pictures tell the story of our hard working volunteer...

after a good organizer takes charge
the pool is clean but no water until after demolition.

disorganization and mess
still a mess....

our oasis after long hot days..

The results of a stranger directed our way- gives moral a boost to just see that we can save the pool! Someday water- but not yet. Too many people struggling to get water. Too much work to be done...

images from Haiti

Stories from Haiti

Ben time: Dr. Nau came by on Wednesday on his way to his office. He is an orthopedic surgeon here and is on HHH Haitian board - in fact the president. He is very tall- played volleyball in college and is still involved at an Olympic level. He is certainly a gentle giant. He loves ice cream and so I said as he left on Wednesday- its Ben time...and last night he came by with strawberry ice cream and we sat on the porch and ate ice cream. It was soooo good.

A few weeks ago it was cold enough to wrap up in a blanket. the past few days its been so hot my hair sweats...well its always wet and very curly. We've got fans going everywhere and of course no city power so the fan in my room doesn't work. Driving in the van with windows open is the best thing to cool off...

Yesterday a man walked in, said his name was Lauren from Vancouver and the Canadian army sent him down to help us out. They told him we did good work here...so we put him to work. I haven't got his full story but he is living in Petionville, was a former politician and came down to do whatever he can. Today he drained the water out of the pool and took some of the debris out to control some of the mosquitos. He dug out all of the fans, made sure they worked and put them in all of the rooms. Think he put some shelves in the Mushroom...our pharmacy / depot house. He stayed for supper tonight and then walked back home.

Critters in the house:

I asked Jean to take a bucket of water to my room for washing...I don't have running water either. As he sat the bucket in the shower, he made a funny noise then said madam gail wait for me...he came back with a stick and a large leaf and took a large horny green worm like thing out of my shower. He said its very bad and his father told him watch out Jean, these are very bad and we then proceeded to cover it with sticks, a splash of gasoline and created a fire.

Occasionally we see a rat- he has tried to come into the house a couple of times- luckily some one has come in and been able to chase him out. Al is very scared of him and plans to return to Haiti next month promising rat traps. He also suggested we name him Rubble.

Piti poul (little chickens) : when I first arrived 2 little chickens ran around following their mother. One is black and white and the other more brown. The little black on had a little limp and was always falling behind. On one occasion, the brown one was laying prostate on the ground. Susan gently picked it up thinking it wounded but couldn't find a reason for its listlessness. She took it to the cooks, asking for water- instead they set it on the ground, covered it with a metal bowl and began pounding on the bowl. Susan couldn't believe her eyes and quickly took it away and got some water and fed it drip by drip, then left it in a corner thinking it was a goner. By supper time it was up and running around again. As these little chicks became a bit bigger, the hen left them (and in fact, I haven't seen the mom for about 3 weeks now). The were still pretty little and wanted to be up in the tree to roost safely. WE were helping them up but always it was to Mercia or Syltane they went to as sundown came and darkness beginning to set in. They practically jump in our hands to get a lift into the tree. The are getting big enough now they can almost get themselves up.

Flat Stanley: Years ago when my son Dan was in about 2nd grade he made a flat Stanley doll and we mailed it to someone who kept him for a week, taking him different places and then writing about his experiences and then sending it to some one else etc. Well this story reminded me of that memory. The last Utah team was all booked on Delta for their flight in then Delta cancelled all flights to Port au Prince. They spent a crazy few days - a week before their scheduled arrival date scrambling to find flights. Teresa, one of the nurses flew from Salt lake to LA to New York to PaP...she arrived but not her luggage. Nor did 5 other bags arrive. So everyday I went to airport to check for the missing luggage. On Tuesday a team from Canada arrived - 14 of them with 28 bags plus Teresa's 2 suitcases. Some of the Canadian team were loading into a van to go directly to Jacmel. Luggage had to be sorted and distributed between our two vans. When we got back to the guesthouse, lo and behold Teresa's suitcases were not on the correct van and had gone to Jacmel. On Thursday several of us made the trip to Jacmel and while there I got the suitases, returning home with them on Friday. Teresa was so excited but opened one to find clothes that did not belong to her. As it turned out, the bag had been tagged with her ticket number but actually belonged to a girl named Lindsey from California who was going to New York for the weekend...unfortunately for her, her luggage never arrived.

