Nepal earthquake: Lawrence native helps victims of catastrophe

After a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck Nepal on Saturday, Lawrence native Karin Feltman waited out dozens of aftershocks in an open field. Homes cracked, windows shattered, and brick walls fell into piles in the streets, said Feltman, who currently lives in Kathmandu.

Karin Feltman

The earthquake, the epicenter of which was registered near Lamjung, about 50 miles from Kathmandu, has already left more than 1,400 people confirmed dead.

Speaking to the Journal-World from Kathmandu, Feltman explained she was at church when the earthquake struck and was thrown to the floor.

“During the sermon the lights suddenly went out, and the building began to shake violently back and forth,” she said. “Some made it out, and others of us were thrown to the ground, so we huddled by the wall and prayed.”

Feltman said the experience was terrifying, but that did not stop her from doing what she is known for: helping others. Feltman, who is a registered nurse, headed to the hospital to help with the emergency response. About 30 dead and hundreds of wounded were brought in while she was there, Feltman said.

“I took vital signs, managed IVs, put in a catheter,” she said, “and tried to comfort people.”

Taking action in a crisis seems to come natural to Feltman. She also volunteered in disaster relief efforts following Hurricane Katrina and the 2010 earthquake in Haiti. She also participated in medical mission trips to Honduras and Kenya.

In addition to her international efforts, Feltman’s involvement with programs such as Habitat for Humanity, the Lawrence Interdenominational Nutrition Kitchen and Leadership Lawrence have made her name a familiar one in Douglas County volunteer circles.

Most of Feltman’s career has been spent in emergency response. She worked 22 years as nurse for Lawrence Memorial Hospital, the majority of that time in the emergency department. Feltman has been in Nepal since January 2014 as part of a human trafficking prevention program.

As far as Feltman’s emotional response to the Nepal disaster, she said, for right now, they are all just surviving.

“No time for feelings yet,” she said. “I am sure those will hit when we have a chance to process.”

Despite her various contributions, Feltman doesn’t take much of the credit herself.

“It is God that makes me take action,” she said. “I have given my life to serving him, and this is part of it. And he wired me this way, so that makes it OK.”