Helpless: deprived of strength or power; powerless; incapacitated.

Helpless: the only word that fits this situation.

Haiti’s citizens are in a state of desperation. They are trying to create a better country for themselves and right now that is resulting in chaos: riots, barricades, government office and school closures, people staying home because they are too afraid to travel anywhere.

Stanley, our five year old son, is in Haiti. We are trying desperately to bring him to Canada. We have filled out every form, signed on every dotted line, emailed our Member of Parliament, contacted Global Affairs Canada… We have done everything in our control to bring him home.

But there are so many factors out of our control. We can’t control the civil unrest in Haiti. We can’t control the fuel shortage. We can’t control, or even fully understand, the frustration and desperation that propel the protests and riots.

Friends keep asking what they can do to help us right now… how they can help us bring Stanley home. All we can ask is that you please read the stories about Haiti. Learn about the country and what it’s citizens are going through. It won’t be easy; Haiti news doesn’t often make it to our front pages. But Google. Search. Look for the stories. Read them. Learn about the resiliency of Haiti’s citizens and how they just want a better country for themselves and their children.

And then maybe take the next step and find out how you can help the people of Haiti.

That’s all we can do right now because we are, by all definitions, helpless.

But we are not hopeless.

We will get our boy home.