Frazile recalls those left behind in Haiti

When Pierre Frazile was 13 years old, his mom packed up three of her children and left Haiti for America.

They came to the U.S. for the same reason millions of immigrants have through the years.

"A better life," said Frazile, a sophomore wrestler at The Citadel.

So far, Bernadette Frazile's gift to her children has brought Pierre a high school education, a college scholarship and a new sport at which he has excelled.

"If I was in Haiti, I promise you, I'd have none of this," Frazile said.

But there were some left behind in Haiti -- a father, another sister, aunts, uncles and cousins -- among the millions impacted by the terrible earthquake that struck the island nation on Jan. 12.

The death toll from the quake has topped 150,000. But after days of uncertainty, Frazile recently learned that members of his immediate family are safe.

"I called home and found out my dad had called and they were OK," he said.

Frazile first learned of the quake through a phone call from wrestling coach Rob Hjerling.

"The first four days after the quake, that's all I did," said Frazile, who moved to Port Charlotte, Fla., with his mom in 2002. "I was on the computer, on the phone, trying to find out if everyone was all right. It was heartbreaking, not knowing if my dad and uncles were OK."

Most of Frazile's family in Haiti lives in and around La Ville des Cayes, a seaport of about 45,000 people in southwestern Haiti. He has fond memories of growing up there, but also recalls the poverty and crime rampant even before the quake.

"My dad is from the countryside of Haiti, but we grew up in the city," he said. "We would go with my dad and spend the day in the country, but never the night. You don't want to spend the night out there, it's bad. Believe it or not, any day in Haiti can be a bad day.

"But in the city, it's OK. You just have the fear of crime. There is lots of poverty. The stuff that is cheap here is very expensive in Haiti."

Frazile, fluent in Creole, French and English, was introduced to wrestling by a coach at Charlotte High School, where he compiled a record of 150-22 and finished as high as second in the Florida state tournament, attracting the attention of Citadel coaches. This season, the 5-6 Frazile had been wrestling at 141 pounds before moving up to 165, where he won his first three matches to move to 12-8 on the season.

Wrestling has been a release from the stress of worrying about his family, he said.

"When I got back to my own room, it hits me," he said. "But when I come to the wrestling room, I know I've got stuff to do. I've got moves to learn, things to fix, so it helps me get out of it. When I go to my room and go online and watch all the videos, that's when it gets to you."

Frazile was gratified that The Citadel used two basketball games last week and Sunday's wrestling match with Appalachian State as fundraisers for the American Red Cross relief efforts in Haiti. The school collected approximately $800 and delivered the money to the Red Cross on Monday.

Citadel football player Sadath Jean Pierre, from Immokalee, Fla., also has family in Haiti.

"It's great to see," Frazile said. "China, France, the U.S., all these countries are helping. It feels good to know that people actually care."