Posts in Travelogue

Last night the after dinner prep work went smoothly and we were done by 9. Sadly, the local watering hole was closing so I think we all took that as our cue to wash off the day’s dust and rest from the long day, so lights out came fairly early.

Today we awoke to a very breezy day and I held out hope it would be blowing in the best direction…and lo and behold, upon arrival to the church, the thatched structure was closed off and we were to hold clinic in the adjacent unfinished structure. There was a tarp for shade and wide open doors and windows…the breeze was amazing!!

As is always the case, the team improvised and in no time, the clinic was set up for business! Of course, for the first time in an open air clinic we were impacted by the shifting sun and hit by several rain showers, so as you can see, the clinic took on several different iterations.

We did have some interesting patients that will require additional care after our departure…a young child with intractable seizures and a young man with a large scalp tumor. Sorry for Neal though – no surgeries today. The most shocking patient of the day…a 45yr old woman with a verified Blood Pressure of 296/172…I checked it 3 times!! How did she even walk in the building? She will need more medicines and closer follow-up than we can provide, so we gave her stern instructions. I hope to see her in May with a much better BP.

After dodging the direct sun and the intermittent raindrops, we managed to see our last patient by 2:30. We had treated 112 souls and the clinic went very well. As usual, the space was packed, loaded and we were headed for home and an earlier lunch today.

You probably guessed it…some headed toward the clinic on the way to the beach below to cool off, but on our way back up the hill we made a stop…you guessed it…the roof! Of course, we had to take a nostalgic picture on the knoll in front of the site where we took one of our first photos upon choosing this site nearly 4yrs ago! Time flies and look how far we have come!

It is now nearing 5:00 and if we hope to get refreshed before dinner we will reluctantly leave the breezy rooftop and hopefully meet up with our friends Timizou and Chavane for a beverage and an appetizer before the 6:30 dinner bell back home. Then of course, prep work for our Friday clinic at Grace Church. We have served over 250 patients so far, and will likely see many more before our departure from this paradise in just 3 days. I only hope we are continuing to make positive strides, connecting with this community.

That is all for now. We hope all are well back home and as much as we love this place, we look forward to seeing our loved ones again soon. More news from Ile a Vache tomorrow!

Love to All,

The Team

The team again had generator and fans all night and temperatures remain very tolerable so far! We awoke to a hearty breakfast of Haitian oatmeal and boiled eggs…and we would need it, as we were headed back to Bwa Bouton today…The Deep End!

We were as ready as we would ever be and loaded the truck and a motorcycle to speed across the island to our waiting clients. We were not surprised or disappointed…the church was full when we arrived. We quickly set about arranging clinic stations, a registration station, medical records and a nurse vitals station and before we knew it, clinic had begun.

With only 3 stations and the team efficiently divided, we distributed 130 tickets, and after an uninterrupted 6 hours, we had served 140 patients. The team acquitted itself very nicely for the first day! Unfortunately some were turned away to return later in the week, which is never our intent, but I think we gave it all we had and most left very satisfied.

I think Kitty may have some competition for minor surgical procedures…Neal, the pediatric surgeon was in his element! In addition to treating dozens of all-comers with grace, he had an infant with a scalp laceration to suture, a young man with an embedded fish hook to remove and a child with a smashed thumb and an avulsed nail. Anna tackled many a diagnostic dilemma before the clinic day ended. Jason and Seth doggedly handled the crush at check-in and Deann, Megan and Pam were tireless in their support of the providers. This is an A Team and Chelsea and I are so priveleged to be along for their first ride together!!

Once the last patient was treated, the clinic was packed, the church restored to it’s original state and the team set off for “home”. Lunch was served at 4 and some of us quickly headed back to the clinic to enjoy the cool breeze and a beautiful sunset. I absolutely love this place!! I believe I have found my new happy place on the planet…that’s right…This Roof!!

As the sun sets and darkness approaches, we have been told dinner will be served in just a half hour, so we will need to return. After dinner we will have our after dinner work to prep for tomorrow’s clinic in Madame Bernard, which will certainly prove to be rather busy as well. Today’s clinic had great breeze and despite the volume, did not seem oppressive. Considering the location, we will not be so lucky tomorrow…but we can hope for the best.

Will let you know how it goes with tommorrow evening’s post…again from the roof! Gotta run now…stay tuned.

Love to All,

The Team

Sleep came easily last night as you might expect and the generator lasted all night with good fan coverage…SO nice. The day started with some cloud cover and a great breeze. We ate a delicious breakfast but I was chomping at the bit to get to the clinic site, so we all went for a morning stroll. I had goose bumps as we rounded the corner of the road and the building came in site…what a payoff it was!!!

