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Pakistan-Based MASH Unit Helps Quake Victims; Army Families Cope with Separation Anxieties

Aired December 28, 2005 - 14:30   ET

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

CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: If you've ever caught an episode of the TV show "M.A.S.H.," take note: there's only one MASH unit left in the U.S. military and it's in Pakistan, helping the victims of the recent earthquake.
CNN's senior medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta with a story first seen on "ANDERSON COOPER 360."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In the mountains of Pakistan, you need two functioning legs to survive. They tell me anything less, and like an animal, you die. In other words, to lose a leg here is a death sentence.

That's why they worry about 10-year-old Abita Danon (ph). She now has only one leg. The other crushed when the walls and roof of her school buckled all around here.

CAPT. JOHN FERNALD, MASH PEDIATRICIAN: One of the true disasters in pediatrics is all the schools that collapsed. So, you know, every (INAUDIBLE).

GUPTA: Abita (ph) was one of three children to survive out of more than 200. But she is considered lucky.

(on camera): It's hard to believe that this was actually a school once. These are actually tables over here, a bench for the students over here.

This is where they studied. You have notepads still lying on the ground, pencils all still standing just the way it was on October 8.

I also couldn't help but notice some of these signs around the room. This one in particular, "Out of the frying pan, into the fire," with the Urdu translation underneath. How eerily true.

Then over here, just a whole collection of papers and books. Someone came back and wrote on this chalkboard in Urdu afterwards. It reads, "On October 8, 2005, the earth shook and wreaked havoc." And it certainly did for so many students in this school and so many members of this community.

(voice-over): It was also a description of what happened to Abita Danon. She was so fragile, so badly injured, simply moving her meant it would take over a month to get her to the hospital. If she could get there at all. By the time she did arrive, she was infected and nearly dead.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Bones were sticking out of the skin for 30 days before they were treated and the infection is just persistent. And, you know, it requires a lot of trips to the operating room.

GUPTA: Nine operations so far. It would take all the resources of the U.S. Army's 212th MASH unit to coax her leg and life back to health.

A MASH unit. Remember? A Mobile Army Surgical Hospital. And this is the last MASH in existence. After it's gone, MASH will be disbanded in favor of smaller, more nimble units. But here, in northeastern Pakistan, 200 patients a day are lucky MASH is still open for business.

Here, a young boy with scabies. This man simply can't sleep. A woman who's lost all feeling in her hand. And some of the stories are just too much to bear.

Dr. Mohammed Haque from New York City is volunteering. A Pakistani-American doctor and a Muslim. He took care of Americans after 9/11.

DR. MOHAMMED HAQUE, VOLUNTEER PHYSICIAN: (INAUDIBLE) baby starts crying.

GUPTA: No matter how hard he works, he can never bring back a young girl's mother.

This woman was carrying her baby that morning. And even though she broke her arm trying, she could not save her baby's life.

My own daughter is six months old. These stories so incredibly hard to hear.

And this is just one day. All of this pain and grief in just 24 hours.

At the MASH unit, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, Muzaffarabad, Pakistan.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: You know, military service during war is tough on the troops in the field and the families left at home. Well, there's a new manual out there to help moms and dads and in-laws and even spouses. It's called "Your Soldier, Your Army: A Parents' Guide" and it was written by Vicki Cody. She is the wife of the Army's vice chief of staff and the mother of two army captains who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Vicki joins me now from Washington. Vicki, why did you feel the need to write this pamphlet?

VICKI CODY, AUTHOR, "YOUR SOLDIER, YOUR ARMY": Well, after being an Army spouse for the past 30 years and I've seen all the great things we've been doing for spouses and kids of soldiers, I realized all of a sudden that we weren't doing enough for parents. And I think it was because all of a sudden I found myself in this new role. I'm the mother of two soldiers and they're deploying multiple times.

And I thought what better way to give back too the Army and all the families? Because we are like one big family. I thought, why don't I just write a book of my experiences and hopefully I can help all those parents out there and grandparents and siblings. It's not just about a soldier's spouse.

LIN: Right, right.

CODY: It's all those family members that need and want information. So, I tried to write a small booklet that would help all those families out there.

LIN: You know, Vicki, because it's really the little things, you know, that make a difference in your relationship with that person abroad. Like, even the phone call in the middle of the night, right?

CODY: Exactly.

LIN: And what you can say and what really you need to keep to yourself.

CODY: Right. And, carol, what I started -- when I sat down to write it, at first I was thinking in terms of just a deployment guide. Then I realized it was much larger than that, that I needed to give these family members an overview of army life in general, whether they're soldier deploys or not.

LIN: Well, let's be specific. You know, when you were talking about that phone call in the middle of the night.

CODY: Right.

LIN: If I'm waiting for that phone call, I mean, my whole life centers around hearing from my husband or my son or my daughter. And I want to say, you know, I'm so scared for you and I'm sitting here at home and my heart's breaking, how are you doing? But you're saying, no, those are things you got to keep to yourself.

