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Norikazu Tateishi / AP
In this March 22 photo, Manami Kon, using Japanese hiragana characters she just learned, writes a letter for her mother who's still missing after the March 11 earthquake and tsunami at the devastated city of Miyako, northeastern Japan. The 4-year-old Manami wrote, "Dear Mommy. I hope you're alive. Are you okay?" It took about an hour for her to finish it. Twenty days after the disaster that hit Japan's northeastern coast, her parents and a sister were still unaccounted for.
Norikazu Tateishi / AP
In this March 22, 2011 photo, Manami Kon, 4, waits for her parents and younger sister who are still missing after the March 11 massive earthquake and tsunami, in Miyako, northern Japan.
Norikazu Tateishi / AP
In this March 22, 2011 photo, 4-year-old Manami Kon exchanges a high-five with her grandmother at the devastated city of Miyako, northeastern Japan. Manami Kon's mother is still missing after the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.
Read about the latest developments in Japan and see more images in our slideshow.
Related content: 'I will come again tomorrow': Boy, 9, desperately searches for missing family in Japan.
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my heart goes out to all the victims of japan and their families, It is terriable that people like whatmins could even be allowed to voice their uninformed and ignorant comments publicly. people like that are the problem with society. I feel like he should be sent to japan to see and deal with the devistation for a while maybe he might grow a heart and a brain.
OK, we've all taken a stab at whatshispus. Can we now get back to reality? The story is about this sweet child and the others like her who have suffered a great loss. Thoughts out to all that have lost much in Japan!!
Whatmins:
I don't know if you realize this, but not EVERY citizen of Japan is a whaler. Some people in their culture are. Does that mean they should all die?
There are people in America who advocate dog fighting and animal abuse. Does that mean that we should all die?
You're ignorance and heartlessness is disappointing.
Of course not... and Japan isn't the only nation whaling and killing dolphins either so there is a bit of ignorance and racism as well. And not all westerners enjoy giving geese and ducks early liver failure to enjoy foie gras either much less revel in eating up tortured baby calves in form of veal either. What I want from all of these animal lovers especially some select few nuts from PETA, is some uniformity of thought and sanity. If they posture themselves as a loving animal welfare people, why do most of them hate fellow human beings with such fervor? Perhaps some of these people fantasize that they were born as dolphins?
Dear sweet child, may God hold on to your hand wherever your path leads. Your smile is a shining star.
Yes child, remember you are tough and not even God's actions could snuff you out.
Absolutely breaks my heart.
When I saw the photo and caption I cried ,a precious child of God. no matter where she lives she deserves all our love and compassion. Bless her Grandmother she has a great task ahead of her
What she wrote just broke my heart :'( it was soo sad to read her words. Thank god she has her grandmother towatch over her. I pray that her parents and her sister are ok and that her gma lives a good long life. Just heartbreaking at 4. I cant imagine what she is going thru. This is a tragedy, not just for her, but for all the people in Japan who cant find their loved ones.
It brakes my heart guys, just cant watch all of this with out the tears. I need to put my makeup all over again.
Words fail me. I have a four-year-old girl...
Greg G....A trust fund is a great idea. Let me know if you get a bank or other financial institution that can set this up for this little girl, Manami. Deposits could be made online by anyone. The information could be given to the writer of this story. You can email me at boob4bob@yahoo.com with the details and I will be happy to contribute.
I am going to figure something out, WE have to do something for this little girl......
..
I am so happy that Manami has her grandmother in her life. Beautiful child.
Greg G.....A trust fund is a great idea. Let me know if you get a bank or other financial institution to set this up for Manami, such a precious little girl. I would bring her into my own home, but I know that is not possible. I can do the next best thing and contribute to her future. You can let me know how to contribute at my secondary email boob4bob@yahoo.com or if anyone else sets up a trust fund, please let me know!
Heartbreaking, just heartbreaking. I pray for her and hope that they will find their parents alive and well soon. And for those who don't, may they be cared for and find healing and love.
May God be with each and every one in Japan. This tragedy has touched hearts and people way beyond just the earthquake. I pray for each and every soul on this planet. God is sending us ALL messages. Please listen to Him and follow His Word.
He is not in PETA. He is a troll. Ignore him and pray for those who survive. Right now, they need more prayers than the dead.
Whatmins, if I ran into you on the street, I'd club you like a baby seal.
Would you feel the same if this happened in America? at least 15,000 as of now have been counted as dead. And you feel they deserve it? You think we are so perfect over here? Or whereever you are? Is your life so miserable that you get off on kicking someone when they are down? A child? Seriously? What if it was you! You prejudge that girl and you don't even know her. Why don't you take a visit and see all the pepole whose lives will never be the same, or the ones who will be no more. And if you still think you are so perfect Say the same thing over there to there. Bet you will be too chicken to do so. Cold heartless people like you give organizations a bad name. You should be kicked out of that organization..... Go find some other forum to get some attention in you spineless coward.
Why should he? He's getting all the attention he craves right here.
Be strong little Manami. May God protect you and give you a happy life after this sorrow.
I just love when PETA members show their true Nature.
I gotta stop reading these things at work, coworkers ask why my eyes are red or watering.
Thank God she still has her Grandmother. Just a tragedy for anyone to go through, but this little girl just makes you want to grab her and hug her, and let her know it's going to be alright.
Well, then, you need to thank God her mom was swept away, I guess. Oh, wait... See why the whole "God" thing is beyond dopey? Think -- just a little bit -- before hearkening to a god somewhere.
But as for hugs, yeah -- those and more. There is nothing more tragic than children grappling with death. Innocence is precious, and fleeting. To have its fabric rent in such a violent, implacable manner is absolutely heartbreaking. Consolation is our gift to each other -- and she should be made to understand the depth of sympathetic feeling others can bring to her. Love shoulders the burden when hope fails, after all...
Hoopy, your last paragraph I agree with wholeheartedly, I just wish you'd get off the subject of a non-existant God. Seriously. You're an atheist. We all get it. Good for you.
It would be refreshing if your exasperation with my atheism extended at least equally to theists' dogma-espousing posts. Please understand -- I begrudge no one a private belief. We all have them (and by definition these require no particular rationale). But public expression invites public scrutiny -- and not all public expressions are of equal merit (they just share equal access to the medium in play). The goal is to make things whole for the victims -- to the extant that this is possible. I have no problem working with anyone -- of any religious or a-religious stripe -- in seeing this through. I do have issue with those who would presumptively corrupt a tattered innocent, or through careless self-indulgence, publicly promote a logically compromised position. If my comments irritate, I suggest an alternative implication (to the impression that I am an irritating poster) is that these observations challenge a legacy worldview and are not easily dismissed.
God certainly didn't do himself any favors with this article, right?
Obviously some people have never been loved so they do not know how to show that emotion. Sad for them and others in their life.
Whatmins isn't a jerk or a mean person or a serial killer and all of the names were not nice. Whatmins is a jackass that had nothing better to do with his time than to take a serious situation and turn it into his pleasure, that little statement that you made really got some attention for you didn't it? What do you do go around to different sites and post comments like this? Well take the time now to read what you created for your daily pleasure this should be real fun for you.
God bless you sweetheart I know that this time may be hard for you but God has the whole world in his hands. And that includes you and your family
As heartbreaking as this one little girl is, I can't help but think how many thousands more small children are just like her right now? A photographer caught her and now her story is around the world, but what about the rest of them? The death toll is up to somewhere around 20,000 now, right? The thought of how many of those dead are children, and how many orphans are now left is breaking my heart even more. The thought is so staggering it's beyond my comprehension. :(