The resilience of Antioch...

The tragedy of Turkey and victims of the earthquake.

Selim and I have been exceptional friends for over 4 years in NYC. Selim is a doctor and works at Montefiore Hospital in the Bronx. He is from Antakya, one of the hardest-hit regions in southern Turkey. His hometown was leveled and his family has been sleeping in their car for a week without basic necessities, his community destroyed. The images we are seeing in the media cannot convey the devastation. After 2 days, 2 airplanes and a long treacherous drive he reached his family and the rubble after the earthquake. Like tens of thousands of others in Turkey they have lost family & friends. .

Your donation, your money, will go directly to me, managed by Selim and I and then distributed directly to family, friends and the community of Antakya. I will cover any extra fees necessary for processing. This couldn't be more direct. These funds will be used for immediate emergencies and towards the rebuilding of his community. I have never created a fundraiser for another cause, other than my own non-profit, Global Children (working in Cambodia) a registered 501c3 organization of 23 years. This is a first. This is a must. If you have felt helpless this past week, we are providing the opportunity for you to be as useful and as close to the victims of this tragedy as possible. Our goal is to reach $10k but I am confident that our friends and family (all of you reading this) will exceed this goal and hear the plea in our voices to be part of the solution and not just a bystander.

BY SENDING THIS MESSAGE TO YOU I HAVE MADE YOU PART OF THIS COMMUNITY. WHETHER YOU CONTRIBUTE $5, $50 or $5,000 WE ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR BELIEF IN US and YOUR INNATE HUMAN DESIRE TO HELP THE SUFFERING OF OTHERS.

Thank you, Selim Mısırlıoğlu, the Mısırlıoğlu family and the city of Antakya (& Laura) ....