Leaving Haiti

Leaving Haiti
April 2, 2010

I must admit, it is always nice to get on an air-conditioned jet after sleeping or trying to, in a hot room, mosquitoes swarming, and sweat dripping for 9 days. It wasn’t hard to get up at 5:30 am to get ready for our 9 am flight. I was already awake. Flying to or from Haiti from the western US always makes for a long journey. We awakened today at 4:30am MDT and will get home tonight at just after 11 pm MDT. Haiti has a new airport building with an escalator in it. So now, Haitians will have experienced a moving stairway in their own country before traveling to the US. We did see one gentleman try to walk down the escalator and nearly fall on his head.
It has been a good team this year. It has also been a different trip because of the “katastrof”. Half had been to Haiti before and were shocked at the devastation, half were new to Haiti and were shocked at Haiti. All worked hard and were glad they came. One of the hospitals CDTI where we worked in January and where half of the team worked this time closed yesterday. I’m not sure why. Prior to the earthquake, it was the nicest hospital in Haiti, privately owned for wealthy private patients. They hospital turned into an acute trauma center on January 12th, and our teams have helped them with surgeons, therapists, nurses and supplies. It was a sad day when they closed their doors. Whispers about running out of money, government pressure, who really knows? Our team came home talking about how the mood was getting surly among the patients getting ready to be discharged to the streets. Some of our team left the hospital early because they were beginning to feel unsafe. A woman with an external fixator on her leg wondered how she was ever going to get it taken off, a 12 year old boy in a body cast for 2 more weeks was going to be put out on the street. Patients crying softly in their beds, in the tents, and out on the lawn. I don’t think I have ever been worn down as much emotionally as I have in the last two trips since the katastrof. All those who could, got out of town this weekend for Easter. They just needed a break for a few days after living with what they do each day. After 9 days of seeing so much, listening to so many stories, and suffering along with the people I treated, I need to get home to my wife and family. I have so much to be thankful for, all of us do who can get on a plane when we want to and leave Haiti for “a break”. My heart, my thoughts and my prayers will remain in Haiti, especially with those who get no break, those who are living in tents, who wonder when their next meal will be, and those who can see no end in sight.