Getting ready to go to Haiti

Haiti is a country that I have loved for many years. Ever since I served an LDS mission there in 1982 and 1983 for some reason that horrible, wonderful country has had a hold on me. I have attributed it to a voodoo curse in the past, but I have always known that it is the people who made me fall in love with their country. They are so warm, generous, and quick to laugh with the "blan" who keeps tripping my tongue over their Creole. I helped found the Healing Hands for Haiti International Foundation in 1998 and have been back with that group at least once or twice a year since then. HHHIF is dedicated to providing rehabilitation training, treatment, education and equipment to the physically disabled in Haiti.

The past 12 years have been a wonderful experience, visiting the country that I loved, helping people with nowhere else to turn regain a measure of physical function, and meeting and working with some of the most dedicated and compassionate people from all over the US, Canada, France, and of course, Haiti. We had a beautiful 6 acre compound with a PT/OT gym, clinic, rehab training school, prosthetic/orthotic shop guest house and several apartments whose rent helped support our efforts.

All of that but the guest house is now gone. The 7.0 earthquake on Tuesday centered just west Port-au-Prince was my worst nightmare come true. Anyone who has spent time in PAP, who has driven past the cinderblock and tin "bidonvilles" or shantytowns perched precariously on steep mountain slopes has wondered what would happen if..... Then a shudder and a quick turn of thought to something else-- too horrible to even think about. Well, now we know. Now the whole world knows.

Among the thousands of deaths were two of our tenants and the wife of one of our staff members, Annia St. Louis-- recent proud medical school graduate and even prouder mother of a 7 month old and a 4 year old. I can't stop thinking of Annia's husband Jony. He can't stop to grieve for his wife. He has to find food today for his children. Then he has to find food for them tomorrow and the next day and the next.

I have been waiting to get on a plane to Haiti since the earthquake. We are scheduled to leave tomorrow. I am torn with the frustration of not being there doing what I can to help, and the fear of what I will find when I do get there. If I have internet access, I will write daily blogs keeping friends and family up to date. Please keep all of us and Haiti in your thoughts and prayers.