When natural disasters strike, people's first thoughts are usually with their loved ones. After the devastating earthquake in Haiti, many family members simply lost touch with each other. After a period of anxious waiting, some have finally reestablished contact. But others have to face harsher realities.

Britney Gengel's relatives feel almost surreal after learning of her rescue following the Haitian earthquake.

"She was in the Hotel Montana that had collapsed, but that's all we know, that she is safe and that they told us she was on the helicopter to Port-au-Prince airport, so it's a great day in this world," said Britney Gengel.

But the Gengels' good news did not extend to many other families.

Lorie Johnson lost her sponsored Haitian child.

"For two years, I've just sponsored her, and loved her, and cared for her, just like she was my own. The stairwell. The front stairwell had collapsed on top of her trying to get out," said Lorie Johnson.

But maybe the cruelest situation is getting no answer at all.

Siblings Esther and Adbias Etienne initially could not contact their parents, who had been vacationing on the island.

Tania Baron has received no news about her mother in a smaller Haitian town, because the main focus has been on the nation's capital, Port-au-Prince.

"Because the news doesn't cover, it doesn't cover Grand Goave, so I don't know what's going on. They only show Port-au-Prince and stuff, and I tried to look online," said Tania Baron.

The International Red Cross estimates that up to 50-thousand people were killed by the deadly jolt. And that number is likely to climb.

Nature sometimes shows the world the worst side of its incredible power, but humanity usually rallies to handle the outcome with the best of its capacity.

(CCTV January 16, 2009)