Here are some of the pictures taken on my mission trip to Haiti! Brent created a website to show them, and I commented on each of them! I had a great time--very eye opening--but cannot wait to go back!!!
Click here to view my pictures from Haiti
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Thursday's Recap and a Thank You
(This is Brent typing.) It's late Thursday night, and I just received a text message from Connie. Today was the last day of work for the I-Team. They will travel home tomorrow and Saturday. She said the I-Team saw 810 patients and performed 90 surgeries. Incredible! She said she had a *great* week, but is tired and ready to be home. Good, 'cause we miss you! So eager to see her again.
I know Connie will write THANK YOUs to all of you who made her trip possible, but I'd also like to say thanks. Other than bullet points and sheer numbers, I don't know many details about what went on in Haiti. I do know, however, that *none* of it would have been possible without your contributions, enabling Connie to get there in the first place. >>>Thank you *so* much for helping her go help those kids!!!<<< She will be eternally grateful, and so will 810 people in Haiti and their families and friends. You may not have been there physically, but you were a crucial part of something great. Whether it was financial support or faithful encouragement, it was all necessary. Sincerely, thank you. --Brent
I know Connie will write THANK YOUs to all of you who made her trip possible, but I'd also like to say thanks. Other than bullet points and sheer numbers, I don't know many details about what went on in Haiti. I do know, however, that *none* of it would have been possible without your contributions, enabling Connie to get there in the first place. >>>Thank you *so* much for helping her go help those kids!!!<<< She will be eternally grateful, and so will 810 people in Haiti and their families and friends. You may not have been there physically, but you were a crucial part of something great. Whether it was financial support or faithful encouragement, it was all necessary. Sincerely, thank you. --Brent
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Wednesday's Recap
(This is Brent typing.) It's almost 11:00 Wednesday night, and I have nothing to report. I have not heard from Connie today, and Mark's email was w/o substance. Tomorrow is the I-Team's last day of work. Connie flies from Haiti to Miami on Friday, and will finally be home in Kansas City early Saturday morning. Yea!
Edit: It's Thursday morning. Connie finally sent me a text, but it was past midnight and I was already asleep. She said her anesthesia skills were unneeded by late afternoon so she got to participate in the ''Meals on Heels'' program. There are other groups at the mission, and one of them takes food out to the nearby village. Text messages are expensive for her to send, so she only said, ''WOWZA! How the Haitians live! Words cannot say!!!'' I am eager to see her pictures and hear more. I will post pictures sometime Saturday and let you know as soon as they're published.
Edit: It's Thursday morning. Connie finally sent me a text, but it was past midnight and I was already asleep. She said her anesthesia skills were unneeded by late afternoon so she got to participate in the ''Meals on Heels'' program. There are other groups at the mission, and one of them takes food out to the nearby village. Text messages are expensive for her to send, so she only said, ''WOWZA! How the Haitians live! Words cannot say!!!'' I am eager to see her pictures and hear more. I will post pictures sometime Saturday and let you know as soon as they're published.
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Tuesday's Recap: Making it Personal
(This is Brent typing.) It's late Tuesday night, and I just got an email from Mark L. with today's update. I will cut-and-paste his message here:
----------
Friends of Haiti,
One of my travel mates offered a quote that fits here. "when one person dies, it is a tragedy, when 10,000 die, a statistic." paraphrase of Stalin, I am told.
If you know them, touch them, recognize them, they are part of your emotions and it doesn't get more personal. Otherwise, a stat, a number, maybe a series with zeros in it.
Lord knows we have that here. After walking in the front gate, we guide each "moun" (person) from station to station. With the help of translators, we learn their names, if their parents are blind, and how they do on reading an eye chart. We see if they limp (many do), if their eyes have pterygium growths (many do) in the whites of their eyes, if they are missing teeth (many are). And we know their names.
When they answer questions, we learn about their lives, to help explain their answers. An accident with a machete, where they work, if they have ever visited any medical professional.
This trip has also had a preview as we have been emailing to get as many child cases due to the presence on the team of Dr. Olitsky. We learned names and stories of perhaps 6 or more patients before landing here.
One of our interesting offers is prosthetic eyes. Each trip perhaps 10 patients are fitted with handmade eyes. Dave LeGrand is an artist with humble tenor. Think of the involvement it takes to paint an eye to match the other. Even with almost all "brown" eyes, so much variation.
