Haiti

6 August

The lead-up to this trip has been rough. Haiti has been experiencing escalating conflict for many months, and the decision to proceed with our trip was constantly in question. Many members of our team decided to stay home out of legitimate concerns for safety. Flights were delayed. Bull was hacking up a lung…then Crystal, then Betty. We lost a bag of supplies at the airport that held medications without which surgery is impossible (we later retrieved it). The bank account got hacked the day before we left (resolved, but time consuming). But then our team landed in Haiti and we found what we always find: an incredible group of Haitian healthcare workers at Hôpital Bernard Mevs, a group that works tirelessly and skillfully to serve the severely injured in their community. A patient population that is strong and resilient and grateful and badly in need of care. An ability to adjust, overcome and carry on in a challenging healthcare setting. A familiar cat, that stays in the volunteer quarters and can’t get enough of our soft gauze in enormous plastic bags. By the end of today, our team, with several brilliant, Haitian, surgical residents, will complete 20 surgeries. We will treat 25-year-old Joseph, who has been living with a badly infected knee for over a year. Joseph was a driven agricultural engineering student, but could not continue to study with the pain in his knee. He can’t wait to get back to classes. We operated on Jasmin’s femur, which was fractured in a car accident ten days ago. Until he heals, he’ll continue to worry about losing the masonry income he feeds his siblings with. It’s an intense time to be in Haiti. Last Sunday was the 10-year anniversary of the earthquake that killed an estimated 200-300,000 people. A few of us were lucky enough to visit the memorial of the earthquake, located at the sight of a mass grave where victims are buried. Nearly every person in this country mourns at least one loved one. An entire generation of nurses was lost when the nursing school collapsed. In less than 30 seconds, a country was transformed. Many say it will never recover. But at 4:53 PM on Sunday, our team put down their scalpels and their drills and took a moment of silence to hold the earthquake victims, their families and all Haitians in our thoughts. And then we looked up to the sky to see a rainbow stretched wide and bright across the sky. There is hope everywhere here.

14 June

  The NAVMC team landed in Port-au-Prince 5 days ago, and it has been non-stop since. From day one, this trip has been different. In recent weeks, President Jovenal Moïse has been implicated in two government audits on the misuse of billions of dollars in Venezuelan aid meant to help the country’s poor.  Thousands of Haitians have been marching in the streets, calling for his resignation. On our short drive from the airport to Hopital Bernard Mevs, streets were largely abandoned, but burned cars, still-smoking tires and the remnants of roadblocks evidenced the civil unrest Haiti is enmeshed in.   Our team is moving forward as usual. We ran a clinic the day after we arrived to find patients that our orthopedic surgeons can help, and the need here is overwhelming. Hopital Bernard Mevs is staffed with dedicated, highly-skilled medical professionals, but violence is making it too dangerous for many to travel to and from the hospital. There are staff that haven’t been home in days, and our team is happy to be able to provide some respite. We are also missing the Haitian surgical residents that have been an integral part of our trips in the past, who are unable to travel safely to Bernard Mevs. We are starting our third long day of back-to back surgeries, and the conflict is posing some logistical challenges. It’s difficult to get water, for example, so we can only clean surgical tools once a day. But the amount we have been able to accomplish so far is remarkable: 13 surgeries in two days. On day two we treated a woman who had been caught in the crossfire at a protest and had a gunshot wound in her shoulder. Yesterday, Dr. Martin and his team labored through a 4-hour surgery to put rods in the shattered femur and tibia/fibula of a motor vehicle accident victim.   Our team is perfectly safe in the hospital, but we spend a lot of time caring for and thinking about the people outside of the hospital walls, where the dangers posed by the political unrest are nearly impossible to avoid.     Thank you for your support.   Molly Brown, Executive Director

