By Brandon Goodwin

Three days without speaking to a parent does not seem like a long time for most college students. But for Atsali and Gilbert Fontaine, those were the longest three days of their lives.

Atsali and Gilbert’s parents live in Haiti, the site of the 7.0 magnitude earthquake that has left millions devastated. After the earthquake, the brothers waited impatiently for three days hoping to hear their parents were alive.

Originally from the heart of the earthquake, Port-au-Prince, the Fontaine brothers felt helpless, their only connection to their hometown being the photographs and video of victims and devastated homes.

When Gilbert finally got through to his family in Haiti, a bittersweet relief met him on the other side.

“My parents are alright, but some family members were injured. Some died,” he said. “(Sunday) I went to church and my pastor mentioned an old friend. I didn’t even think about her, so I called my dad. he told me she was dead.”

Gilbert could not get many details and they did not have much time to talk. Gilbert discovered the quake leveled their home and the family business. His mother ran Providence Beauty Shop; his father managed a family restaurant which was in the same building. Providence was the Fontaine’s primary source of income.

Although his father also worked as an engineering manager at a local generator company, the state of his employment is now bleak.

Despite the global efforts to provide aid to the victims, Atsali and Gilbert found out aid has yet to reach their parents. Their neighborhood is working together to scrounge up food and water to share among themselves. The ravaged roads and alleys make it difficult for aid organizations to venture through most areas.

“My mom is grateful that we aren’t there,” Gilbert said. “That would make the situation even more stressful for her. It’s hard enough for them already.”

The Fontaine brothers have not been home to Haiti in five years. Graduating high school from Lexington Catholic, Gilbert and Atsali lived with a close family friend and pastor before enrolling at UK.

Initially, they visited Lexington on vacation, but after spending time here, the pastor suggested the boys finish out high school in his custody. At the time Haiti had fallen farther into economic hardship, regularly experiencing electrical outages and political uproar.

The Fontaine brothers are not sure about their future at UK. Although they have lived in Lexington for five years, they are not American citizens and are using student visas to live here. They hope to continue schooling, but their financial assistance has been virtually cut-off.

Student groups such as Student Government Association and Students Taking Action Globally have worked to help the Haitian students continue their studies and to collect goods for the thousands of other victims.

Andesia DeJesus, a social work freshman and member of the Freshmen Leadership Development Program, volunteered to work a donation table for SGA.

The campus responded positively. After a short while at her table passing out literature, DeJesus said a man dropped $20 into her bucket without saying a word. He came and left in the same step.

Falon Thacker, a political science senior and Student Government Senate president, said she experienced the same generosity when she was working last Wednesday at the Mining and Minerals building.

“As we were ready to pack up and this man comes out of the Mining building,” she said. “He gave us 50 dollars and said ‘I hope you guys can find a place to stay warm,’ but I told him that staying warm isn’t anything compared to what (the Haitian people) are feeling.”

Over the two days student organizations set up tables around campus, raised more than $2,000 and received nonperishable items to send to Haiti.

Thacker said part of the money raised will go directly to Haitian students.

When spring semester picks up, two weeks can seem to drag on. But for the Fontaine brothers, trying to reassemble the pieces of their family and education, it can feel like the shortest two weeks of their lives.