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B.C. couple overjoyed Haitian twins survived quake

2010-01-16 Source:cbcnews

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Earthquake survivors line up for food being distributed by the World Food Program in Port-au-Prince on Saturday. (Ariana Cubillos/Associated Press)

A couple from Kamloops, B.C., is rejoicing over news their adopted twins in Haiti survived the devastating earthquake that hit the country on Tuesday.

Deanna Hik said it's a miracle the orphanage the four-year-olds were in remained standing while most of the surrounding buildings collapsed.

Hik and her husband were at the end of a three-year adoption process when the 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck.

"My knees buckled. It was just awful," she said. "I felt sick. It was the worst feeling ever."

The Hiks had planned to go back to Haiti soon to bring the twins, a boy and a girl, home to Canada. They were just waiting on passports for the children.

Hik said they were sick with concern until they got word on Friday that the twins, along with 120 other children at the orphanage, were safe.

"None of the buildings that the kids were at collapsed," she said.

"Most two-storey buildings did not survive. For our kids to survive, that is just unbelievable to us. It was so hard to have any hope and then to get that email -- I can take a breath."

Hik said now they're worried about food, water and aid for the children.

They are hoping to secure a humanitarian refugee visa for the twins so they can get to Canada soon.

Hik said even if it's temporary, they would be more than prepared to take the twins back to Haiti to complete the paperwork once the country's infrastructure is restored.

(Edit:Ruby)

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