29 December

Molhenne was supposed to die.  When our medical team left Haiti in December 2017, her blood count was insufficient to sustain life especially in someone who had just lost both of her legs.  She has been HIV positive since birth and medications had kept the virus at bay.  At 17 years old she presented to us at a hospital in Haiti with feet that had suddenly become mummified.    We still do not know the reason.  The day she arrived at the hospital, our entire team of 15 huddled in the operating room till late at night as two of our surgeons performed the first of what would be three surgeries on her that week.  In the last, we removed both of her legs through the knee joints.  We had little hope for her as we were leaving.  She like many is the victim of an inadequate healthcare system where the vast majority lack access to any real medical treatment.   Last week Molhenne came to visit us, a new team of 18 volunteers at Bernard Mevs Hospital in Port-au-Prince.  This amazing young lady is lovely, vibrant, strong and full of life and appreciation.  Everyone at the hospital remembered her and tears flowed freely.  She is getting back in school and is currently being fitted with prostheses for her amputated legs; funded by a donor recruited by NAVMC.  Somehow, she was not supposed to die thanks in large part to the work of our team of volunteers.   On December 1st, a team of 16 medical volunteers travelled to Haiti for our 33rd trip since the earthquake struck this impoverished country almost 9 years ago.      We were able to operate on 25 people most of whom waited for us for weeks to months.  Our team worked with and taught Haitian physicians in training from the two state hospitals in Port-au-Prince.    These facilities are filled with orthopedic patients who cannot afford any medical supplies or equipment.  Last June one of them begged us not to discard the week-old bandage we removed from his open right lower leg fracture as he could not afford a new one.  We were able to help him during that visit and he came back to us last week walking on a healed limb.  There is a great sense of satisfaction in helping these patients but even more so when watching the local orthopedic residents in training perform the surgeries under our tutelage.    Yonel is a 28-year-old male who suffered an open femur fracture in a car accident several weeks prior to our arrival.  He had no money to pay for any supplies.  He lay in bed in traction provided by a coke bottle filled with dirty water hanging over the end of his bed and attached by a string to his left leg.    Soon after surgery performed by the by the Haitian residents, assisted and funded by our team, Yonel was able to get out of bed and return home. Rose underwent removal of a massive tumor from her right arm in July 2018.  Her surgery was orchestrated, funded and performed by our team in conjunction with two surgeons from Loma Linda, California.  She returned to see us last week with a functioning hand which she uses for all activities.   She is hoping to return to school and hopes one day to be a nurse.   Woodjina is a 7 year old girl whom we have been treating for 2 years for severe infections in the bones of both of her legs.  She is doing well following 4 surgeries to rid her of some remaining infection.  She was dying when we first met her in December 2016.   At the end of the trip the Haitian residents came to us excited and appreciative for the opportunity to perform surgeries on their patients, those they had been following for weeks unable to treat lack of resources.  Many other patients left behind will continue waiting for another team and most will never have their broken limbs repaired.    Our electrical team was at Renmen Orphanage in Port-au-Prince at the same time.  Home to 50 children, we have provided for their education for the last 6 years.  The team continued one of our ongoing projects, rewiring the entire orphanage.  Prior to this visit, kids would get shocked just touching the walls of their dorm and others were probing with sticks exposed wires in open outlet boxes.  The electrical team was able to finish the rewiring of the remaining dorms and also were able to help set up a new water pump to provide water for the kids.  The needs here are many.    The highlight of this visit to the orphanage however is spending time with the kids.    The small children thirst for any attention and the older ones are anxious to share what they are doing in school and what they want to do as a profession.  Through our efforts, five girls have graduated from college in Haiti including three from nursing school one from laboratory technology and one from a hotel and restaurant program.  By May of 2019, two more will have graduated from Northern Arizona University with degrees in Hotel Restaurant Management and Social Work.   We are currently sending eleven kids to post-secondary education: one to medical school, two to nursing school, one to law school, and 7 others are in university pursuing other degrees.  When I first came to Renmen eight years ago these kids had little hope of an education beyond elementary school.  None could tell you what they would do as adults.  Now they all know.   Our trip ended with a visit from Santa Claus.  Each child received a personalized backpack filled with gifts, their name embroidered on the front.   Thanks to you, we can continue this work in Haiti, Bolivia and here at home.   Happy Holidays Bull Durham

