the restless np

Merci, Merci

2011-08-09T17:36:00.000-04:00

Today, I return to work, to an abundance of food, to air conditioning, carpeting, and clear, running water. (Who needs Brita, anyway?)

My dad has always been right, I must admit. "Do you really NEED what you're about to purchase, or do you WANT it? Think, carefully. A need is quite different from what one may desire." Something to think about.

Speaking of needs, I would like to thank those who have given their time, energies, funding, prayers and good graces to make this trip a success and to help us to provide for those who are far more in need than anyone could ever imagine, even myself.

Firstly, a big thank you to all of Uniondale Public High school, including HASA, Haitian American Student Association, Dr. William Lloyd, Superintendent and Dr. Florence Simmons, Principal to Uniondale Public High School for the $1500 donation and all of their fundraising efforts throughout the past year.

Jenny & Brother Sem

Secondly, thank you to Dr. Mondesir and Health Care Ministries for donating medical supplies and prescription medicines, in abundance through Brother Sem and Brother Serge, from Hebron Seventh Day Adventist Church in Brooklyn, New York.

Thirdly, a special thanks to our co-workers for giving us the opportunity to partake in such a huge philanthropic feat. Many, many thanks goes to one of our co-workers, Kelly Haviland, Nurse Practitioner at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and her friends for donating newborn and children's clothing.

A sample of donated baby clothing, by Mrs. Kelly Haviland & Friends.

No small deed goes unnoticed.

Thanks to all who prayed for us, gave us encouragement and advisement, including: Nadia Delaleu, RN (Mom); Eddy Delaleu (Dad); Joanne Delaleu, sister & spiritual supporter; Mr. Frantz Dorsainvil, Life Coach; Mr. Hakeem Rahim, UFEE Co-Founder and Dr. Marc Vital-Herne, President of HAPA, Haitian American Psychiatric Association.

And, most importantly, Merci L'Eternele.

*the restless np

Day #6

2011-08-09T16:19:00.000-04:00

As Sunday morning developed, everyone said their "Bon Jour's" but the staff appeared kind of melancholic. I asked my dad, Dr. Eddy what was the matter with them all. He mentioned that they were sad that Joanne and I were leaving for the states the following day.

Our youngest of the group, kept asking me as he pumped from the well for my bathwater, "At this time tomorrow, will you be in the United States?" The stars were bright and the moon hung low. He also said, "I will not forget you." I didn't realize how much they had grown accustomed to us already. The long hours on the bus, the prayers, the English lessons, the Kreyol lessons, the stories, sharing food, the laughter, and the beach.

We also, decided to celebrate our dad's birthday. We invited Rooster and his friends, Goat, Cat and Mr. Cow, and our miniature lizard friends but they figured it was getting too late to party and decided to remain outdoors. :-)

Anjie, Jimmy's Daughter

Joanne & child

Joanne & Anjie making dinner.

Jimmy, our driver.

Line of patients at the onsite clinic.

Me & child, prior to examination or "consultation."

One of "the twins."

The Mobile Clinic Providers, RNs & Physicians.

Dr. Stephane pretending to rebuild the old fort at Fort Liberte.

Fort Liberte

(Left to Right) Franceau, OH staff & driver; Dr. Stephane, Psychologist & Dr. Eddy Delaleu, President & Director to OHFCOH, Inc in a Fort Liberte ruin. Here they are pretending to cook on the ground as the soldiers may have done many years ago.

Young child at Fort Liberte mobile clinic.

L'union fait la force

Until next time, my friends.

*the restless np

Day #5, Free Children's Clinic Day

2011-08-06T17:30:00.003-04:00

Day#5 was this past Saturday, August 6th, 2011. We had finally recouped from the long drive down Pilboro the day prior, and regained some of our energies in anticipation of the free clinic hours that we would be providing to the young children in the vicinity of the onsite clinic in La Plaine, basically the facility where Operation Hope calls home (aka HQ or Head Quarters).

Here I am with Ti Jo, one of our internal staff members. We have just had coffee and are awaiting clinic hours to open.

Above, the young lady sitting to my right had been waiting for a provider to look at her Caesarian section incision after delivering twins 22 days prior.

Below, you can see me here with Michelene, another staff member giving out clothing; something we did after seeing each child.

Joanne Delaleu, NP and child.

This young man fascinated me as he took complete responsibility for bringing his younger cousin to be seen by a provider.

Here I am, resting as we are nearing the end of clinic; no-one standing could find me, since I was not readily in view until someone pointed me out sitting under one of the bunk-beds. My feet had begun to swell, needless to say.

Some of the children we cared for that day.

Dr. Eddy during our free or "gratis" onsite clinic.

Francessca

This child is afflicted with seizures, perhaps epilepsy. We also considered the latter stages of malaria. When queried, the mother replied, "Yes there is another person in our family that has this [seizure activity] problem."

We referred her to the nearest hospital.

We did what we could with what we had. As we advised her, she should be placed on anti-seizure medication. We recommended that she follow up with Francessca at the clinic in two weeks to update us on her progression.

I decided to do a complete physical exam on the young lady, as she had been preeclamptic during her pregnancy.

Unfortunately, the young lady who delivered twins had sutures that were non-absorbable and had not been removed 22 days after delivery. She reported that the hospital refused to remove the sutures for her as she did not have any more money to pay for further services.

Then we gave her clothing for her twins, one boy and one girl. These clothes were graciously donated by Kelly Haviland, Nurse Practitioner and friends.

Here is Joanne and I (center) resting with the OHFCOH local staff members.

We decided to take a tour of the city before nightfall.

