Two students from Kailua whose New Orleans university has been shut down by Hurricane Katrina have stayed to help in the relief effort. Family here at home is concerned but proud.

The 20-year-olds from Enchanted Lake didn't know each other before school at Tulane University. But today, they're serving in the EMS ranks in the wake of our nation's biggest natural disaster.

When aspiring doctor and Damien graduate Kimo Carvalho joined the Tulane student EMS team, he didn't think he'd have a crash course like this.

"I have honestly never imagined that I'd be exposed to anything that I've seen," he told KHON2 News by phone from Louisiana. "All I see is a bunch of people who are just suffering, literally."

Since evacuating from Tulane's New Orleans campus, Kimo and another resident from tranquil Kailua -- Punahou grad Kara Tellio -- have been emergency workers near the center of America's worst disaster.

"I just got back from South Africa not too long ago," Kimo said. "A lot of people there are suffering. I never thought there would be such a direct correlation to America."

They're helping operate a 20-student EMS team with two ambulances and a makeshift hospital out of Baton Rouge.

"Two of my patients have died on me," Kimo said. "I've had to personally help put them in body bags."

The team has been working 24 hours a day since the storm.

"Being able to deal with it and cope with it -- I'm really surprised at myself," he said.

The Yulane fall semester has been cancelled and students can take classes elsewhere. But Kimo and Kara are giving up their fall semester to remain with the relief effort.

"I would be beside myself being somewhere else and not being able to help patients," Kimo said.

Thousands of miles away back home in Kailua, Kara's twin brother is worried but understands.

"Oh, it's horrible, from what I hear it's really, really devastating -- even on the outskirts where she is, it's not pretty," said Andy Tellio. "She wants to help people, I guess. She's just a good, kindhearted person."

Chris Carvalho thinks big-brother Kimo is a hero.

"It's good to know that you have people like my brother in the world who really care to make a difference," Chris said.

The brothers have seen hardships -- raised apart most of their lives, a father incarcerated, a biological mother Chris never met. But they say that's nothing compared to what hurricane victims are going through.

"There's a lot of things worse in life," Chris said. "There's a lot of people who have harder times."


http://www.khon.com/khon/display.cfm?storyID=6921