25 December

NAVMC has just returned from its 3rd trip to Haiti this year.  Attached is a trip summary.  We wanted to share with you our successes from Haiti understanding that this is only one part of the work that we are doing locally and globally.   If you have already given to help support this work, we thank you.  If you have not yet given and would like to or if you would like to send a years end gift, you can do so via Paypal by clicking the link below or by going to our website: www.navmc.org.   Yesterday Ertha graduated from Mission Bon Samaritan, a college in Port-au-Prince with a degree in Laboratory Sciences. Her school has been supported by NAVMC and now she will likely easily find work in one of the hospitals in Haiti.  An opportunity few have in this impoverished country.   Ertha is one of 6 girls from Renmen orphanage in Haiti that have graduated from University through funding provided by NAVMC and your kind donations.   We currently are sending 60 kids from Renmen to school in Haiti including 10 in University.   Molhenne at 17 has a new life following emergency surgeries performed by our team in December 2017 in which she lost both of her legs.  She is being fitted for prosthetic legs and quite likely will be walking when we see her at our next visit.  We are currently securing funds from a donor to pay for these devices which she otherwise could not afford.   These projects as well as so many others would not be possible without your help. Thank you so much for your support.  Because of you, hundreds of Haitian people have been given the opportunity to survive and thrive against all odds.   Happy Holidays to you and yours.   John “Bull” Durham President: Northern Arizona Volunteer Medical Corp

11 July

There are 10 of us crammed into the “ambulance” as we speed through Port-au-Prince this morning dodging the fires that still burn in the streets. We are one of the few vehicles on what are normally jam-packed roads in the city.  AMBULANCE is written on the side of the van which gets us through several street blockages.  Coconut trees, power lines, scorched trucks, shattered street signs and burning tires block many of the boulevards. The store fronts and banks have shattered windows and dented siding from the rocks that are strewn across the roadways in front of them.  A solemn reminder of the events yesterday.  The air is filled with smoke.  There is the occasional but too frequent sound of a gun going off.  Ahead there is a huge fire in the middle of our route and people are running wildly.  Michel our chauffer reels the ambulance backwards and finds another way.   The hardest thing for me to see were the faces of the people.  They are angry and tired of the burden of life in Haiti compounded by the proposition of increased diesel expenses that will make it impossible for some to purchase this commodity that is critical to their lives.  The increased fuel prices have been rescinded but the burden of living in Haiti remains.  This is the darker side of a country in turmoil and distress. Fortunately, this is a rare occurrence.  One I have not experienced in my nine years of visits to Haiti.  At no time did I feel unsafe.  The people know why we are here and offer us their embrace and friendship.   On the other side of the unrest is the beauty and resilience of a 15 year old who is sitting up in her hospital bed smiling, taking only Ibuprofen for pain the day after her thigh bone was reassembled in a 2 hour surgery.  The power and the love of the family who is supporting a woman who is recovering from an eight hour surgery to rebuild her arm.  Laughing with them the night after the surgery she pauses and talks about her dreams of becoming a nurse.   While in Haiti, Ange called me to thank me and to let me know she had passed her nursing exam.  Our first to graduate from nursing school, she is now working at the only cancer treatment program in Port-au-Prince.       Kerline is our second to graduate (July 1st).  More to come.        I believe we rebuild one brick at a time.  With each trip to Haiti our team touches a few, teaches a few, collaborates with a few and eventually our world gets smaller while our bubble of influence and love gets larger. We are making a huge difference on so many levels.   Glad to be on my way home. Love Bull

9 July

Today has been a day of rest and unrest.  We are safe in the compound around Adventiste Hospital resting after a long and stressful day yesterday.  The streets of Port-au-Prince are filled with burning tires and the air is black over the city.  In the distance we can hear occasional gunfire and protesters screaming.  A fuel price hike has sent some of the people to the streets in protest.  Internet is spotty and we are not getting much information.  All flights out of Port-au-Prince were cancelled today as the violence shut down the airport.  There has been no threat to us and I don’t expect any.   Our patients are recovering well and thankful for what we have done for them.  Today they begin their return to their normal lives.  Rose was very anxious to see pictures of the tumor we removed from her arm.  She is glad to be rid of it having carried it around for two and a half years.  Love Daly is in some pain after her surgery but grateful nonetheless for her new leg.  I am thank-full it is over and ready to return home.  Tomorrow I am hopeful we can get to the airport and head home.   Thanks again for your support.   Love from Haiti. Dr Bull

