One Year Later, Child Who Survived Earthquake Thrives

NORTH MIAMI (CBS4) - Six-year-old Gancci Saintellus has seen enough devastation to last a lifetime after surviving the Haitian earthquake a little more than a year ago.

"Little by little, everybody started noticing, 'hey, something's not quite right,' and we saw he had a prosthetic arm and found out he lost his arm in the Haiti earthquake," said custodian and event organize John Bequer.

Gancci enjoys drawing and reading, and now he's receiving some big help from his school, the David Lawrence Jr. K-8 Center in North Miami.

"We told him some of the things we could do for him, occupational therapy, because he was a righty and that was the hand that got amputated," said David Lawrence principal Bernard Osborn.

But the help didn't stop there. Gancci will soon receive a better-fitting prosthesis thanks to his teachers and classmates.

Tuesday, the school will play a basketball game against teachers at Sunny Isles Beach Community School to help raise funds for a better fitting arm.

His father, Olgan, is overwhelmed by the school and community's generosity towards his son.

"It's one of the biggest gifts I could receive in my life because my wife and I are so preoccupied for Gancci's prosthesis and he's always asking me personally, 'where is the arm I promised him,'" Olgan said.

Gancci was chosen student of the month in January, and his teacher says he is a class leader.

"He's an amazing child that just wants to do his best even though he lost his right arm," said Gancci's kindergarten teacher Ching Chong. "He's doing pretty well with his left hand."

Tuesday's game is already sold out and is scheduled to be played at Alonzo and Tracy Mourning Senior High School in North Miami.

But organizers and the school's PTA are still accepting donations for Gancci's new prosthetic arm.