After their supply plane broke down in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., a group of volunteer workers in Port-Au-Prince were able to catch a flight out of Haiti's Capital Thursday night.
On that plane was Heidi Smith, a nurse in Warsaw, who had been in the earthquake-ravaged country since last week.
Smith, along with her sister April, a nurse in New York, brother-in-law Brian Bartow, niece Kaitlyn Bartow, 16, and nephew Travis Bartow, 18, were in Haiti providing aide.
Warsaw resident Frank Courtois, a native of Haiti, also flew down to his home country.
After flying into Fort Lauderdale Friday morning and passing customs, Smith arrived at South Bend Regional Airport Friday evening to friends and family.
On hand was her father Wes Smith whose organization Full Life Crusades worked in congress with other groups to provide relief to those in Haiti.
Being part Haitian herself, Heidi felt the need to provide help and use her skills.
Speaking to the Times-Union Friday afternoon, she said it was frustrating to see the disconnect between what the media is reporting and what really is going on.
While there are scenes of relief flooding into Haiti, Heidi said its a different story in parts of Port-Au-Prince.
"It's not like that at all," said Heidi of national media accounts of the situation in Haiti. "We walked the streets day and night asking if people had been helped and so many said no."
Heidi's group was at an advantage since Brian can speak Creole fluently.
"When we arrived we were the first group to get to people in this area," said Heidi. "It was exciting and depressing all at the same time."
Heidi said the amount of people her group provided first-aid to was in the hundreds.
After arriving in Port-Au-Prince Sunday, the group walked the streets of the Haitian capital bandaging up people, as well as dealing with more severe issues.
"The need is ridiculous," said Heidi who plans a return trip to Haiti.
Heidi and the rest of the volunteers slept outside, lived on canned tuna and granola bars and had to use holes they dug for bathrooms as sewage ran down the streets.
Despite the dire conditions, nobody in the group got sick.
Also, Heidi said the reports of rioting and looting as detailed by the national media are flat-out inaccurate.
"These are beautiful people," said Heidi. "They were like that before we got here and they're like that now."
Courtois is planning to return in February.
Heidi said that people really need to continue to donate money that will go directly to those on the ground in Haiti.
Heidi also said doctors and nurses need to volunteer."I look at is as, I believe in God," said Heidi. "And I know that if Jesus were here today he'd be down (in Haiti) washing the feet of the poor and sick. And I think people need to think about that when they're wondering what they can do."
Heidi said there will be a huge need for adoptive parents. On their return flight from Haiti, the group sat with 60 Haitian orphans and were by their side as they entered the United States and went through customs.
