Dr. Lena is part of the International Medical Health Organization, a group of doctors from Sri Lanka who send medical supplies and help back to their home country. Marian Community Hospital and Sacred Heart Junior Senior High School are now working with Dr. Lena to raise money for the group.

So far, Dr. Lena has collected between $3,000 and $4,000 for survivors in Sri Lanka, where more than 30,000 people have already died.

At least 50 of those dead are relatives of Dr. Lena, who left Sri Lanka in 1992.

"They were in their houses, and when the wave came, whoever was able to swim or hold onto a tree or wall, they survived," Dr. Lena said. "And the rest of them, they just went under the water. The children, they were not strong enough to fight the force of the water."

Dr. Lena said she called her brother, who lives in Sri Lanka, when she heard about the earthquake. She was relieved to learn he was safe, but that was the last bit of good news. The death toll within her family continues to rise as the fates of the missing slowly materialize.

Dr. Lena, a Marian Community Hospital doctor, turned to the hospital for support after the tragedy. Hospital officials agreed to help Dr. Lena in her plight to collect money and medical supplies.

"We thought it was the best way we could get as much as we could to the right place," said Ralph Imbalzano, the hospital's public relations director. "We knew because of her, this would get to the right people."

Sacred Heart Junior Senior High School also decided to pitch in with fund-raisers and activities all this week. The school hopes to raise $750 to donate in Dr. Lena's name.

"We wanted to connect the kids with someone local to give it a little more meaning for them," said Sacred Heart principal Charles Barlow.

Dr. Lena said IMHO will use the money to buy medications and supplies. Doctors within the group also fly to Sri Lanka at their own cost to work in makeshift clinics.

Dr. Lena, who lives in Archbald with her husband and son, said she plans to help out in Sri Lanka this summer.

"I have to go because I lost so many people," she said. " ... All the doctors who have migrated here have their own stories. We are so fortunate here and so blessed, so we decided we had to do something for our own country."

Those wishing to donate can send money to IMHO, P.O. Box 901, Bel Air, Md. 21014-0901 or bring donations to Dr. Lena at her office at 40 N. Scott St. in Carbondale.