two days later they were caught up in the devastating earthquake that has claimed tens of thousands of lives.

McBride's sister, Sandra Todd, says it was a great relief to hear that they are alive. "Mandi, my sister, had some stuff fall on her as she was trying to get some of the children out of one of the buildings and hurt her leg," Todd said Thursday.

"Of course she doesn't want us to worry. She's not giving us too much information."

Todd says that both McBride and Smith are actively involved in recovery and relief efforts. "They're actually there. There's a makeshift clinic there and they're putting their skills to work. There have been a lot of people come in that they've been able to help."

Although it's Smith's first trip outside the U.S., Todd says Mandi, herself and others in the family have been to Haiti and several other countries numerous times on humanitarian projects. Todd says the people in Haiti are wonderful but living conditions are worse than you could ever imagine, even before the earthquake.

NOTE: Below are some images of the devastation caused by the earthquake, courtesy of the Associated Press. WARNING: Some images are graphic.

Click for photo gallery