We managed to get the suitcase back to Salt lake and the owner will pick it up there.

Colleen, a doctor from Canada, another neurosurgeon named Jim and I flew up to Cap Haitian last Sunday. We visited a new hospital called Haiti Hospital Appeals. The people that run the hospital came from the UK 4 or 5 years ago and ended up returning to open a respite home for families of children with disability. After the earthquake, they found themselves in a unique position to help by doing an about face. Their new building for maternity care and baby care was nearly completed for business and they heard the call for a place to care to care for patients with spinal cord injuries. They currently are caring for 19 at different levels of injury and ability. They like another hospital in Haiti have had no experience in this very special needs type of patient but have stepped up to the plate to provide care. They have done a fabulous job and HHH is supporting their education and care by sending them support of spinal cord experts.

Last week as a going away party for the team we had a troubadou band- a local Haitian combo band. The have drummer, banjo, another instrument and maracas - this guy barely moves his wrist or hand and 1oo beads sound like 1 bead. We a mixture of teams and a total of 35 people plus some of our translators and friends came to dance a little kompa. A little lighthearted fun for everyone. Tonight they are going to play for us again.

Haiti has never been in a 'normal' state of affairs and since the earthquake it is only now seeming to come back to that normal. Schools are not up and running, so many of them collapsed but we occasionally see a gathering of children in an area having 'school'. They want that sense of normal. Today as we were driving down one of the hardest hit street we saw a gathering of people and heard the National Anthem being played. The voices rang loud and clear. Workers in yellow USAID shirts work clearing rubble from streets and building sites.

Drive down another street and you'll see a tarp over a group of people holding a church service.

The streets are bustling market places but when you see long lines of people they are queing to get bags of rice. They turn around and sell some of it so that they can supplement their meals with fresh vegetables and fruit or other necessary items.

Tonight it rained so hard I could stand out and take my shower (fully clothed) and when it hits the tin roof it sounds as loud as a train and you can not talk over it. Its fortunate for many that it didn't last long.

Well I will try to figure out how to upload some photos....this is from my new computer and haven't learned how to do some things...yet.

Meeting Uncle Cliffy at the airport traffic

This morning was a 'normal' start to the day...getting 22 people to their work places- coordinating transportation to and from each place. I was taking Nancy, an OT from Canada to the airport this afternoon for departure and then picking up another team from Canada...

Our first road was blocked by a tree down so we had to turn around and find a detour...we have very good drivers here that seem to know where all these crooked roads will come out. But the closer we got to the airport, the heavier traffic. My friend Cyril has been telling me he has escorted Cliff Robinson around with Jean Louis something the Haitian actor on Hero's - sorry I don't watch the show so can never remember his name- I told Cryil he was Uncle Cliffy to Portland Trailblazer fans so yesterday 100's of kids were calling him Tonton Cliffy. Since we were going to the airport for same purpose, I got to talk with him first on the phone and then since we were stuck in traffic he came running up to me in the van. He said he would be back so hopefully we can have some time together that I can show him Healing Hands for Haiti organization. He wants to find something meaningful for his Uncle Cliffy Foundation.

I picked up 7 members of team Canada and Cyril sent 7 to Jacmel. I will send some of these to Fond des Blanc and St. Bonaface hospital tomorrow morning.

We heard the US was making food drops at different sites in the city, and the cause of the traffic jams but that did not explain the craziness at the airport. I'm getting pretty good at navigating and getting in...you have to just go and can not be timid in any of the process. There are red caps and others wanting to help sometimes 3 guys fighting and trying to carry one bag.

Very funny to watch!

Last night we ran out of power about 10 pm so this will be a short story tonight and I will turn in.

Spring forward...