It is such a blessing to be a part of this journey and part of a group of dedicated individuals all working towards the same goal. It is also such a pleasure to join this new group and welcome them into the Project Starfish-Haiti family. They have varying life experiences and some are walking on this island for the first time, but it is clear in the 24hrs I have known them that they have all embraced the dream and the work, and will most definitely be an integral part in this clinic’s success.

Lingering on the roof and in the halls of the building, I feel the presence of my friend all around. I know that the care given, the friendships made, the laughter shared…the sense of community that will be experienced within these walls will honor his memory daily.

The time came and we reluctantly headed back to the guest house to begin the work of preparing for the week of clinics to come. And there was much work to be done – organizing clinic supplies, unpacking new items, cataloging and then counting and bagging meds for our patients to come. The group jumped in quickly and within minutes we were like a well-oiled machine. That said, it was 5-6hrs later when we were able to close the final lid and rest.

As the sun was setting we sat down to yet another delicious dinner and shared time together as we heard singing from the church below. As the table cleared, a new game of cards began, some took time to read, others just stepped out to enjoy the cooling night breeze.

Soon all thoughts will be on the busy day ahead at Bwa Bouton. This is generally a busy clinic and we have been gone nearly 1 year, but once again we hope to strengthen our connection to this community and truly earn their trust. That is when we will be able to claim success in our efforts.

For now, please wish us a cool evening and nice prevailing breezes for clinic tomorrow…and stay tuned for more from this special place.

Love to All,

The Team

As planned Deann and her team arrived around 1:30am to the departure gate where everyone got quickly acquainted and then just as quickly went about “bedding down” in one way or another….that is to say, either successfully or unsuccessfully. And as expected, Miami airport is a ghost town after 10:30pm…not to mention it is freezing!! We did our best to steal a few winks and stay warm, but before we knew it, it was time to get a bite and board our flight, which was speedy and efficient, arriving 20min ahead of schedule. We even managed to get through Immigration and Customs with minimal delay and no “lighter” than when we arrived! Unfortunately, that is where our luck ran out…The Team right after leaving the airport parking area:Turns out a group of students in the Martissant district of Port au Prince decided to demonstrate in the main road, which is to say the only road, leading to the National Highway that takes us to our destination. They are unhappy because teachers will not come to their school to resume teaching. So, the students created a blockade in the road, snarling traffic for hours. The Police were needed to resolve this issue but as you can imagine, it took hours more to untangle the knotted traffic.The Team after nearly 3hrs in the traffic jam – not even out of Port au Prince yet:Guess those few hours in the airport were mostly unsuccessful…Shout out to Garry, Marriot, Lèon and Nora for staying in regular communication to ensure the team’s safety at all times, but the prize clearly goes to our most patient driver, Marriot…no surprise he is Garry’s brother! He is one Cool Customer!!…and no sooner than 4hrs from the start of our journey, when Les Cayes would normally nearly be in sight, we were just slowly approaching the next city – Carrefour, which is still just an extension of the urban area that is Port au Prince.The blockade cleared, we found ourselves driving into the usual crush of business day traffic…and this is one bustling center of commerce!Once the crush was cleared, Marriot transformed into a Formula 1 racecar driver and he was clearly driving a “Magic Bus”. Any other tour bus would have come apart at all suspension joints and the wheels would have come off for sure. I am happy to report all arrived safely and no casualties amongst other drivers or pedestrians either! We pulled up to the pier at 6pm with the sun setting – fastest unload, boarding and setting out for Ile a Vache ever!! And for another First, we were treated to a combination sunset / moonlight cruise across the channel. One constant, most were drenched by the time will pulled up to shore.We made the crossing quicker than ever under the light of a half moon. Timizou piloted us with skill. We were met by 2 trucks and were quickly off to the quest house where Adeline and Gislene had prepared a delicious meal of chicken, rice & beans. The team is definitely a bit worse for the wear after such a long travel day(s), but we will get settled and sleep tonight before we dive into preparations for the week of clinics ahead. There has been no medical team here in nearly a year, so clinics will likely be very busy.

I too am exhausted tonight so that is all for now. Please pray for a successful week and continued progress on the Peter Y Whitehead Memorial Clinic!

More later!

Love to All,

The Team

Last night we were treated to a delicious parting dinner at St Joseph’s. Their hospitality is always exemplary! And to top it off, one last visit from Josi and his beautiful family. The children are just adorable, very well behaved and getting so big now. Josi and Ruth are proving what wonderful parents they are! They are an example for their familes, their neighbors and all of us as well! Read More