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CNN Live At Daybreak

Young Children Must Also Deal With the Crash of Flight 587

Aired November 14, 2001 - 06:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: You know it's hard enough for adults to understand why bad things happen to good people. Well just imagine how troubling the recent disasters in New York might be for young children. CNN's Brian Cabell shows us how families in the Rockaway community are dealing with the challenge.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN CABELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Eight-year old Alex Berger, there in the dark jacket and his friends witnessed what happened in their neighborhood on Monday.

ALEX BERGER: The plane crashed two houses diagonally behind ours.

CABELL: Alex smiles a lot, but his dad says Alex comprehends the crash was horrible.

STEVE BERGER, FATHER: We've told him that something dangerous happened and if he feels any problem, he should come right to mommy and daddy.

CABELL: The parents at Bell Harbor School, about three blocks from the crash site could be excused if they waited a little more anxiously for their kids to get out on Tuesday. In fact attendance was down about 40 percent. These aren't normal times here in Rockaway.

Deanine Buckley and her sons Billy and Michael heard the crash just a couple of blocks away.

DEANINE BUCKLEY: Later on in the day I walked to our eldest son down the block to show them that everything was OK and that a lot of people came out to help. Unfortunately some people died. However, they're with God right now and God is taking care of them.

CABELL: Little Amber Fash, here with her mom and a friend apparently doesn't even know about the crash. Mom's not telling her a thing.

NANCY FASH, MOTHER: She's only four and she's not asking any questions, you know, I don't want her to know.

CABELL: That may work for a four-year old, but not for the older children. They see and understand too much. The police, the heavy equipment, the media, maybe even the horrifying fire on Monday on the very streets where they normally play and ride their bicycles.

They're back in school, these kids, but a lot of the learning these days is surely taking place at home with mom and dad. Brian Cabell, CNN, Rockaway, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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