I woke up in my 'new' apartment this morning with 2 different times on my phones...a little confusing as we don't turn the clocks ahead here. So I did get up earlier but its nice to sit on the patio with a cup of coffee and listen to the sounds of the day beginning.

My new apartment is apartment 10...or pool apartment...its rather large, nicely painted, has its own supply of cockroaches, a kitchen (non-funtioning) and bathroom...no running water and does have power supply if city power is on which it hasn't been. Can't ask for more and worth it for a little quiet privacy. (ok well now I have power on at my apartment- I can see the porch light from the guesthouse! )

Spent the weekend at the airport...picking up team members. I arrived at 9:30 in the morning and stood in the sun for 2 hours before team came out. So I got them home at 12:30, went back at 1:30 to pick up next group, got them home about 4 and turned around to pick up the last group. The airport is as crazy as its ever been...I was able to go in and retrieve the team members after being there all day. A young policeman decided he was going to be my guardian and help me round everyone up then get us across the street to the van...Having done this twice already I didn't really need his assistance but what the heck...he was cute.

I sent a group to an orphanage today to work...exercising the kids with CP and doing some assessments. Some of these kids need new wheelchairs and seating systems. Another group

went to the Miami tent to work night shift tonight so house isn't quite as full.

Team will be in full swing in the morning.

I heard someone say Haiti is back to normal now. I remain speechless at this statement. I don't know how to respond to someone that has been here and can say something like this. Sure people are attempting to pick up the pieces of their lives..merchants are back in the street selling what they can. There are workers on the streets cleaning and picking up rubble from the quake. The streets in most areas are accessible but I have not been to Carrfour where the epicenter of quake was. Tent cities are prevalent through out the city- some are real tents, some are makeshift tents. Large buildings remain in flattened condition as if it were yesterday.

You can see the sadness in every persons eyes if you choose to see. Even a grateful smile and thanks for hearing my story doesn't erase this sadness. it will be a long time before things are 'back' to normal. Schools haven't restarted. People don't have homes. They lost family members. Many more lost their business'. The government seems invisible. It will be a long time before Haiti is back to normal. With all of the aid available and the organizations in the country there is opportunity. How it will play out into reality is another question.

Heat wave...

We are having a bit of a heat wave here after several cold evenings worthy of blanket. We seemed to have spent a lot of time in the car yesterday - in the morning we visited the Miami tent, CDTI (Sacred Heart) hospital and the new prosthetic lab and returned to do the clinic tent and then go to a meeting in the afternoon. Traffic was bad and we did a lot of side roads to get to places which is a lot like 4 wheeling through the city. Tomorrow the temperature is supposed to be 91 degrees.

Today we stayed home and worked the tent clinic and saw about 40 patients..I referred a couple of kids with fever to hospital and told a lot of people they needed to see a community doctor for treatment telling them we are a rehab facility now. We need to get back to what we do...Also gave out 2 pet carts today. One to a guy from Jeramie who had one but it was well worn. Another incomplete para in a wheelchair saw it and wanted one so we put it together- don't think it was the best fit for him but he wanted one and drove it around, was very appreciative of our efforts and took off.

There is still a lot that needs to happen here in terms of functioning as a rehab clinic. The P&O lab is up and running, fit about 17 limbs by Tuesday. They have some of our HHH staff as well as a group from San Salvador working there. More people (amputees) are coming everyday so that is exciting news.

No great insights to share with you all. Just trying to do my job and get things accomplished. Have a large team coming in on the weekend and another coming mid week. Some will go to Jacmel to start a new rehab outpatient clinic. All good...

I'm hoping to find a room tomorrow that I can call my own- think it will be the pool room at this point although there is no running water or electricity. Can't complain about it though - it is a roof over my head! a lot more than most people have.

I wrote this so I could cut and paste when I got my internet back again...I'll try to keep up with posts. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers. I am staying well! We've had an absolutely beautiful day today...sunny and warm...not hot. The past few days and especially at night its been cool. In fact last night we were all wrapped in blankets watching a movie!!! Aunt Teddy, I don't know this place where 'your little boy' is living. I'll have to do some research. More updates later....