9 July

At eight o’clock tonight, Rose was wheeled out of the operating room, tumor-less.  It took us 8 to 9 hours to complete the surgery.  As far as we can tell, we removed all the tumor and if so she has the chance to have a functional arm for the rest of her life.  She wants to be a nurse and perhaps now that will be possible.  She still has a long recovery ahead of her.  It will be 6-9 months of healing and rehabilitation.   She is resting tonight in her bed.  Her husband waited patiently for the entire procedure and her three-year-old daughter was with her grandmother.  All were relieved when it was over.     While Dr Zuckerman and I were in surgery, Drs Hippolyte and Nelson completed to surgery on Love Daly, rebreaking her leg and reassembling it to its normal length and shape.  She will be able to walk again in the next few days.  It has been a long 3 months for this young girl who orphaned, lives with a friend of the family.  She also now begins the road to recovery.  At 15 years old, she is in the third grade and looks forward to returning to school.   I sit in wonder at the remarkable gift that we can to offer these patients.  Our support from home is critical in providing not only the funding for these cases but also the moral strength to do the work.  We are an eclectic group from different parts of the country with very different backgrounds and skills assembled here for a short but very important job.  It is only through your help that we can do this.   Thank-you.   With Love from Haiti Bull Durham

6 July

The team has arrived at Adventiste Hospital in Port-au Prince. Rose is resting with her family in the hospital awaiting surgery tomorrow.  She is nervous and excited for the opportunity to be rid of the mass that has enveloped her arm for the last two years.  Dr Lee Zuckerman is prepared to tackle this tumor and all of our equipment made it through customs.  At 9 am tomorrow we will start a long day of reconstruction.   Our second surgery will be to help Love Daly walk again.  Our Haitian colleague, Dr Hippolyte has brought her to us.  Love Daly is a 15 year old female that I met for the first time today.  She is an orphan who lives with a cousin in Port-au-Prince and was in a motor vehicle accident in early April.  After weeks in General Hospital she was sent home with a broken thigh bone that has left her leg shortened and bent.  Unable to walk, tomorrow we will rebreak the leg and reassemble it to its normal shape.  She should be walking again in a couple of days.  NAVMC is funding the surgeries for both Rose and Love Daly.   Today we helped treat a 6 year old who’s legs were bent to the point she could barely walk.  Under Dr Scott Nelson’s guidance, the team assembled an apparatus on both legs that will straighten her legs over the next 9 months.  A miracle for this child! These patients are some of the few who are fortunate for the opportunity to get treatment and we are fortunate to offer it to them.  Keep your thoughts with us tomorrow as we tackle these problems.   As always thank-you for your support.  Without it, we could not continue this work.   Love Dr Bull

5 July

The tumor on Rose’s right arm now is the size of a large cantelope.  Despite the size and the open wounds it has created, her hand function is near normal.  Tomorrow she will be admitted to Adventiste hospital in Port-au-Prince and on Friday we hope to remove the tumor and save her hand.  Sitting on a plane to Miami, I am a bit nervous that we will not be successful but we have a very strong team.  Dr Zuckerman is an orthopedic tumor surgeon and Dr Nelson a pediatric orthopedic surgeon who has been working in Haiti on a regular basis for 9 years.  I am honored to be part of the team and am hopeful that we can reconstruct for Rose a functional hand.  She is grateful for this chance.  Absent our assistance she would eventually succumb to complications from this.   This has been a five-week project for the NAVMC team and we have had advice from 20 different specialists across the country. Orthopedic surgeons from Canada obtained a sample of the tumor and tissue specialists from Miami have helped to identify the tumor.  Specialists from Boston to California have weighed in and provided their recommendations, none have seen this type of tumor reach this size.  Here at home it is usually diagnosed as soon as a patient starts to feel pain in their arm.  We have a surgical plan and we have received surgical supplies from Arthrex and Acumed, companies that make the devices we will need to rebuild Rose’s arm.  NAVMC is providing the funding to finance the surgery.   I am thankful to live in a place where we have access to medical care.  Happy fourth and thank-you all for your support.   Bull Durham

19 June

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.

