Puerto Rico was devastated in September by one of the most catastrophic storms in a century and the island is still in the infancy of its recovery. Marshall University and other Tri-State organizations have rallied to raise money and gather supplies that will provide relief to Puerto Ricans who are still suffering in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria.

The funds and items will go on to help families like those of Rosalynn Quiñones, a Puerto Rican-born assistant professor at Marshall University. Quiñones’ cousin living in Puerto Rico lost everything, and her husband’s family, among those who suffered the most damage, must drive long distances and wait hours in line to make phone calls.

Following the storm, all of Puerto Rico was without electricity. Quiñones waited three days to establish communication with her family, and said the unknown was agonizing for her.

“They were the most painful three days of my life,” Quiñones said. “This hurricane has literally passed through our hearts.”

She said Puerto Rico is not getting all the help it needs because it is so far from the main land and the voices there often go unheard.

“As a territory, our voice cannot be heard as well as other places,” Quiñones said. “We are 2,000 miles away, and I don’t feel like we are being treated as equally as other places affected by Hurricanes.”

Quiñones’ mother was scheduled Oct. 10 to have surgery, which would have removed a massive tumor in her knee and restored her mobility, but hospitals in Puerto Rico are shut down or restricted to catastrophe relief.

Her mother’s surgery is not considered a priority because hospital resources are limited. To simply get ice for her knee, Quiñones’ mother must wait in a three hour line.

After hearing Quiñones’ story, the chemistry department rallied behind her, and helped Quiñones make arrangements for her mother to have the surgery in West Virginia with help from Dr. Felix H. Cheung, associate professor, vice chair of operations and finance and chief of the Division of Orthopaedic Oncology at the Joan C Edwards School of Medicine.

“He did not hesitate to say go ahead,” Quiñones said.

Quiñones said she will travel to Puerto Rico at the end of November to deliver funds and supplies raised, as well as to volunteer for the American Red Cross.

An ongoing Rez Life-sponsored drive includes donation collection bins placed in the First Year North and South residence halls on Marshall’s campus for residents to contribute what they can.

Quiñones will take the collected donations from the residence halls with her when she travels to Puerto Rico, as well as goods collected by the Hispanic community and government in Pittsburg.

She said she is doing so to give back to those she loves.

“I want to help my island,” Quiñones said. “All my family and friends are still there.”

Quiñones said she visits each year but has not lived on the island for 13 years.

Alpha Chi Sigma, an academic fraternity on campus, is collecting relief goods until the end of October in “the swamp,” Room 477 in the Science Building.

Courtesy of Alpha Chi Sigma

Chapter president and senior medical imaging major, Megan Weber said this will be the fraternity’s first major international philanthropy project.

“We’re collecting items in ‘the swamp,’” Weber said. “This is the first large scale thing we’ve done to help with other parts of the world.”

Quiñones, also a member of Alpha Chi Sigma, said the Chemistry Department faculty and staff have given her funds to cover shipping costs of her goods, and to donate to United for Puerto Rico, a relief effort organized by the First Lady of Puerto Rico.

“It showed me the reality of the community we have here,” Quiñones said.

Sebastian Morris can be contacted at [email protected].