Angela Mouscardy was on the second floor of her school in Haiti when the earthquake hit on Jan. 12, 2010.
When the school crumbled, Angela was knocked out. Workers found her, and thinking she was dead, placed into a truck that contained many dead bodies. When they arrived at the unloading site, Angela woke up -- her movement alerting workers that she was still alive.
They transported her to the hospital where she met Vivian Lamphour, a psychologist from the West Los Angeles Church. Lamphour was touched by her story and arranged with an organization called Save Africa's Children to get Angela help.
"What struck me about her was her fighting spirit," said Lamphou. "Each day she pushed to get through the pain and the fear."
After lifesaving surgery at that Haitian hospital, Lamphour brought Angela, now 21, to the United States where Beverly Hills plastic surgeon Dr. Brent Moelleken offered to reconstruct her jaw for free.
"We had to realign the bones and remove a piece of bone and metal that was pressing on her nerves. We hope that will reduce the scar and the pain she has felt since her injury," said Moelleken.
The surgery, which lasted two hours, was a success. Lamphour said she is sure Angela will do well because of a spirit that is emblematic of the Haitian people.
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"Each day I worked with her, her spirit shined through. She touched me so. I wanted to do something to help her finish her life," said Lamphour.
Angela's story and the surgery can be seen on NBC4 at 5:45 p.m.
