KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Friends with family ties to Turkey watch everyday for news from the earthquake-ravaged country, where more than 21,000 people are dead.
Jessica Jenedi and Bank Koken-King watched intently Thursday in Shawnee as more news from came from Turkey on recovery efforts.
The footage shows people pulled from the rubble and Jenedi and Koken-King hang onto every image.
They know it could be their family or friends next.
"So if their still rescuing people, there's hope for my family," Jenedi said.
Her husband grew up in Turkey and Jenedi has photos of his family's building destroyed by the earthquake.
"Are they even alive? How can they even get them out? How deep are they?" she said. "Since Sunday, they have been trapped under the rubble. We don't know their fate."
Jenedi's husband's aunt, uncle, cousin, and two-year-old are still missing.
"And that's the hardest knowing that that baby has gone without her mom," she said. "They've heard some cries for help. They've heard a baby crying and we have the two-year-old, the two-year-old girl that's trapped underneath the rubble and we don't know if that's, is that our baby crying or who's crying underneath there."
Koken-King grew up in Turkey and knows about earthquakes, but nothing like the latest one.
"It looks like a nuclear bomb exploded there or something," she said.
The two women hope to raise awareness and funds to help survivors.
"There are people still underneath the earth," she said.
You can help by sending donations to the website below.
