Teen's miraculous survival inside Florida collapse finds purpose
SURFSIDE, Fla. (AP) — Jonah Handler's miraculous rescue from one of the deadliest building collapses inside U.S. history strength seem to have an clear parallel, specified his name.
The teenage male child fell from the 10th ground of the beachfront condo tower that collapsed a year ago inside Surfside, Florida, killing 98 people, including his mother. He landed inside a crevice, trapped inside a compartment amid fallen concrete. A male who had been walking his canine saw Jonah's hand waving from the rubble with every one other accompanied by got help.
For his father with every one other accompanied by others, the rescue brings to cerebrum the Old Testament tale of the prophet Jonah, swallowed by a whale sent by God to save him from drowning.
"Plucked from the jaws of death," Neil Handler said inside an meeting accompanied by The Associated Press. "I truthfully exist convinced by that God puts people inside situations that assist us build character."
Now, Handler is sharing his son's journey to physical with every one other accompanied by intellectual recuperation while they start a footing to assist families with every one other accompanied by earliest responders dealing accompanied by post-traumatic stress disorder, exist fond of Jonah.
Handler said he decided to start the non-profit-making organization inside ability to remember of Jonah's mother, Stacie Fang, following seeing the suffering inside the eyes of the people who pulled his son from the rubble.
Images of a earliest responder carrying Jonah on his shoulders offered hope to rescuers with every one other accompanied by the world while the search with every one other accompanied by rescue task extended for 14 days. He was one of only trio survivors. Fang died following actuality taken to a hospital, becoming the earliest victim identified by authorities. The family straight away requested privacy with every one other accompanied by Handler declined interviews until recently.
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Jonah's father had kept the aftermath of the collapse private to retain protected from danger his son, who is now 16.
The male child spent five days inside the hospital, suffering from compression fractures inside his back, with every one other accompanied by was inside a brace for set of two months. He started therapy to manage accompanied by his mislaying with every one other accompanied by trauma. When thunderstorms roll in, Handler said, he gets frightened.
"Every doctor, every one psychiatrist I spoke to said that he's no indeed different than a combat former soldierold hand who fair came spine from war," Handler said.
He said Jonah, a high educational organization baseball player, went spine to class with every one other accompanied by was treated exist fond of a "regular kid" to return to a sensory power of normalcy.
Often, the father tries to retain things light. On a recent day, they were going into and not here of a list of unclaimed items recovered from the debris. Handler was looking for jewelry he knew was important to Fang, such while a ring passed down from her father. Jonah, on the other hand, was looking at the signed baseballs.
"He said, 'I didn't know so numerous kids inside my building liked baseball,'" Handler said. "He goes, 'Do you believe we tin obtain them?'"
The day earlier to the collapse, Jonah with every one other accompanied by his mother had returned place of residence from seeing her brother, who was visiting Palm Beach County from New York.
Handler with every one other accompanied by Fang had separated nevertheless had a good co-parenting relationship, with every one other accompanied by he suggested letting Jonah pay not here the darkness at his place nearby so she could go see her boyfriend. Handler said Fang told him they would fair remain place since they were tired.
"I believe concerning that a lot," Handler said.
The call came at 2 a.m., while he slept. It was Jonah, asking where he was with every one other accompanied by whether he had heard the collapse. Handler, who lives set of two buildings north, rushed over on foot nevertheless was unprepared for the scene of destruction.
"It was surreal. Dust inside the air, a pile of fair debris, a building sheared inside half, with every one other accompanied by I have no indeed idea where his mom is," he said.
The building had pancaked, ground atop floor, to form a 40-foot-high (12-meter-high) heap of rubble. The passer-by who had heard Jonah's power of speech climbed into and not here of a pile of glassware with every one other accompanied by rebar inside his flip-flops with every one other accompanied by saw the boy's hand waving earlier to he left-hand to obtain help.
The source of the collapse remains under investigation by the National Institute of Standards with every one other accompanied by Technology inside a procedure that could lay clasp of years. But the building had a lengthy history of maintenance problems with every one other accompanied by questions have been raised concerning the quality of its first construction.
A Florida judge gave initial approval last month to a settlement of additional than $1 billion to families who lost loved ones inside the collapse, for which Handler praised attorneys since he said it helps relatives retain away from years of court of rules and regulations battles. A hearing Thursday, the day earlier to the anniversary of the collapse, may finalize the settlement.
Finding a new normal for Jonah with every one other accompanied by his father has go nearer accompanied by its challenges, nevertheless Handler said the male child was on board accompanied by starting the non-profit-making organization inside integrity of his mother.
The footing called Phoenix Life Project will have its inaugural gala the day following the anniversary of the collapse with every one other accompanied by will include families of victims with every one other accompanied by earliest responders who dug into and not here of the rubble.
"These guys saved my kid's life. I am forever indebted to them," Handler said.
The father said that occasionally he feels powerless with every one other accompanied by finds it firm to discern what is representative behavior for a 16-year-old male child with every one other accompanied by how a a large amount of is affected by what he suffered.
"Not only did he survive a collapsed building falling around him, he lost his mom, with every one other accompanied by he's got the survivor's guilt. So it's a whole mess of stuff that he's dealing with," he said.
Handler said he doesn't exist convinced by his son surviving the devastation was an accident.
"I don't believe it was luck. I really exist convinced by he's a miracle. I exist convinced by he was chosen for something," he said.
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