Samuel Dalembert rejoined the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday, but the images of his trip to his native Haiti remained burned in his mind.
“I tried to be strong,” said Dalembert, who visited his earthquake-torn homeland with former NBA star Alonzo Mourning as part of Project MediShare.
He watched people having surgery on kitchen tables, observed a leg amputation and saw how quake survivors struggled to find water amid the wreckage left by the quake.
“There’s no recovery room [after surgery], forget about that,” Dalembert said. “You hear screaming. They’re numbing people down. There’s not enough alcohol. There’s glass [from broken windows] everywhere. People haven’t had water for days.”
“The people there are so strong. I salute them all. God is watching over us, and will help us get through this,” he said.
The Philadelphia center landed at Philadelphia International Airport less than an hour before the Sixers met Portland in an NBA contest on Wednesday night.
He arrived at the arena minutes before tip-off, but got the nod to start.
Dalembert scored 10 points with 15 rebounds, his sixth double-double in his past eight games.
Dalembert had been excused from Tuesday’s practice to make the trip to Haiti, and left the Caribbean nation before the strong aftershock that shook the country on Wednesday.
“He’s a great person. He’s doing a lot for his country and a lot for his teammates,” 76ers teammate Allen Iverson said. “He’s got a lot on his shoulders, but he’s carrying the load.”
Dalembert said he had spoken with his father since returning to the States. While the player has a brother, sister and grandmother in Miami, his father said he would stay in Haiti.
“He’s going to do whatever he can to help down there,” Dalembert said. “We need to work together to make this thing happen. I do my best. I can try and raise as much money as possible and make sure it’s going to the right place.”
Dalembert has donated US$130,000 to relief efforts and filmed a public service announcement seeking aid donations, but said much more is needed.
“There are a lot of homeless children looking for families, and the situation is so critical there. So many people lost everything. I know people are doing their best to help, but it’s crazy over there,” he said.
“I know I’m not going to save the whole country, but I know deep inside that we need to do more,” he said. “Maybe we can save some lives, and make others just a little bit better.”
The Sixers fell 98-90 to the Trail Blazers.
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