Recently a Friend in Bedford, VA suffered a puncture wound to his leg while trying to do some yard work. It was a mild injury, but unfortunately his leg became a bit red, and over a couple of days became more and more painful: he had to see a Medical Practitioner in his town to have minor surgery and an antibiotic. It was a bit frightening, but his surgery was done that day in an office setting, and antibiotics took care of the rest. He had already had his tetanus shot and healed very quickly. He paid a copay for his care, but much of the bill was paid by his insurance, and he has made a complete recovery.
Contrast that to the story of a young boy named Wandales. He is a very active, energetic, cheerful boy on Ile a Vache, who lives with his Mother in a dirt floor, grass house. He was playing several years ago and sustained a puncture wound to the bone in his lower leg. He did not do anything to care for the wound because his Mom knows little about hygiene and wound care and there is no Clinic nearby so over the next few days he continued to play soccer each day on the dirt school yard, and his leg swelled and hurt. It drained fluid continuously and slowly the bone in his leg developed a large lump and was even more painful. There was no choice to see a Medical Care Provider as there were none within walking distance, and his Mom could not afford that anyway. The leg began to deform and continued to fester.
During a trip to Ile a Vache, the Team noticed Wandales trying to play soccer and saw that he was limping and, after an examination, determined that the infection in his leg had entered the bone, and that he was at risk of having the bone break if he did not get treatment. The Team found a Donor who came forward and provided the money for his Mother and Wandales to travel first by foot, then in a boat, and then by “Tap-Tap” (group taxi) to a hospital on the mainland of Haiti, where he paid cash in advance for wound care and medication. Gradually the infection cleared, and the bone is starting to remodel to a more normal shape, he did not contract tetanus, and, best of all, Wandales is growing and playing soccer without pain or a limp.
Wouldn’t it be better to have preventive care such as immunizations, medical care that is affordable and locally available, and education for islanders on wound hygiene and prevention? We really need to finish the Peter Y. Whitehead Memorial Clinic on Ile a Vache and develop a fund for sustainable care on this island.