CODY: That's OK. Both of our sons, they know that I worry about them every day. What I try not to do is put my fears on them. I try not to cry when I'm on the phone with them. And sometimes that's very hard. I think what I -- the advice I give to the parents is maybe have some things. Write down some things during the week if you know you're going to get a phone call so you're not caught off guard, because many times, the phone calls come in the middle of the night.

You might be tired, you might be half asleep, and we're all so used to being able to pick up the phone and call our kids or call them back. You may only get a two-minute phone call. You don't get to call them back.

And the other thing that I always tell parents, never miss an opportunity to tell your soldier how much you love him, how proud you are, because they may not be able to call again for awhile. Never miss that opportunity.

Try -- just try to be upbeat. It's -- we just recently had to put our dog to sleep, our 10.5-year-old dog that was very important to both of our sons. I e-mailed them the night before and I said, look, it's come down to this, this is what we're doing tomorrow, but I really would like to talk to you.

They both called me the next morning. I felt so much better after I was able to talk to them about it. They felt better. So it's not like you avoid these things or keep information from them. I think there's just a way to do it so I tried not to upset them, but I also felt like they needed to know that Barkley was leaving us. So, you know, that's just one of the tips or pieces of advice.

LIN: Hey, Vicki, we were just watching some -- you know, frankly it's my favorite video coming in sometimes where it's the family reunions.

CODY: Oh, yes.

LIN: You know, I mean, the joy on their faces. But, you actually say the hardest part is not when they deploy, but when they come home. Why is that?

CODY: Well, it's difficult because you've had probably 12 months of pent-up, built-up emotions and you're just waiting and waiting and sometimes the time that you think they're coming home they either get delayed by a of couple days -- it gets very stressful. I think it's harder for spouses.

LIN: Because when they come home, it's going to be perfect, right? And it's so romantic.

CODY: And it is -- right, exactly. As a spouse, the homecoming -- it's like a honeymoon the first week or two, then reality sets in and you have all your day-to-day stresses and everything else that goes on is going on again, even though your soldier has just returned.

And, as a parent, I remember when our -- both of our sons came back the last time, I remember two days afterwards having this big let down after we had welcomed them home and there was that huge emotional high of seeing them come off the airplane and then it was like, all of a sudden, now what?

For 12 months I had lived with, you know, the stress, the fear, the worry. I didn't know what to do with those emotions. It was kind of -- and I remember talking to some other mothers and I said, what do we do now? And we all said the same thing, that we had this big meltdown but it was more relief by then because our kids had come home.

But it is a very emotional time and you need to remember that, that it's not smooth sailing. But the bottom line is, if your soldier is lucky enough to come home safe and sound, you just make the most of it and be there if you can. LIN: Yes, all that matters. Boy, Vicki, you are, like, in a perpetual long distance relationship with your own family, right? I mean, if it's not your husband, it's going to be your sons.

CODY: Right. I know. I feel like I've been doing this my whole life. You know, my husband hasn't deployed recently but a few years back he was doing his time in Albania and Kosovo, and then it seemed like all of a sudden one day it was time for both of our boys to be doing this.

And it's not just one time, it's multiple times and I'm not the only one. I mean, there are so many hundreds of thousands of families that are going through this and families that have more than one son or daughter serving. Our family is not unique.

I just chose to try to look at the good side of it and put all of that into a book that would help people, inform them. But also, what I wanted to do was comfort and reassure them.

LIN: Right.

CODY: And I thought, what better way to do that than to share my 30 years of experiences if I can teach them along the way, but the bottom line is, I just want them to embrace this life the way we have and love it and take it for what it is.

LIN: And you know. You know ...

CODY: Exactly.

LIN: ... how precious life is and how to live life for the each day. Right, make the most of it. You don't want to think about what may be on the other end. But bless you for having two beautiful kids serving this country and a husband as well.

CODY: Thank you.

LIN: And I know they're -- your sons are still deployed.

CODY: Yes.

LIN: So happy holidays to your family, OK?

CODY: Thank you so much.

LIN: And we want to tell people how you can get a hold of this pamphlet. It's really terrific and it's free. You go the Web site, AUSA.org. That's AUSA.org, and you can download it for free. Vicki has got some terrific advice. Vicki Cody, thank you so much.

CODY: Thank you.

LIN: We're checking in with the world of entertainment up next. What's on tap, Brooke?

BROOKE ANDERSON, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: Well, Carol, unfortunately it's a sad day in showbiz. The entertainment community is saying good-bye to Michael Vale. He's that famous Dunkin' Donuts pitchman.

And also, I'll tell you which Oscar-winning actress is now working in law enforcement. All that when LIVE FROM returns.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: In entertainment news, the time to make the donuts will now be on someone else's time. Television's most famous doughnut maker has died. CNN's Brooke Anderson is in New York with more details -- Brooke.

