Special Reports/Haiti lLady Returns Found Cash

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A SPECIAL SECTION: Haiti since the January 12, 2010 Earthquake

Posted June 11, 2010

South Florida responds to hotel housekeeper who found, turned in cash

By SUSAN MILLER DEGNAN

Miami International Airport Hotel housekeeper Jeanne Mydil did the right thing, and now South Florida residents are following her example.

Airport and hotel officials said they have been inundated with phone calls and e-mails from good-hearted citizens who want to donate money to Mydil, a Haitian who found $6,000 on June 1 while cleaning a hotel room and turned it in to her supervisor. The money, they discovered, was on its way to Haiti with eight missionaries to help in the earthquake relief effort.

Jeanne Mydil, MIA Hotel housekeeper. HANDOUT PHOTO

``The phone hasn't stopped ringing today -- even last night,'' said hotel controller Heidi Herzberger. ``One man drove from Pinecrest and dropped off an envelope in person. A gentleman called from Ohio indicating he had seen The Miami Herald story online and was compelled to put it on his website to help spread the word.''

Mydil's husband died in late May and her sister's husband died in the Haiti earthquake. She is poor, but called herself a Christian and said the money was not hers to take.

Myrlande Desulme, a 27-year-old Miami native of Haitian descent, said she is donating $20.

``I want to start off with the $20,'' she said. ``I don't get paid until next week. Her husband just passed away and she had a family member pass away in the earthquake and she could have easily taken that money.

``I believe if you do good things for others, it will come back to you. It may not come back monetarily, but it will come back 100-fold.''

Mydil was not scheduled to work Friday.

To contribute donations by credit card or check, call 305-871-4100, said Greg Chin, spokesman for the Miami-Dade Aviation Department.

Said Marta Guerra, the hotel's director of marketing and sales: ``Greg [Chin] told me it doesn't feel like work today. I told him I don't care how many phone calls and e-mails we get, and how much work we have to do, I'm on Cloud 9.

``Jeanne deserves this.''

Copyright 2010 Miami Herald Media Co. Published Friday, June 11, 2010.

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