A celebration was held Tuesday at Kosair Children's Hospital for a Haitian teenager who was brought to Louisville for life-saving heart surgery this past summer.Fifteen year old Stephanie Privert had for years suffered from the effects of a faulty heart valve, but it wasn't until after the January earthquake that destroyed her home that she began receiving serious medical attention.The teen was living in a tent with her seven siblings in Port Au Prince when a group called Healing the Children arranged to send her to Louisville for surgery, which was performed at no cost, in early August. Stephanie has been living with host families during her recovery and is now attending school.She told us through an interpreter that she feels stronger than ever."I couldn't breathe, now I can, I couldn't run, now I can, I couldn't play, now I can," she said.Stephanie plans to return to Haiti in December, but her family is still living in a tent and doctors are worried it could affect her health.Her Louisville supporters are raising money to help her family build a house.(Photos from www.facebook.com/StephaniePrivert)
Rick Howlett was midday host and the host of LPM's weekly talk show, "In Conversation." He was with LPM from 2001-2023 and held many different titles, including Morning Edition host, Assignment Editor and Interim News Director. He died in August 2023. Read a remembrance of Rick here.