Thursday, July 14, 2011 – Tent City Clinic

                 My favorite part of the morning is when all the Haitian doctors and workers arrive to the house for breakfast.  Their smiling faces just get you energized for the day. This morning it was special to hear Romil say our group prayer in Creole.  We headed down the dirt road and picked up some more of our Haitian team along the way. As time is drawing close to ending my time here, I grow more and more sad to leave, trying to prepare myself for the day we have to depart.

                Today was such a blessing filled day as our Alpha team went to the tent city.  We worked out  two smaller UNICEF tents, one for the patients to wait in, and the other for us to see patients.  (Before we had just  one large UNICEF tent).  This time I had the unique opportunity to go into one woman’s tent home, since I needed to use the bathroom before clinic.  There is only one woman in the entire tent city that has a toilet at her home, which is over a hole in the ground surrounded by a tarp.  The lady was so gracious to let me come and I was so grateful for ‘Ste’ to help me, she walked to the water pump to fill a white bucket of water to then flush the toilet.  Such sacrificing people, the Haitians are, going out of their way to meet our needs. 



Venia while in the hospital after the earthquake




                Today the tent was like a sauna, probably the hottest I have been since I have been here. We set up our clinic as usual and then went into the neighboring tent to introduce ourselves to all the patients that had gathered.
       ***Then to my surprise as soon as I walked into the tent a women smiled at me and motioned little Venia towards me!! [Dr. Vlad had arranged with her mom to make sure I would see Venia today at clinic]!! I was so happy to see her again!!! I hugged her and squatted down to hold her.  J  [I had met Venia & her mother last trip...her miraculous story is the' tent city' blog from March]  Our team introduced ourselves then I quickly went and got ‘Wi’ to help me translate to Venia asking her grandmother where her mother was as I did not really recognize her, although I sensed it was her.  Venia’s mother was not as I remember, since last time both Venia and her mother had been in their Sunday best. Yet I recognized her sweet face.  She introduced me to Venia’s grandmother, and little brother named Venisone, and her cousin Nana.  All so precious to see and meet.  *Then Venia’s mother took out the photo album I had made for Venia (from last trip) and showed me two pictures of Venia after the earthquake when she was in the hospital.  I took pictures of the pictures of little Venia with her head wrapped in bandages, and a hospital gown on, and IV.  Then the second picture was of Venia with a doctor.  It was precious to see how Venia’s mother had taken the album I made her (now  obviously worn and loved), and used the extra pages to add photos of her own family and loved ones, as well as important papers were put into some of the photo pages. I could tell that Venia’s mother kept this as a precious possession.

                 I really enjoyed the many children today all so precious and not scared, they loved to sit on my lap, and talk to me in Creole.  *It was so hot today that I was not very hungry, having to drink so much so I shared my half of PB&J with a small boy who hung around me all clinic as his mother waited in the long line to see the doctor. I gave him a silly band and we were best buds after that J  He would talk to me in Creole as if I understood exactly what he was saying.  I enjoyed during my lunch break blowing bubbles with the children and letting them blow bubbles.  It cracked me up how this little two year old girl (my little buddy’s, sister) blew the best bubbles out of all the older children who would try to blow so hard.  Although I told them to blow slowly she was the only one that perfected this.  Then after we finished the bottle of bubbles I took out some crayons, and paper and we doodled for a little while until we were ready to start back up the triage part of clinic. 

                Many of the patients today had the typical colds/coughs, rashes (scabies & impetigo), urinary tract infections, anemia.  We passed out rehydration salts and soap to all the patients with their medications.  I was thankful to have Matt, ‘Wi’, and Marty helping me triage today. We made a great team, Matt getting weights, ‘Wi’ testing glucose, and Marty and I doing blood pressures and temperatures.  There were not any patients with high fevers that I saw but still many patients in great need of care.     

               I enjoyed getting to triage Venia and her entire family, and getting her some water (‘dlo’) when she came to ask me for some.  Then when Venia and her family went to mom to get their medications (which was a large order), I showed Venia and her mother all the items I had brought her in her new little book bag for school!  It was perfect because I had two dresses and two pairs of girl’s sandals packed, perfect sizes for Venia, and her cousin, as well as we found some items for her brother. I gave them each a bracelet, and showed Venia’s mother more of the baby orajel I brought her (which she recognized) and thanked me. I hugged them all and said my goodbyes as they walked out of the tent back to their tent home.  Dr. Vlad says that Venia has been registered for school to begin in September in Port-au-Prince for a little over $100 a year, but after buying a uniform, and books, etc. that the money we collected would probably only last for one year. **I pray we will still be able to support her and God will provide the means for her schooling if it is His will for her. Which I think she will greatly benefit from schooling as this will help her learn to cope with her disabilities, almost like PT at an earlier age so prayerfully she will learn to write with her left hand, and learn to help support herself & family.  This may also give her parents more availability to find work.  It was such a blessing to see her and hug her, and I continue to pray that God will do great things in Venia's life.

                We saw 211 patients today, all such a blessing, many families with multiple children.  I recognized a few boys that I seen in March.  It had been such a great day, but sad that it was our last full day. 

              As we drove back to the compound, our excitement from the clinic, quickly dropped as we passed by a horrible motorcycle accident on the side of the road.  Two men lying on the side of the road and a police car had just stopped.  We drove past, and then Dr. Francise decided to stop to go down to the site to see if there was anything she could do. We all got out of the van, as it was not very safe sitting on the side of the road. ‘ Inn’, Dr. Francise, & Sterling went quickly towards the men, and the rest of us with mom leading immediately began to pray for the men, that they would have been saved, or still be alive.  Then ‘Wi’ began to walk towards the men, and I followed, yet stopped as I did not see any movement from the distance.  We all waited and then I saw Sterling and then other doctors turn and shake their heads. They had both died most probably on impact. Such an extremely sad happening, to witness this deadly motorcycle accident.  We later found out that the men had been returning from the Voodoo festival in the mountains and had been drinking.  Our group was silent on the rest of the ride home, not at all what we had expected to see, yet sadly, a common occurrence having motorcycle accidents in Haiti.  Tonight in devotionals one of the guys commented at how sad he felt that we are here in the comforts of the home, as there is now a father, brother, son, missing in someone’s life today.  Who knows how long it will take for the family to find out, but they will begin to search tonight for their loved one, why have they not returned.  They leave the body, so that the family can find their family member.   My mom commented that every time she has been to Haiti she has seen death.  I had not witnessed death in Haiti until today.  My mother was hoping not to have this be an occurrence again, yet it was very convicting and reaffirming of our mission in Haiti and around the world to share with everyone God’s gift of salvation and eternity with Him, as we do not know when it will be our last!



Venia with her new bookbag for school!!