19 June

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

13 June

Natacha shattered her ankle 2 weeks ago.  She has been in a hospital in Port-au-Prince since then lying in bed with 8 other women in the woman’s ward, awaiting our arrival, no finances to afford the repair she needed to allow her to walk again.  Here at home, she would have had surgery and been home within a few days.  Today she was one of the lucky “chosen ones”.  Dr Joe Martin repaired her ankle today and soon she will be home recuperating.  Her smile lit up the room after her surgery.    Today was a day of reprieve for the volunteers as we began the process of fixing the injuries we have seen at the local hospitals.  We began to see the beauty in what we have to offer.  We worked with the local Orthopedic Residents who are hungry for the opportunity to do that which they are training to do, care for their fellow Haitians.  We were also able to help Jean who is 48 years old and broke his hip in a motorcycle accident.  After 6 weeks in bed in traction, he is now fixed and will be up and out of bed tomorrow.   Rose can barely lift up her arm anymore as the weight of the tumor in her right arm has grown to the size of a large cantaloupe.  She has been seen at several facilities in Haiti and none could help her.  The tumor has eaten away one of the bones in her forearm.  She lacks the resources to get appropriate care.  We have consulted 20 surgeons in the US for this unusual tumor.  In three weeks we will return to Haiti with a team from Loma Linda University including an orthopedic tumor specialist.  We think we can save her arm.  This week we are preparing her for her upcoming surgery on July 6th.   The team is tired but excited that we are now focusing on repairing the injuries that we have seen these last few days.  Tomorrow we hope will be another day of bringing hope to a few and training those that will continue the work here.            I continue to be amazed at the resilience of these people who suffer so much.  They are thankful for what we do for them.  Your support makes this all possible.  Thank you for your help and we will continue to do what we can for these people, “My Brothers, Our Sisters”   My Brothers Our Sisters: https://vimeo.com/249315834

12 June

Charles’ thigh was crushed in a motorcycle accident 6 months ago.  He was able to find the funds to have it fixed then.  Six months later he is still in a hospital lying in the men’s ward with 8 others.  He has been bedridden since then swatting flies and struggling with the heat and humidity that permeate the room.  When family are around, they bring him food.  Infection pours out of his leg and the antibiotics he takes when he can afford them do little to turn the tide.  He has needed surgery for months but does not have the money to cover the costs of wound debridement and dressings.  When we remove the soiled 5 day old dressings, he asks us to save them as he cannot afford new ones.  We will bring him to our hospital on Thursday and try to save his leg.  We will provide the funds and the supplies that will hopefully bring him back to a productive life for him and his family.  Joseph from our own hospital was not so fortunate and he lost his leg today from injuries that could not be treated adequately.  We saved his life but he has no real concept of this.   Today started with a visit to La Paix hospital in Port-au-Prince, the second facility of two in the country that care for patients without insurance (about 90% of Haitians).  During our hospital rounds with the Haitian Orthopedic residents we identified 10 who need immediate surgery, we will be able to help perhaps 4 of them.  The rest, the “unchosen” will not get the care they need.  Most of them will be crippled, some will lose limbs.   We were able today to repair 3 limbs in patients who would not have otherwise received care without our assistance.  They will return to normal lives here in Haiti. Toussaint’s thigh fracture was repaired today.  He waited 6 weeks for us to come. He now has the opportunity to get out of bed, to walk and to provide for his family.  Frantz is 23 years old and has an upper arm fracture that was not healing. We repaired this today and hopefully he will return to work soon.  He thanks us for this opportunity…   Emotions in our volunteers fluctuate in highs and lows that we rarely experience in our protected lives at home.  The contrast of sadness to exhilaration is confusing but at the end of the day I think we find peace in that we are part of something larger; able to help some, to teach others to help many, and to improve the quality of medical care in the midst of an austere environment.  With each trip here, I see improvement in quality indicating the progress to which we have contributing.  NAVMC is such an important part of the lifeblood of the hospital and the people of Port-au-Prince.  We continue to make our mark here thanks to your support.   Thank-you Bull Durham    

