The miracle story of five-year-old Monley Elize offered some rare happy news from the earthquake-shattered ruins of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on Wednesday.
Trapped for seven days and 21 hours in his family's flattened apartment building, the dirt-caked, stunned boy was found -- alive. Apart from being severely dehydrated, medical workers said the boy would probably survive.
How did he do it? It may have been a combination of fortunate factors.
According to Claude A. Piantadosi, a Professor of Medicine at Duke University, and author of the book, "The Biology of Human Survival: Life and Death in Extreme Environments," the critical issue for trapped survivors in Haiti is dehydration.
"At this stage even a small child can go a couple of weeks without food. And a big strapping American can go four weeks without food. It's really about water," he said.
"You can go without drinking for about 100 hours. That's the general rule. That's why the first 100 hours are so important," he said.
After 100 hours (about 4 days), Piantadosi explains, the blood's plasma has lost enough volume that the heart can no longer pump vital fluids around the body, blood pressure drops and tissues start to fail.
To even have a chance at surviving 100 hours, however, a person needs to be healthy and injury-free. Injuries and preexisting conditions introduce their own hazards.
Indeed, it appears five-year-old Monley had no injuries. The boy was just very thirsty -- his first words to his rescuers were, "I want some juice."
It's also key to be in a cool place where you're less likely to sweat so you can stay adequately hydrated for as long as possible. Since Monley was found under rubble, he had likely not been exposed to Haiti's beating sun, and that may have helped.
Still, as a child, Monley likely had a tougher chance at survival. Since children are smaller, Piantadosi explains, their body-to-surface ratio is less than an adult's, and they're more likely to lose the critical amount of water through perspiration.
Despite his size, Monley still beat the odds -- outlasting 100-hour limit in the rubble by 89 hours. How did little Monley do it? Well, as one rescue worker told CNN, "He's a survivor."
Reviving survivors like Monley involves a careful practice of restoring both water and vital electrolytes, including sodium, said Piantadosi.
"You don't want to don't dilute the patient's blood too much as you rehydrate," he explained, since doing so can cause seizures if sodium levels become too low.
After three hours in the clinic, Monley reportedly had taken in lots of fluids, nibbled on a few bites of rice and appeared to regain some of his strength.
Tragically, Monley lost both his parents in the earthquake, but it appears he's going to be fine.
Unfortunately, as today marks the ninth day -- or 216 hours -- since the earthquake, there may not be many more stories like his emerging from the rubble.
Image credit: CNN
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Haiti Earthquake: How You Can Help The Victims:
- The American Red Cross is accepting donations by phone. You can text "HAITI" to 90999 to donate $10 to the Red Cross's efforts, or call 1-800-Redcross or 1-800-257-7575. Visit their Web site to find out more.
- Interaction, the largest coalition of U.S.-based NGOs focused on the world’s poor, has set up a Haiti relief donation page, listing several participating organizations where you can donate.
- UNICEF is also accepting donations for the relief efforts in Haiti and the Caribbean region. Visit their Web site or call 1-800-4UNICEF to donate.
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