Los Olvidados Puerto Rico

On September 20, 2017, Hurricane Maria landed on Puerto Rico’s shores, forcing over 135,000 people off the island within the first six months. In June 2018, I traveled to Puerto Rico to witness firsthand the state of the island’s most vulnerable communities.

The aftermath of catastrophic natural disasters often includes an overlooked and ignored crisis: the toll on mental health, which leads to high numbers of suicides and ongoing trauma for those still trying to recover.

Angel Gonzalez, the blind 85-year-old man in the first photo, had been without running water or electricity since Hurricane Irma landed on September 6, 2017. He lived in Salientito, Jayuya, with his dog, Paloma, and committed suicide one month after I met with him at his home. Within that time, his story went from highlighting the struggles of a visually impaired senior citizen fighting to survive, to a celebration of the power of community, and finally to an unfortunate statistic but a beautiful memory for those whose hearts he touched.