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