Here is the National Palace in 2004, prior to the 2010 earthquake.

I now know why I saw tears in my father's eyes last year during our visit to the palace.

I found that Le Palais National looked even worse than when I saw it one month after the earthquake!

Mezanmi...

Day#4, Market Day

2011-08-06T17:24:00.001-04:00

We were told that our third mobile clinic day (Friday) would have to be postponed since the villagers from Ouanaminte were preoccupied with what they called "market day," an opportunity to purchase goods in Dominican Republic to sell on the streets of Haiti.

Per Dr. Eddy, "market day" or "jou mache" seems to take priority over health; something to think about in terms of the health literacy of the population. I guess that could be a different blog, in and of itself.

Well, we decided to headed off to the nearby oceanside to visit the old fort for the remainder of our second mobile clinic day. We took an interesting adventure through the ruins.

Here's my dad, Dr. Eddy examining a pit that seemed to be used to catch rainwater as a reservoir, as he explains to us.

The weather was suboptimal, but I don't think that we cared much about that, we were just happy to take a break from the sweltering heat.

*the restless np

Location:1,Port-au-Prince,Haiti

Day#3, Second Mobile Clinic Day

2011-08-05T20:08:00.001-04:00

Yesterday, it was much too busy to write an entry.

Our day began with a few sips of a rich, sweet coffee; that was non-bitter and grown locally. As there are no electric grinders, the beans are ground by the individual and sometimes by two people in a large pistol and mortar, called a "pilón."

The day was hectic but fruitful.

Our psychologist Dr. Sabbat Stephane and physician, Dr. Anthony Forestal had their hands full with a delirious 80 year old of whom seemed to keep the clinic quite entertained.

Some of the local kids kept coming back to visit us in order to practice their English.

Once things settled down, one little girl, "Ti Lombrit" (which literally means: Little Umbilicus) spoke English relatively well, "What is your favorite color?" and "What is your school?"

I was pretty impressed, but another little girl near her told me in Kreyol, "Oh that's nothing, you should hear her sister, it's her sister who's actually taking the "lessons." English lessons, I gathered.

Without warning Ti Lumbrit ran off to find her sister, Gwo Lombrit, who apparently was her twin. By the way Gwo Lombrit as you might have guessed means "Big Umbilicus." The midwives or "femme sage," due to informal training will cut the umbilical cord at birth in varying lengths lending to the protruding umbilicus as seen above on Gwo Lombrit. Some, though are lucky to have a normal looking "belly button."

It also rained; needless to say Tropical Storm Emily is upon us. Nightfall came pretty quickly.

*the restless np

Location:Forte Liberte, Haiti

Day #2, First Mobile Clinic Day

2011-08-03T18:26:00.001-04:00

We made it to Forte Liberte around 11am, and started working right away; the clinic closed at 3pm as there were only 80 patients seen among the 6 nurses, 1 psychologist, 5-4th year med students and 2 nurse practitioners, Joanne & myself.

Our lengthy trip was to blame for our late arrival. As I understood it, Pastor William, who so graciously hosted our mobile clinic in the local schoolhouse mentioned that many more patients had grown tired of waiting this morning in anticipation of the 8am start time and left for home. They are expected to return tomorrow morning.
Resting overnight for several hours in Gonaive was probably, and most likely the safest option. It is widely know that night travel, especially in this part of the island lends itself to car jacking by thieves. Safety was obviously a priority for Dr. Eddy and his staff; and I surely didn't mind.

We treated patients throughout the life spectrum; of different ages. Common ailments were primarily eye infections, skin rashes, stomachache, fever, and cold like symptoms; the underlying theme seems to be linked to poor sanitary conditions.

Chronic conditions, (besides hypertension) and some acute illnesses, were more difficult to diagnose as we lacked basic medical supplies, such as a glucometer, otoscope, opthalmoscopes, speculums, and point-of-care devices to perform various studies. A good handle of the physical exam is underrated here.

Regardless, we were well received. One lady told me with a grin from ear to ear, "God is good! Do you know how great this is for us? What you're doing here? To have someone to treat our problems! We need this kind of help, badly!" The rough trip up the mountains and rocky road was all worth it to me right then and there.

Oh yeah the kids were cute, too!

*the restless np

Location:121,,Haiti

In anticipation

2011-08-03T10:37:00.001-04:00

It's nearly 9am, and we have yet to arrive to Forte Liberte. Last evening we rested in Gonaive. We were hosted by Dr. Jeromanie's aunt, Tatie Annette.

The hosts home was a welcome change from the cramped school bus that we have been traveling in since we landed, yesterday at 4pm; running water and a bedded floor with pillows.

Traveling up the mountains of Pilboro we passed Plaisance before traveling downhill towards Forte Liberte. We shared the narrow road with women and young girls balancing goods on their heads, "pañe" is what its called, I was told.

It's not surprising that no one wants to smile for the camera anymore, not even I.

*the restless np

Location:1,,Haiti

Day#2

2011-08-03T07:35:00.001-04:00

Up the treacherous mountains! Thank goodness Dr. Eddy has his CDL (Commercial Driver's License)!

*the restless np

Location:Pilboro

En Route to Forte Liberte

2011-08-02T21:20:00.001-04:00

Cabaret...

*the restless np

En Route

2011-08-02T20:56:00.001-04:00

One of the main roads, National #1...Passing through Cabaret, and Archaie...

*the restless np

Location:National #1

OHFCOH Medical Mission 080211 Day#1

2011-08-02T14:40:00.001-04:00

On our way to Haiti!

*the restless NP

Location:S Perimeter Rd,Dania Beach,United States