Pierre Garcon has become known for supplying the NFL with dramatic storylines. The wide receiver for the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts defied the odds by catching for over 700 yards this year after having only four catches as a rookie out of Division III Mount Union College. In addition, he helped lead the Colts to Super Bowl XLIV with a record-breaking performance in the AFC Championship Game.

Unfortunately, it's a somber event that's added the latest chapter in the personal narrative of this rising star. As the son of Haitian immigrants, Garcon watched with the result on January 12 as a massive earthquake devastated Haiti. The country now has an estimate of 200,000 people dead and 1.2 million homeless.

"People down there don't deserve for this to happen. Nobody deserves anything like this," Garcon told USA Today.

It’s clear that Garcon has been thinking about the tragedy on and off the field. In the AFC Championship Game against the New York Jets, he caught an AFC Championship record 11 receptions while catching for 151 yards and a touchdown. During the post-game celebration, he draped the Haitian flag over his shoulders as he held the Lamar Hunt Trophy. Off the field, he inspired students at his alma mater, Mount Union, to raise $10,000 for the relief efforts in Haiti.

To this reporter, Garcon is an inspiration not only to those wanting to overcome long shot odds, but to those who feel helpless about Haiti.

"All I'm trying to do is have them not think about what they are going through," Garcon told USA Today.

Barbara Albert is a New York state paramedic and part of a volunteer Haiti Rescue Team. This is account, in her own words, of her experience providing emergency medical relief in the aftermath of Haiti's deadly earthquake.

Part three of of a three part series.
[Read Part Two]

Day 4: Wednesday

While at the safe house provided for us I contacted some family members that were ok and had them pick me up to spend some time with them before I went into work that night. They were located right outside of Port-Au-Prince in an area that mostly got the aftershocks of the earthquake. Homes were not badly affected but still people slept in their backyards due to the fear of not knowing what can happen. On the way to their home I noticed that the Haitian population, in spite of all that is going around them, some are still trying to continue their daily lives. I saw shoe shiners in the street, people selling fruits and vegetables, I saw taxi cabs running, the usual vendors.

But the main problem is there is no clean water unless it is imported, and there is very little fuel. The lines are miles long and people are fighting. The prices are 100 dollars a gallon, that is almost 20 dollars a gallon US. There is little food so the prices are sky high. I didn't even change my US currency to Haitian dollars cause there was no point.

Kids, teenagers, grown ups are all begging in the street. People are taking showers in the street naked in the ravines in public. People are using the street corners as bathrooms. It's horrendous... many people just dont care any more. There was little smell of death in the air, it depends on what area you were in but all bodies were picked up off the street. There were just one or two scattered around. Everywhere you turn there's a tent city made out of sheets with people praying that God spares them the rain.

After the jump: "We saw a patient with 31 gun shot wounds..."

Barbara Albert is a New York state paramedic and part of a volunteer Haiti Rescue Team. This is account, in her own words, of her experience providing emergency medical relief in the aftermath of Haiti's deadly earthquake.

Part two of of a three part series.
[Read Part One]

By: Barbara Albert

Day 3: Tuesday

Well I worked the night shift that started at about 7PM until I get relief the next morning at about 10AM.

During the day we went for a drive around Port-Au-Prince and we saw the destruction of the earthquake. Haiti's famous Catholic Cathedral Church was totally in ruins, the roof collapsed, the windows busted. It looked as if only the front walls were standing. Haiti's White House was destroyed: the roof caved in on the left side and was leaning to one side.

Around the Haitian White House is a national park called (Shan-Mas) that is where most of the surviving Haitians who are now homeless set up a tent city. But what is very disturbing about this tent city is that it is made up of sheets, so if rain were to fall it would be another disaster. With the dirty water flowing, I'm sure many of the thousands of people there are wounded and if that dirty water were to get into their wounds that is a cause of infection. Disease would just flow in the area. As we drove around we noticed supermarkets collapsed, many homes collapsed into the street so people cannot walk or drive in many areas.

There are many make shift churches all over the streets, the communities put about 20-40 chairs outside and praise God all day.

At 7PM I returned to the hospital with the night crew. It's not many of us at night about, 20 of us. As we start our rounds, we replace IV fluids, give pain meds, antibiotics, re-dress wound dressings, hypertension meds, diabetic meds, get patients ready for surgery in the morning, and just be therapeutic and talk to out patients let them know that we are here just for them. But one thing we realized that night is that out patients had nothing to eat or drink so we had to gather all our snacks and little food that we came with every night and our Poland Spring water case that we brought to the hospital and let each patient take a hand full out of a card board box that we made as a serving tray. They were so grateful for anything they received.

After the jump: "During the night (in the dark with flash lights only) we had 5 women in labor."

Part one of a three part series.

By: Barbara Albert, New York State paramedic

Well, my mission began Saturday the 16th.  It was three groups that joined together as one: Bedstuy Volunteer Ambulance Corp.  (made of New York State EMT's and paramedics), The Haitian-American doctors and nurses abroad, and the volunteer ministers of the Church of Scientology. Together we formed the Haiti Rescue Team.

We were ready to go Saturday evening, but as you know, it is hard for a plane to get a slot to land in Haiti's International Airport. By the time we got everything situated in the States, we missed our slot to land in Haiti so we had to spend the night in Miami and head to Haiti the next afternoon. It was a smooth flight

When we arrived in Haiti Sunday afternoon, there were approximately 150 of us. We had to wait on a couple of buses and trucks to transport us/luggage/medical supplies/food.. While sitting on the tarmac where the planes landed (the airport is closed due to severe damage from the earthquake), I witnessed over 125 Haitian refugees standing on line to board the plane that we just got off.. Our coordinator was due to return to the States with an empty plane and flight crew, but refused to do so when he realized hundreds of Haitians were camping outside the airport hoping for a way out the country. He got clearance for some who had the appropriate visas and passports to board the plane. Many had no belongings. Most were children and pregnant woman.

As they stood in line on the tarmac to board the plane our crew started giving them water snacks -- anything we could find. It was heart- breaking to see the looks of chance/survival on their faces and more heartbreaking to see the ones who were turned away crying with desperation.

After the jump: the team arrives at Port-Au-Prince's General Hospital.