Tuesday March 9th, 2010

Another day!!! Very busy, but oh sooo rewarding. I have posted some pictures (finally) that shows two things. One group is of the devastation still EVERYWHERE here in Port AU Prince.
The second group of pictures is of some of the team holding and with some of the precious Hatian children we have come in contact with. I am walking with a little boy who was crushed in the earthquake. He broke both legs, from the pelvis down and was put into a spika cast....a hard cast on both legs from the hip joint down to the toes and then it is held in place by a rod attatched to both legs to keep his legs in proper alignment. That was 2 days after the earthquake hit. Well today the cast came off...he was healed, and he got to walk for the first time. I am seen walking him with his clolorful crutch that I gave him and he did very well. He was scared at first, but quickly gor over that fear and with the aide of just a hand a 1 crutch was able to walk!! His father was so happy that he would not stop smiling and telling us thank you. At one point, the little boy rested on my knee and put his head on my shoulder. As he rested,he put his arm around me and began patting me on the back....just like my precious little grand daughter does!!! It is so very rewarding, but so heartbreaking at the same time!!
The doctors and nurses continue to work very hard under very difficult conditions. The equipment that they need to take xrays and do other essential things to perform surgery keep breaking down or are not running properly. At the clinic today, we had over 30 patients that needed xrays, and mid-morning, the machine broke. We had no choice but to ask the patients to wait, and they did. It began to run again, but it was needed in the OR. So...again, the patients had to wait. They were finally all seen and not one complaint was heard!!! I think we Americans can learn a thing a two from these wonderful people about PATIENCE!!!!!
All is well with the team. Still taking cold showers, but we have now learned that a cold shower after a very long, hot sweaty day is much better than a cold shower early in the morning.
The mornings are still starting with a Mass and then doctors meetings and then clinic. Dr. Johnston again went into the mountains with the mobile unit and had a productive day. He is seeing about 60 patients each time he goes in.
The team is amazing!!! We are adapting to having so little and needing so much!! Carol, Diane, Lynell are continuing to remove and apply casts, wound care and in general anything that is needed. Amber and Erin and Barbara are in surgery with Dr. Hurley, Dr. Kim and Dr. Decker.
We have two very big prayer needs....that the xray starts working again as well as the ansthesia machine begins to work as well.
Keep the prayers coming.....I will post more tomorrow....

Love to all,

Denise