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Community Corner

Lynbrook Nurse in Haiti to Aid with Cholera Outbreak

Rebekah Trieber to help those suffering in earthquake-ravaged nation.

Lynbrook resident Rebekah Trieber is on a mission — one of goodwill to help others. Determined to aid people in Haiti suffering from cholera, a deadly bacterial disease which originates from contaminated water, Trieber was eager to help those in dire need, and set out for the struggling country last Friday.

Since the earthquake that hit the nation this past January — over 200,000 people were killed — many Haitians have been living in unsanitary tent camps, unable to properly wash their hands in clean water and using stagnant water to wash their vegetables and fruits.  According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cholera can cause vomiting and diarrhea so extreme, an individual can die from dehydration within hours.

A full-time nurse, Trieber is in Cite Soli, Haiti this week with the Samaritan's Purse, a non-denominational evangelical Christian organization which provides spiritual and physical aid to suffering individuals around the world. "I will be treating people with medical relief," Trieber said of her mission in Haiti. The facility where I will be working has 150 cots, which is full at all times. Since the outbreak, over 1,000 people have died."

The country holds a special place in Trieber's heart — she was born in the southern part of Haiti. "My parents were missionaries. I was 14 years old when I left," she said. "I can still speak a little Creole. Haiti is such a beautiful island."

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According to Trieber, volunteering her time and efforts to help others comes naturally for her. "I have always had a desire to help others," she said.

The Rev. Bob Walderman, pastor at Lynbrook Baptist Church, said he is thrilled about Trieber's enthusiasm to lend a helping hand.

"She has a real heart for Haiti. She felt very burdened to do whatever she could," Walderman said. "We all read the papers, and the cholera outbreak is a frightful epidemic."

Youth Minister Greg Anglen said that giving back runs in the Trieber family.

"Her daughter is a missionary in Asia," he said. "They are wonderful people and we are all very excited about her being in Haiti doing such a wonderful thing."

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A nurse for over 30 years, Trieber works at South Nassau Communities Hospital and also in the Valley Stream School District.

Married to her husband, David, for the past 36 years, they have three children. Supportive of his wife's goal to provide medical assistance in Haiti, David said he couldn't be prouder. "I think what she is doing is a wonderful blessing," he said. "She is a very giving woman."

More than willing to help the struggling Haitians, Trieber said she feels honored to aid such resilient individuals. "They are such hardworking people who have suffered so much that I wanted to give back to them," she said.

For more information about Samaritan's Purse, visit www.samaritanspurse.org.

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