11 June

When I met Anne in December 2017, she had been in a sling with a functionless and painful arm for four months, her fractured humerus unhealed.  She had been in a sling since she had been hit by a car in the streets of Port-au-Prince.  She could not afford to see a doctor.   She was unable to perform self care due to nerve damage and pain.   She awaited our arrival just before Christmas last year.  With our financial support, the local Haitian Orthopedic Residents repaired her arm while our team assisted and supplied the equipment required.   I saw her today with a smile on her face and tears in her eyes as she showed me her function with her fracture and nerve injury healed.  She now has returned to her “normal” life her.  Her gratitude brings me to tears.   Two hours later I was in rounds with the Orthopedic Residents at the General Hospital in Port-au-Prince where there was no electricity and no air conditioning, temperatures and humidity above 90.  One of the wards was home to 8 men with 10 femur fractures lying side by side in cots where they had been for 4-8 weeks, some in traction and others in a variety of splints, all with severe deformities that would leave them crippled.  Their families occupy the small space between cots and some have created make-shift shelves for the new family “home” as their loved ones lie in bed hopefully healing. They have no access to resources that would allow the surgical procedures that could make them whole, no hope for return to their life and work unless we the visiting docs can provide it in our short time here.  We hope to help 2 or 3 of them.  The others we will not have enough time to help.  Frantz is one of the lucky ones.   The last patient we see has a tumor on his right leg the size of a large pillow.  Large enough that he cannot lift his leg.  He is in his early twenties and without resources did not seek care until it was too late.  He will not survive long.   After 9 years of work here in 29 trips to Haiti, I continue to be reminded of the enormity of the issues with the lack of available treatment.  Eight young men crippled who may never be able to support their families.  Some will be chosen others will not, they are all My Brothers.   Without your support, we would not be able to help any, with it we can help a few and train others to help many more.  Haiti’s hope is in her children and she has many talented ones that are hungry for knowledge and anxious to make a difference.   With love from Haiti Dr Bull

10 June

RF is a 23 year old woman with a tumor on her right arm the size of a cantaloupe.  She is one of the patients waiting to see us in Haiti this week.  I hope we can save her arm.  We are now in Haiti with a team of 11 volunteers to treat those who do not have access to medical care and to teach the local physician residents.  We carry with us a lot of energy, hope, love and 1100 pounds of supplies.  For many this is the first trip and the afternoon was a time for orientation and preparation for the injuries we will see this week.   Tomorrows patients sleep tonight on the pavement around the hospital grounds on flattened cardboard boxes and are wrapped up in torn fragments of clothing they have brought with them to ward off the nights cold.  For some, tomorrow may be a game changer, a day for which they may have waited months.  Thanks for all your support without which we could not accomplish all that we do.  I will try to keep updates coming through a Blog on our website as well as through FaceBook.

1 December

Day 2 Haiti: The team is settling in to care for injured patients who have travelled to Port-au-Prince from as far away as Cap Haitian, a 6-hour drive. Some we have seen before, and they have returned for follow up. Doctors Without Borders is scaling back here, thus the volume of injured patients at our doors is rapidly rising.

1 December

Things are happening at lightning speed down here, and the amount of work we have done already is astounding. Stories are coming in from the results of our previous efforts as we prepare to begin new stories. A young man is going into surgery, as I write, for repairs on his fractured leg and upper arm. Another male who was in a motorcycle accident awaits surgery to repair his femur and wrist fractures early tomorrow morning.

1 December

Mohlene, 18 years old, was born HIV positive. She contracted the infection from her mother, and this is called “vertical transmission.” Her mom died many years ago from AIDS, and today Mohlene held my hand and smiled as we talked about her home and her family. Tomorrow she will lose both of her legs, but she doesn’t know this yet.

1 December

Woodjina lies alone in her bed in a small room surrounded by ten other patients with orthopedic injures, all with various splints and traction devices set up. She swats at a mosquito and pulls against the traction device attached to her left leg. A coke bottle filled with cloudy water and tied to a rope dangles off the foot of her bed. It is attached to cardboard that envelops her left lower leg. Her right leg is in a splint, her left hip is dislocated, both are hot with fever. She wiggles to relieve the pain in the pressure sores that are developing after 3 weeks of bedrest. She is 5 years old.

11 October

My wife and I are supporting the education of two Haitian young women, Bebe and Nerlande. They are attending NAU in Flagstaff. They have families in the southern peninsula of Haiti which was recently ravaged by Hurricane Matthew. Bebe’s family, from Jeremie, are all alive but have lost their home and all their possessions. Nerlande’s sister and children are from Les Cayes, and they remain unaccounted for.