Yesterday we participated in a discharge of a young man from a hospital in Cap Haitian. He received a spinal cord injury when his house fell on him during the earthquake. The process began about 6 am for him. He was accompanied by his nephew and a PT. Also a documentary film maker accompanied them named Cyrus.
We (Jorel and I) picked them and all sorts of luggage minus 1 bag at 9:00. I took Mike and Cyrus over to Medishare Hospital while we waited for next flight to come from Cap at 10. We were assured the luggage would be there....it wasn't so at 11 I took everyone to guest house to have something to eat. Georges (the patient) walked from van slowly with his canes - an awesome and inspiring site to witness. After lunch, we drove to his home at least an hour drive away. He got out of the car and walked with his walker down the road about 100 yards and e witnessed the surprise of his family and friends as if they had a seen a ghost. At first very quiet and then cries and praises of Jesus for bringing him back home. While Mike and Cyrus helped set up his ShelterBox tent, Jorel, the nephew and I returned to the airport to pick up the missing luggage- it did not arrive on the 1 pm flight so we waited until the 4 pm flight and it still did not arrive. We were told it was still in Cap and would arrive in the morning. At this point I am a bit skeptical of its where abouts. We returned back to Georges home and he then showed us his actual house about 3/4 meter (don't ask me how far that is) away from tent site. He saw it for the first time as well and showed us where he was when the house fell. Knowing my emotions of the moment of seeing this, I can not imagine the emotion he was feeling yet he was quiet in his words and stoic in his emotions and yet obviously happy to see his family and friends. Cyrus documented this with video, they had a brief interview with George which included the difficulties that lie ahead for him just in his daily living situation. We left with them saying a prayer in song as more people arrived to welcome him home.
Upon arrival at 6:30, Lorne was here wondering what happened to everyone- staff had left and no one was about. He said it was like coming upon the home of the 3 bears- food on the table uneaten- He decided he should stay until he learned what was going on.
As we were all exhausted from the long day and ready to turn in, a knock at the door to find a distraught Syltane, 2 policemen and an injured friend brought us back to alertness. Syltane and friends were returning from a wedding and were in a car accident. She wanted to come here knowing I would help. Her friend Moise had hit his head on the windshield and had some nasty abrasions and after bandaging him up and deciding he didn't need to go to the hospital, Syltane wanted us to go to the accident scene where her other 2 friends were with the cars and police. She had assured us they were uninjured so we didn't take any supplies with us. As we started to walk, Tiffany, an emergency room doc who was spending the night returned from her meeting so we went in her car to the scene. There was fairly extensive damage to both cars and they were all lucky not to have more severe injuries among them. Both young men continuously told us they were fine. It took about an hour for the police, Mike, Tiffany's friend and a few men walking by to move the cars to the side of the road and off the street. We returned home with everyone at midnight and I checked on Moise through out the night. His wounds looked a little better when I redressed them this morning, he is a little sore with whiplash but happy no one else was injured.
I got up at 7 remembering that Cyrus wanted to interview me before they left at 8...so I pulled my hair up and gave my best shot in my pajamas with a cup of coffee! I didn't ask for a playback...whether I make it into the documentary will be a surprise at some future time and probably embarrassing as well!
Maxon, the veve prayer flag maker was waiting with some purses he had made for a past team member so I paid for them and turned my attention to Modlyne who waited patiently through all this to give me the pedicure.
After all it is Mothers Day in Haiti today,
My moment of traquility and reflection.
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