October was a busy month. It was trying in many ways, but extremely fruitful in others. Earlier this year I had to pleasure of meeting a couple of nurses from Duluth MN. Their names are Julie and Tricia. They started an organization called PEACE*LOVE*HAITI.
You can find their blog at: http://peacelovehaiti.blogspot.com/
This October they brought a team of 2 nurses and an OBGYN to Haiti, and we all packed up our bags and headed to the NW of Haiti.
(Peace*Love*Haiti group from left: Charlie, Evangel, Julie, Holly, and Dr. Mark.)Julie, Holly and I dropped Dr. Mark off at Beraca Hospital for a week. Here he worked with our NW coordinator to assist with surgeries and do teaching with the Dr.'s that work at Beraca. After that, us three nurses trecked another 2 hours on the bumpiest roads imaginable to Lacoma. Once in Lacoma, we began to run clinic.
We had an amazing time together. Everyone in Lacoma is so welcoming (Including the giant tarantulas).
We now have an actual house to sleep in, with running water and flushing toilets! Yes, there is nothing more refreshing than a cold RUNNING shower after a hard dusty day of clinic! And not having to treck to the spout to get water every time you do dishes? Amazing!Madam Anatoll is the Haitian nurse who we work with out in Lacoma and she welcomed us and brought us fresh veggies, and fruits throughout the week. She even brought us fresh caught fish from the Ocean one day. Julie and Holly were amazing cooks and we used what we had (pancake batter, fresh eggs and some crushed up tortilla chips) to make the most amazing battered fish I have ever had.
In this remote area of Haiti during the rainy season, there is not much to do when clinic wraps up for the day, but enjoy what God has given us-including tarantulas-and thank God for the many blessing of life.
We saw many patients, but there were two events in particular that will stick with me forever. The first is a simple case of malaria.
A week before we arrived in La Coma, a man came to the clinic for a Malaria test; he left with a positive result, a heavy heart, and no medication for treatment. We cannot begin to imagine the anguishing pain of Malaria accompanied with the pain of being faced with a decision – feed your family or buy the medication. At 22 years old he had a choice, use the rest of the money set aside for food for his family for the week to come, or pay for treatment and get the Chloroquine to cure the Malaria.
We make decisions every day, we pay our bills, we decide what school to send our children to, we decide who gets our compassion and love; but do we decide between our own physical suffering and the suffering of our hungry children?
In a simple world a test is proof of illness needed to ensure we receive proper treatment, what of those who cannot afford the treatment? What good is paying for a test when we know the result, but cannot afford the treatment? It should be simple, yet in reality is far more complicated. For a poor farmer in Haiti, with two children, a wife and in-laws to provide for, the simple equation of positive test equals treatment is not so simple.
La Coma Clinic needs to charge a fee to keep their doors open, this IS simple. The fee provides wages for the staff and medications for the patients; it pays for water, food and other necessities. Soon after our arrival, word got out in the community the blans – Creole for foreigner – were in town. The man who was unable to afford treatment returned to the clinic with his test, he spoke with us pleading his case.
Love; such a simple words that carry tremendous weight; the basis of the two most important commandments from Mark 12:28-31
28 One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”
29 “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with al your mind and with all your strength.’31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”
Thank goodness for the life-saving medication that was in our hands thanks to your donations! We were able to provide this man the medication he needed, along with the love and compassion he deserved.
“For us it wasn’t anything, to give him the medicine he needed, but for him it meant everything. His simple existence pays for his family, wife, kids and in-laws.” –Julie from Peace, Love, Haiti said.
This man could barely afford to pay and be seen, diagnosed even, but could not afford the medication he needed to treat his malaria. I can't begin to imagine what this is like. Can you?
(One of my favorite patients-isn't she a cutie!)
After the week had passed, an MTI driver came to pick up Dr. Mark and Holly to return them to Port-au-Prince. Julie and I stayed in the NW for another week. At the end of this week, I was to stay in Lacoma for another week while Julie was to be traded for another volunteer: my good friend Holly (Not Holly from MN, but Holly from Oregon... I know, its confusing.)
The morning that we were to make the swap in Lacoma, we were awakened to the sound of drumming and singing. A parade of people came tromping down the street to the clinic, carrying a bed with a very ill patient in it.
Julie and I dressed and met Madam Anatoll at the clinic. It was clear after assessment that this young man of 32, had an acute abdomen. We were not sure if he had a ruptured appendix, a case of peritonitis, or some other abdominal problem. And there was no way to tell without an ultrasound. There was no choice, this man needed immediate transportation to a hospital that had the resources for an ultrasound and surgery. The closest hospital was closed due to having no doctors, and the local "ambulance" was in Port-au-prince, (10 hours away).
So we had no choice but to take him ourselves to Beraca hospital. A two hour drive over bumpy roads. I wasn't even sure if we could make it, as it had been raining all week and the possibility was high that the road would be impassable, or that the river would be too high to cross.
Regardless, if we did nothing, the man would die. So, Julie and I loaded our patient and his family into the Mazda 4x4, gave him some pain medication, and started out with some fierce prayers on our lips.
We had quite a treck, slipping and sliding around in all the mud, and almost getting stuck in one giant sludgy mess. Thanks to some super helpful Moto-drivers, we were able to make the trip, though it took us 3 hours due to the aweful road.
When we reached the river, it looked passable, so we plowed right through. Halfway through the river, our patient suddenly started to vomit! I was driving through the river and trying to hold the emesis bag with the other hand. As I looked across the river, I could see Holly and Charlie (our driver) cheering us on.
I laugh now, as I think about how funny we must have looked. Julie got the emesis bag under control as we reached the other side and we rushed through Port-du-Paix to the hospital.
Our patient was rushed into surgery and was found to have a perforated ulcer. He was fixed up by Beraca's amazing head of surgery and put on IV antibiotics for peritonitis.
I just thank God that Julie and I were out in Lacoma with the skills and the means to get this man lifesaving treatment!
I can only say thank you to all of you who have supported me and prayed for me this year, as it is thanks to you and the faithfulness of God that these men received healing.
(Holly and I enjoying a coke back in the city)Holly and I finished out the last week in Lacoma together, and then traveled back to Port-au-Prince. It was such a blessing to have Holly down here with me, she encouraged and supported me so much. I feel so lucky to have friends like Holly and Julie.
(Julie and I being goofy at clinic)
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