ANDERSON: That's right, Carol. He was the beloved television commercial actor who delighted a generation of TV viewers with this famous phrase.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL VALE, ACTOR: Time to make the donuts. I made the donuts.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Michael Vale, the character actor, who portrayed Fred the baker from the Dunkin' Donuts commercials has died from complications of diabetes. The Brooklyn native was a veteran of a dozen Broadway shows, a handful of moved, and about 1,000 commercials when he joined some 300 other actors for a Dunkin' Donuts casting call that was back in 1982.

Over the next 15 years, Vale starred in more than 100 commercials for the pastry retailer before the donut chain celebrated his retirement. And they did this by giving out six million free doughnuts. Vale, who used to joke that he was paid in doughnuts, is survived by his wife, son, daughter and one granddaughter. He was 83 years old.

Well, so what do you do when you're a world-famous actress who seems to have everything. Well, if you're Mira Sorvino, you pick up a second job in law enforcement. The Oscar-winning beauty was sworn in yesterday as a deputy sheriff in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania. You see her there, the event which took place at the sheriff's office in Scranton doesn't give the actress any real police powers, it's only ceremonial.

Sorvino's father, actor Paul Sorvino -- here he is -- received the same honor back in 1982 when his film, "That Championship Season," was shot in the area. And of course, if push comes to shove, the actress shouldn't have a problem using a gun. Carol, she used one quite a bit in this year's T.V. movie, "Human Trafficking." And she and and her co-star Donald Sutherland were each nominated for Golden Globes for that film, in fact.

LIN: OK, practice counts. Brooke, thank you. Up next, an update on a furry friend found by a CNN crew the day after Hurricane Rita hit. A bittersweet reunion when LIVE FROM continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: More now on the story of a poor pup and the producer who loved her. In September, we witnessed her rescue in the aftermath of Hurricane Rita. Miles O'Brien updated the saga for CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): It was the morning after Hurricane Rita. We had just weathered the storm at the police station when shortly after dawn we heard a whimper amid the wreckage of a storage shed.

(on camera): There we go. There he is. Oh. Don't let him go. Don't let him go.

He's OK. He's just scared and wet.

(voice over): It was a spontaneous moment which later provided some grist for Jon Stewart.

(on camera): And we'll make sure that the dog gets back to its rightful owner.

JON STEWART, "THE DAILY SHOW": This story has a happy ending. Miles O'Brien was adopted by a nice family in Baton Rouge.

O'BRIEN (voice over): The truth is, for producer Dana Garrett, it was love at first sight.

DANA GARRETT, CNN PRODUCER: When she came out of that crate she was so forlorn looking. And she just crawled into my lap. And honestly, if she had had arms to hug me, she would have. She just crawled up and pressed against me and was just so sweet. And I really just fell in love with her immediately.

O'BRIEN: No tags, no phone number on the crate. And police said if the owner did not materialize soon the dog would be put to sleep.

GARRETT: Especially having rescued her, I just thought, you know, I can't let that happen.

O'BRIEN: A week passed. No one came forward. Dana and the dog left town together to Dana's home in New York. She named her Sunny. She made fast friends, canine and human alike.

It was a happy ending. Or so it seemed.

MISTY MCCOURTNEY, RESCUED DOG'S OWNER: Hey, is my mom there?

O'BRIEN: Enter Misty McCourtney, the dog's rightful owner. The 17-year-old adopted the puppy when she was only 4 weeks old, named her Nevaeh. That's heaven spelled backwards.

MCCOURTNEY: We end up taking her home the first night we got her. She couldn't eat on her own, so we bottle-fed her.

O'BRIEN: Misty had been frantically trying to track the dog down. She finally got the story from police. And six weeks after we rescued the dog, Dana got the call she feared.

GARRETT: I knew at that point that I was so attached that I wasn't going to be able to just put her in a crate and put her on a plane and ship her back home.

O'BRIEN: So Dana drove her back 1,300 miles to Misty's new home with her dad in Nebraska.

Here she is.

MCCOURTNEY: Nevaeh, hi there, baby. Oh my god. Oh, you're getting me all dirty, but I don't care.

GARRETT: She saw Misty and she was happy. But then it kicked in, and you could see when she really realized who it was. And she got so excited and just started whimpering and scampering around. And it just made me feel so good that she recognized her and was really happy to see her.

MCCOURTNEY: I just feel really, really excited that she's here. And I want to thank you so much for bringing her back. I'm really happy you brought her back.

O'BRIEN: A bittersweet end to the tale of the pup-struck producer, the grateful owner and a well-loved pooch. Miles O'Brien, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: Don't worry, we'll take real good care of Dana.

Up next on LIVE FROM, it's usually bad news when you see these guys pull up, but you have to give them credit for managing to find laughs in their line of work. We'll share some true bathroom humor and we promise not to get potty-mouthed.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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