News from Haiti

Just when I thought I could take some time to update my blog we have no internet services. The team is watching a movie so its a pretty quiet night,

We have one day left in clinic then will visit a couple of orphanages and take them some supplies out to them.

Instead of our usual team dinner out, we chose to make dinner for the staff. We bought and prepared tacos and rice and refried beans. About 15 staff members filled their plates and went back for seconds. It was so much fun for us and for them. We decided it had to be an annual event!

the HHH board has asked me to stay to help coordinate the volunteers they are sending to work in the new prosthetics lab and other areas around the city. I will be here for 12 weeks. It will be like last year but with the exception of continuous teams and more people. There will be many changes for HHH and Haiti and I look forward to being involved once again.

I had to send one of my nurses home earlier than her anticipated departure date. Katy began having flank pain and we suspected a kidney stone. After a painful night unable to lay down, at 6 am she was ready to go to a hospital- anticipating this we had already contacted a urologist so I called him and off we went to CDTI- or Sacred Heart Hospital.

An american team of docs were there working in the courtyard so several of them consulted as no Haitian staff had arrived yet- finally some one came and did an ultrasound and declared her problem was Gallstones. Katy is only 23, in very good health, active with a good diet but ok...at least we knew it was something. A total of 6 physicians saw Katy - 3 Haitian, and all agreed it wasn’t critical that she have surgery or require medivac emergency departure so it was decided we would make arrangements for her to fly out with the therapists scheduled to leave the next day at 1 pm. They gave us lots of medications to make her comfortable so after 7 hours at the hospital we returned home with a drugged up girl. Melissa and I went to the embassy to try to secure a seat on the same flight- they were not helpful and told us to go to American Airlines...where we got her on priority standby. The short of it is that she doesn’t have to have surgery, is feeling much better but sad that she had to leave. It didn’t even sound as if they were certain she had gallstones....but possibly a virus.

Its been raining a lot yesterday and again this evening. Cool and cloudy all day, I’ve worn long sleeves all day. Seems very strange to ‘feel’ cold in Haiti. Its very difficult to imagine what the people in the tent cities are having to deal with, especially the ones that don’t have a real tent but card board and sheets. Many have told us that when it rains they try to find a wall to stand next to or a car to sit in. Noel told me he has about 12 people in his tent we gave him...I think it is a 6-8 man tent. Can’t imagine how they manage to sleep but then he did have 16 in his van before he got the tent. Some just have tarps for protection.

The little neighbor kids that have been helping our team carry our supplies to the tent and back at the end of the day. Today they picked up a lot of garbage- fatra for me.

Once the work is done they get their daily vitamin , glass of milk with instant breakfast and today for their hard work, each got 1/2 half a power bar. I’m hoping I don’t give them

diarrhea. They were wild and crazy the first few weeks but this week they have been mindful and polite and helpful. They are a ragged little bunch, worn and torn clothes, some have shoes or what would pass for shoes as opposed to being barefooted.

They yell madam gail madam good morning. we are hungry. do we get milk today?

I say after our work is done, and you finish picking up the garbage. One day, only 3 were there -

Lisa returned from the Miami tent today- she’s been there since last Friday working.

Several others worked the weekend and came home Monday afternoon. Every week a new team comes in to work in a large tent out at the airport. Lisa reported there are too many doctors that do nothing and not enough nurses -sometimes trying to manage 40 patients per nurse. Today we had a patient carried into our tent clinic on a ‘stretcher’. He had been injured in the quake with falling debris but with no apparent serious injury until this week when his legs became very edematous and blistered and he couldn’t walk. We got him loaded into the our van and took him to the Miami tent and they turned him away, so the team took him to General Hospital where they received him. Whether or not he will survive we won’t know but it was difficult for the team that had worked at Miami to expect to receive help only to be turned away. They felt betrayed by the good American doctors that came to help....

Everyone has an agenda, everyone has a motive, everyone has expectations and everyone will come away changed by the experience. You have to check the baggage at the gate or leave it at home. There is no place for it here. Haiti has enough of its own to deal with.