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A teen’s miraculous survival in Surfside collapse finds purpose

Jonah Handler sitting and talking
Wilfredo Lee
/
AP
Neil Handler speaks about how his son Jonah was trapped inside a pocket of fallen concrete after the Surfside condo collapse, as he speaks during an interview with The Associated Press, Wednesday, June 15, 2022, in Bal Harbour, Fla.

For his father and others, the rescue brings to mind the Old Testament tale of the prophet Jonah.

People have compared the survival of a teenage boy in one of the deadliest collapses in U.S. history to the Bible story of Jonah and the whale. At 16,

Jonah Handler is suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and the loss of his mother after falling from the 10th floor of the beachfront building that collapsed a year ago in Surfside, Florida, killing 98 people.

What came after for Jonah had been kept mostly private by the family to protect him, but his father is now sharing the teen's journey to recovery as they start a foundation to help families and first responders dealing with PTSD.

To read the in-depth story reported by the Associated Press, visit this link at WLRN.org

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