Comments on: Aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita Continues to Impacts the Mental Health and Well-Being of Thousands of Children

By: Steve H

Steve H — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 14:10:17 +0000

Katrina helped to shed a real light on the things and services that are missing in our country. The poor in our country are highly underserved and people typically do not care about this until something goes horribly wrong like this storm and shines the spotlight on our failings. These are familes and children that we have seriously failed in our own efforts to get ahead many of them have and had been left behind. There is nothing about this that makes any sort of sense to me. We have to get better as a nation in coming together and taking care of one another rather than always just looking out for number one.

By: Carson

Carson — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 14:24:30 +0000

How about the victims of other storms and in other regions of the world who are suffering today? It is sad to see this going on in our own country but we have to remember that there are parts of the world that are reeling from this kind of devastation everyday.

By: Grace

Grace — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 18:58:58 +0000

I really do wonder how long it is going to take so many of these children to recover from the tragedy that was Katrina. Not only have they lost their homes and friends, but they have also seen their parents robbed of everything they have worked so hard to obtain in their lives. I hope that all of us to continue to remember them in our thoughts and prayers this holiday season, as they are going to need our care for a long time yet to come.

By: John

John — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 11:54:30 +0000

I hope this is better late than never. I think anyone who has been to New Orleans after Katrina would understand that sympathy or empathy is not going to help. Its very true that once a disaster is a month or 2 old, it becomes old news. Noone wants to know what happened to those whose lives are probably going to take more than a decade to reconstruct. Not surprising that children whose childhood has been robbed from them have problems leading normal lives.

By: Jim

Jim — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 23:17:36 +0000

I went down to New Orleans after Katrina with a church group to help get food and water to those who were staying and was I ever blown away. The New Orleans that I saw was nothing of what they were showing on TV. This was a place that was surrounded by death and devastation and all I could keep thinking was that no amount of food and clothing was ever going to help the people there in the aftermath of what they had been through. I still to this day am haunted by the sadness and poverty that I saw there and I feel I have no right to feel bad because of all of the heartache that the residents have experienced. There are families who will never recover and I worry so much about what is going to happen to the children in these familes? They will see that people cared about them for a while but now Katrina is old news and all of the news crews and helping groups have gone away. How can we even think to send them back to that city when no one in high enough places even seems to care anymore?

By: Wendy

Wendy — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 17:25:13 +0000

I hope that the recommendations in the article makes it’s way to the children. I hope that FEMA as well as the government help each child that was involved in Katrina in order to help with the child’s education.

By: karen

karen — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 17:21:48 +0000

I vacationed in New Orleans twice, and absolutely loved the place. I feel like I could live there. It was awful for the disaster that had hit New Orleans and even worse for the government not to react in what should have been a timely manner. New Orleans is a beautiful place with Beautiful people and should not have had to go thru this.

By: Jeremy

Jeremy — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 14:21:10 +0000

Sometimes I wonder if hurricane Katrina was a wake up call, making us sit up and notice what already was happening in society over time. I understand that these things make a lasting impact on people and definitely more so on children. I definitely feel that the govt. should take this study seriously as children make the future of this country.

By: Lydia

Lydia — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 00:50:14 +0000

I lived through it and it was a nightmare for the entire family. We have yet to recover.

By: Shelly

Shelly — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 13:15:55 +0000

I agree with Meg. The response should not have taken as long as it did. They are human beings just like the rest of us and for the government to act the way they did, was very shameful. If it were their loved ones, I am sure they would have jumped on that situation in a hear beat.

By: tiff

tiff — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 13:14:15 +0000

It is sad to hear this and very understandable why these children are having these problems. My god, look what they had to go through. No child or even adult should have to go thru with what they did with Katrina. That was such a terrible disaster in their lives.

By: Meg

Meg — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 23:05:01 +0000

These stories are so sad! It really does make me angry to think of how much of this could have been prevented by some better forethought by the state and federal governments in this situation. Children need to be in a place where they feel safe, comfortable, and secure and there is no telling how long this may be for this to happen for many of these displaced families. Those who handles this situation in such a poor manner ought to be ashamed. perhaps some of their fat paychecks should go to helping find these people whose lives have been completely destroyed adequate housing, clothing and shelter.