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As paramedic Kathy Harms navigates the devastation in the aftermath of the catastrophic 2005 Kashmir Earthquake as a first-time medical aid worker, she is confronted by the scale of suffering she observes in the region, and her own lack of experience in the area of humanitarian work.
In the field, she meets Nadeem Malik, a 19 year old student struggling to come to terms with personal loss and the destruction of his home and everything that was once familiar. He must now find a way to support his family, and find them suitable shelter for the cold winter months. His plight mirrors that of the 2.8 million people in the region who were displaced by the earthquake begging the question, is recovery from a disaster of this scale even possible?
“Resilience in the Rubble: A True Tale of Aid and Survival in Kashmir” weaves together the firsthand accounts of both Kathy and Nadeem. Though heartbreaking, their personal stories show the strength of the human spirit, and the resilience of a population to overcome unthinkable adversity.
What people are saying
“There are way too few accounts that address, with this level of detail, quality and humanity, a personal account of a first responder to a disaster in a foreign country. Ms. Harms creates, with her reconstruction from detailed notes made at the time of her deployment as a medic there in 2005, an unforgettable experience for anyone curious enough to read ‘Resilience in the Rubble’.”
— Eric Franklin
As I read the concluding paragraphs of this story, I felt all of the emotions rising within me. Kathy has provided the reader an opportunity to experience, in a small way, what she and Nadeem did: the need to stay strong in the middle of the crisis, the holding of their breath until they were safely home again, the flood of emotions that comes in the personal aftermath of witnessing the extreme collective grief, trauma, and physical devastation of a nation. This is an eye-opening, life-changing, soul-touching story, and one that I hope will end up in the hands of those who will understand the gift she and Nadeem have offered by sharing it. It’s an extreme honour to be one of the first to share this journey through their words. I’m deeply touched.
— Tineke Ziemer
Kathy Harms Creative 