MISSION TO HAITI: POST SCRIPT

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."
--Margaret Mead

I am overwhelmed and it is hard for me to contain my tears. It is impossible to have an experience like this and not feel profoundly changed. Over the past few weeks I have witnessed brutal and relentless suffering; most of it senseless, preventable and inexcusable. My heart was and is, constantly breaking. I knew to work efficiently and to capacity I would have to deal with my emotions when I got home and boy oh boy, I am. While in Haiti, I needed to be sharp and on my toes.

One of the many problems in Haiti is that the donated medical supplies, medications and food are being warehoused, hidden and stolen: most often, by those in authority. One of the many objectives of my little team was to find these supplies and distribute them. We were very successful at it. We were also the only local ambulance as well as the acting nurses, medics and even doctors when we needed to be. The only training you need to become a doctor in Haiti is to work in a hospital for 7 years. How scary is that. An anatomy and physiology class would be nice. I am no doctor, not even close, but I am a nurse and there were many occasions, I was all they had.

While writing to you at night, it was virtually impossible to remember everything that happened during the day and for brevity sake, I combined days and I now realize, left things out; important things. I worked with two guys. By now you should know their names; Big and Little Paul. Big Paul is a medic and fashion photographer. Little Paul owns his own construction company and is a carpenter by trade. He is also one of the best drivers I have ever known. To drive in Haiti is a feat unto itself. There are no rules and no laws. It's every man for himself: a life-threatening activity – trust me. But I never even flinched. They are both wild and crazy but fiercely dedicated to helping the Haitian people. There is simply nothing they won’t do and in one of the most dangerous places on the planet right now, they guarded me with their lives. I always felt safe. They are 2 unlikely heroes but they are heroes non-the-less. I feel honored to have worked with them.

I want to share a couple of things that did not get worked in to my earlier blog entries:

Soon after the earthquake, the Haitian government made a plea to its citizens to donate blood. There was a significant response and thousands of pints were collected (whether it was screened properly or not is another story but the blood was collected). When it came time to distribute it, when the clinics were requesting blood and desperate for it; it was nowhere to be found. Big Paul drove around until he found what looked like a door to a refrigerated closet. He opened it with the big key he brought from home; the one at the end of his leg. He packed the blood up in a cooler and got it where it was needed.

Premature births are common in Haiti and during the weeks after the quake they were happening with even more frequency. There are not many incubators in Haiti (I never saw one). But when a baby was born prematurely on Little Paul’s watch, he responded by building one. Using some wood he found, plastic sheets, duck-tape, a light bulb and pieces of PVC piping, he made a fully functioning incubator. Power is inconsistent but the baby was warm when it went on. And when he discovered that the kids in one of the orphanages we were working with were sleeping on the ground with rats, he built and enclosure and secured some Yoga mats for them to sleep on. The structure also functions as a classroom. Kola is one of the few 'orphanages' with a school.

The stories never end and degree of dedication, competence and resourcefulness is something I have rarely seen in my life. I have witnessed dedication and self sacrifice of monumental proportion. Relief workers in Haiti have put their lives on hold and have willingly thrown themselves into a situation that is very close to hell on Earth. It is hot, humid, and the tents where some of them work are not ventilated. There is no sanitation and the smell is overpowering. Drinking water is scarce and good food is nonexistent. There is so much need and never enough supply. Even those who have done relief work in the past, admit, nothing compares to this.

Proud kids at Kola

The incubator
The working conditions in Haiti are unimaginable and yet, I never heard one person complain. To the contrary; the doctors and nurses, the medics and everyone in-between, work 12 to 20 hour shifts without grumbling or whining. While in the ER picking up the 2 critical patients, the doctor who just called it quits on resuscitating the 5 month old, realizing that everyone was traumatized said, “Stop, take a breath, relax for one minute”. He paused for a few moments and then said “back to work”. Amidst all the chaos, he was sensitive to everyone’s needs. He is a remarkable human and although I only met him a few times and only for brief minutes, I will never forget him. His name is Rob (I don’t know his last name). He is meek in appearance, but highly skilled and unflappable.

Rob telling us what supplies he needs to work with any kind of effectiveness. We are standing in one of the few indoor spaces deemed structurally sound.As stories and events come to me, I’ll continue to share. I went to work the minute my plane touched down and some of the first few hours were eventful but a blur. I was shell shocked from the scene at the airport and the ride into downtown Port-Au-Prince. The total devastation is hard to comprehend and the true third-world nature of this country is mind-boggling – especially after a short, 3 ½ hour plane ride. Who knew?

For those of you who don't know, I went to Haiti without a group and without any solid connections. The hospital I intended to work at, Centre Hospitalier du Sacré-Coeur (CDTI), closed the day before I arrived. I knew it was crazy but I felt confident I would be guided to where I was needed the most. Through the grace of God, I was. How fortunate am I.

I want to thank everybody for your support and constant prayers. You're the best. And a special thanks to Ralph, Junior and James, my translators and bodyguards who never let me out of their sight. They also kept my backpack zipped up (I went to Haiti with all my bad habits).

Port-Au-Prince was a city of 2 million before the quake. Approximately 250 thousand are dead. Another 100 thousand or more will die from disease and infection. One million Haitians are homeless. It is a desperate country in need of our constant prayers.

XOXO,
Cory