19 Jun

Haiti Last Day

Large balloons with glow lights inside bounced over the heads of the 50 children at Renmen orphanage last night, suspended in the air by little hands reaching for the sky.  The courtyard was vibrant with the screams of delight as they ran around hand in hand with the volunteers.   Our trips always end with a night at Renmen.  Emotions run from great joy while playing with the kids to that sinking feeling of what their lives are like here.  They are fed and educated yet we all wonder what life would be like without the constant love of parents.  We ended the evening talking with the older kids and hearing their stories and dreams.   Ange has graduated from nursing school and is working at St Lukes Hospital, Kerline is graduating from nursing school next week, Luscerme is in her second year of medical school and wants to go into orthopedics, the list goes on and brings a sense of accomplishment that our gift of education to them is paying off in spades.   The last few days at he hospital were a challenge for our small team.  They showed resilience through the long days, the difficult surgeries, the inadequate equipment all in the midst of the austere environment that working in Haiti provides.  Our OR team worked as a team together helping out one another as the stresses of the days increased.  They are rock stars and without them nothing we did would have been possible.  We performed 22 surgeries on 20 patients most of whom waited 6-8 weeks for us to arrive.  The next foreign medical team will return to Haiti in September, a long time to wait for those that will sustain injuries these next 3 months.   The orthopedic residents worked with us and were so thank-full for the care and the teaching we provided.  They are the real heroes.   Our nurse anesthetists brought with them their skills in performing spinal and regional anesthesia (using local anesthetics to block the arms and legs we repaired).  They worked closely teaching the Haitian Anesthesiologists who were hungry for the knowledge and skills they learned.  Once again, NAVMC has had a substantial impact on the people of Haiti.   I will return in 2 weeks to assist in the treatment of Rose’s large wrist tumor and then we as a team will return again in December.   I cannot tell you enough how much I appreciate your help.  Medical trips are expensive and without the financial support that our donors provide, we would not be able to continue to return.

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19 Jun

Haiti Day #5

Genese’s smile would light up the earth on a cloudy day.  She came running up to Dr Hippolyte and me and gave me an embrace that brought tears to my eyes.  She lost everything to Hurricane Matthew which ravaged Haiti in October 2016.  Hundreds maybe thousands died, including her husband and young child.  Her house in Jeremy was destroyed.  With multiple injuries, she was the first one flown out of the hurricane theater.  Hippolyte repaired most of her fractures but called me in Arizona for help with her severe wrist injury.  There is no hand surgeon in Haiti.  Genese is the reason that Pete Brainard CRNA and I returned to Haiti shortly after Hurricane Matthew.  We repaired her wrist and have taken her to surgery several times since to complete the reconstructions that have given her a functional arm. She is now healed from her injuries.   Flagstaff’s own Jake Bacon went on a campaign last week to raise money for Genese to reopen her shop in Jeremy.  Today I gave her those funds and we helped her open a bank account.  Tomorrow she heads off to Jeremy to start up her new life.  She was shaking with excitement as she gave me a departing hug.              Paret is 26 and suffered a right lower leg fracture in a motorcycle accident in November 2017.  He was one of the lucky ones, his fracture was treated with a metal plate.  He was one of the unlucky ones, it became infected.  He has a wound that has been draining with infection for 6 months, his fracture unhealed.  Lying in bed at the General Hospital in Port-au-Prince, he had no real chance of saving his leg.  As most Haitians, he has no health insurance and no funds to cover his medical care.   Today we removed the infected plate and dead bone, placed a flap of muscle from his lower leg over the exposed bone and have given him his only opportunity to save his leg.   I cannot begin to describe his emotions of joy and surprise when we told him we though he would keep his leg.               Today we also treated Frantz for a femur fracture from an injury in early April. Both legs were broken but he could only afford to have one fixed, he chose his right leg.   He has been waiting for 2 months for a team who would treat his left leg.  At 19 he now has both legs repaired and provided they do not become infected, he may be able to find work.   Tonight I will sleep in a bunk in a room that has air conditioning with several other volunteers.   I will get a reprieve from the 90 degree temps and humidity.  The men’s bathroom is across the hall with running water.  I will be able to shower in the morning. I have had a nice dinner.  The patients’ families will sleep again tonight on the streets inside the hospital.  Bless them for the care they provide their loved ones.   Thanks for your support. Dr Bull

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