Haitian Student in Plymouth Worries and Waits

By Shelley Walcott

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  • Lakeland College student hopes to hear from family in Haiti. Video by 620wtmj.com

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PLYMOUTH - For James Trazile, Plymouth is a long way from Port au Prince... especially now.

The Haitian native hasn't been able to reach his family since Tuesday's earthquake, and he's fearing the worst.

"I haven't been able to sleep really because seeing all those people camping out and me being here and just having a nice bed to sleep in it's just heartbreaking."

The 21-year-old Lakeland College junior was born in Haiti. His mother, father and brother died of various illnesses before he was 17-years-old.

Raw Video:
• AP Video of the quake as it's happening

One person from Southeastern Wisconsin is reported missing in Haiti:
• Peter Van Horn, a Town of Delafield Supervisor

More: 
• Milwaukee-Area Student Returns from Haiti 
• La Crosse Man Feared Dead in Haiti
• Watch Out for Haiti Charity Scams
• Sheboygan Church Group OK after Quake
• Local Woman Longs To Help Family in Haiti
• Local Haitian Student Worries and Waits
• No Word Yet on Child Sponsored by WTMJ Anchor
• Racine Couple Loses Family in Earthquake
• Church Groups Workers OK
• UW Group in Haiti Unhurt
• Local Groups Reeling
• Milwaukee's Eyes on Haiti
• MSNBC Coverage

Audio: 
• Mike Elliott letting "Wisconsin's Morning News" know Melissa Elliott was found
• Dr. Ron and Ronnie Pruhs, who have done service work in Haiti for years, on 620WTMJ's Wisconsin's Morning News

Blog: 
• Shelley Walcott's "Don't Tell The Boss": My Hope for Haiti
• The Cold-Filtered Ramblings of Gene Mueller: How To Help

TODAY'S TMJ4 HD's "How You Can Help Phone Bank"
• You raised $54,000!  Thank you!

Sampling of Haiti-Serving Charities with Milwaukee Connections:
• American Red Cross of Southeastern Wisconsin
• Catholic Archdiocese of Milwaukee World Mission Ministries
• Episcopal Diocese of Milwaukee Haiti Project
• Friends for Health in Haiti 
• Gesu Parish in Milwaukee, twinning with St. Jude's Church in Haiti
• Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Milwaukee, twinning with Norwich Mission House in Haiti
• Our Little Brothers and Sisters
• Salvation Army of Southeastern Wisconsin
• St. Francis Cabrini Parish in West Bend's Haiti Outreach
• St. Mary's of Hales Corners
• Three Angels Children's Relief

Other Efforts: 
• Text HAITI to 90999 and $10 will be donated automatically to the Red Cross, charged to your cell phone bill
• MSNBC's List of Charitable Organizations
James grew up in abject poverty: "Going to school without eating and all that that was a big challenge."

Lakeland College is a far cry from Port au Prince. James arrived here in 2007 thanks to the help of a Sheboygan missionary family that took him under their wing.

But today as he walks across campus, James is thinking about Haitian relatives he last spoke to Monday night and wondering if he'll ever see them again.

"I could have been there too you know. I feel that could have happened. I could have been in the middle of this. But I'm just thankful to be here today."