Logan nurses return from Haiti

The two Logan nurses who were in Haiti when the earthquake hit made it home safe Monday afternoon, two days earlier than expected.

Carol Smith and Mandi McBride were able to take an army flight out of Haiti to Sanford Army Base in Florida and then got on a flight from Orlando back to Salt Lake and were met by family members at the airport.

The two left for Haiti Jan. 10 to help out at Ruuska Village, an orphanage located about 7 miles from Port-au-Prince. They were walking up the stairs of one of the 12 buildings there to bring toys to some of the babies when the earthquake hit.

Everyone in the village made it through the quake alive, though houses around the village were all demolished.

McBride has been going to Haiti every three months with her sister Angie Rasmussen, also from Logan, ever since she started the adoption process of her two children, Schnaider, 4, and Charbine, 17, who have been living in Utah with her and her husband Kevin for nearly two years.

Rasmussen had originally planned to go to Haiti with her sister on Jan. 10, but plans changed. She said they have made a pact to never go to Haiti again without each other.

"She's grateful to be home and to be with her family, but she is looking forward to her return trip," Rasmussen said of her sister.

Rasmussen said McBride and Smith parted ways at the airport but talked several times throughout the day Monday.

Smith originally told the Deseret News she didn't know if she would ever go back to Haiti, but told Rasmussen today that she might go back in a year.

"It's been quite a week," Rasmussen said, adding that there were many tears shed when she saw her sister again. "Miracles have come out of this."

Rasmussen and McBride plan to go back to Haiti as soon as they hear from Barbara Walker, who runs Ruuska Village orphanage, that it is safe to come back.

e-mail: slenz@desnews.com