So, we become a little Haitian, as they say "piti piti Ayisian." I think that is good. The Tower of Babel (Genesis 6) shows how human pride set us on a path of many languages, the goal to confuse us. Even if we don't speak much Kreyol, we can hold a Haitian hand or remember a name after we leave. We don't totally go home. That's personal.
A couple items:
- You will want to know that more than 500 patients have received services and about 40 surgical procedures have occurred. Space is slotted for patients on Wed and Thur, with reservations being made for February.
- Three of the team have been hampered today by a bug that saps their energy. All are doing better now.
- A horrific tumor was removed where a woman's eye once sat. Larger than a hard boiled egg, it appears this 37 year old mother of a 3 month old has but months to live as lymph nodes are affected and no hope of other treatment exists.
Pray for all these patients, even though you don't know them. We do.
Mark L.
----------
In regards to the 37-yr-old woman w/ the large tumor near her eye, Connie said they ''had to remove her whole eye down to the eye socket, but at least she isn't in pain anymore. Very sad.''
Connie also said that there was a great message at church tonight (They attend church at the mission every evening.) ''It was very touching.'' She wants me to blog that she is doing well but she doesn't want to be praised. ''Tell people to give the glory to God, not me. He is why I am here doing this!''
----------
Friends of Haiti,
One of my travel mates offered a quote that fits here. "when one person dies, it is a tragedy, when 10,000 die, a statistic." paraphrase of Stalin, I am told.
If you know them, touch them, recognize them, they are part of your emotions and it doesn't get more personal. Otherwise, a stat, a number, maybe a series with zeros in it.
Lord knows we have that here. After walking in the front gate, we guide each "moun" (person) from station to station. With the help of translators, we learn their names, if their parents are blind, and how they do on reading an eye chart. We see if they limp (many do), if their eyes have pterygium growths (many do) in the whites of their eyes, if they are missing teeth (many are). And we know their names.
When they answer questions, we learn about their lives, to help explain their answers. An accident with a machete, where they work, if they have ever visited any medical professional.
This trip has also had a preview as we have been emailing to get as many child cases due to the presence on the team of Dr. Olitsky. We learned names and stories of perhaps 6 or more patients before landing here.
One of our interesting offers is prosthetic eyes. Each trip perhaps 10 patients are fitted with handmade eyes. Dave LeGrand is an artist with humble tenor. Think of the involvement it takes to paint an eye to match the other. Even with almost all "brown" eyes, so much variation.
So, we become a little Haitian, as they say "piti piti Ayisian." I think that is good. The Tower of Babel (Genesis 6) shows how human pride set us on a path of many languages, the goal to confuse us. Even if we don't speak much Kreyol, we can hold a Haitian hand or remember a name after we leave. We don't totally go home. That's personal.
A couple items:
- You will want to know that more than 500 patients have received services and about 40 surgical procedures have occurred. Space is slotted for patients on Wed and Thur, with reservations being made for February.
- Three of the team have been hampered today by a bug that saps their energy. All are doing better now.
- A horrific tumor was removed where a woman's eye once sat. Larger than a hard boiled egg, it appears this 37 year old mother of a 3 month old has but months to live as lymph nodes are affected and no hope of other treatment exists.
Pray for all these patients, even though you don't know them. We do.
Mark L.
----------
In regards to the 37-yr-old woman w/ the large tumor near her eye, Connie said they ''had to remove her whole eye down to the eye socket, but at least she isn't in pain anymore. Very sad.''
Connie also said that there was a great message at church tonight (They attend church at the mission every evening.) ''It was very touching.'' She wants me to blog that she is doing well but she doesn't want to be praised. ''Tell people to give the glory to God, not me. He is why I am here doing this!''
Connie called home!!!
It's Tuesday afternoon, and we just got done talking with Connie! She says she is doing well, just hot. She said three people from the I-Team are dehydrated and are hooked up to IV fluids, with their feet up in the air right now. The mission ran out of water, so no more showers. A truck brought in drinking water in those large, 5-gallon Culligan-type bottles this afternoon. She sounded good, too. Sounded happy.
She talked about the challenges of getting IVs started on the Haitians, especially the children. There are many that are dehydrated so their veins are hard to find. She spoke specifically of a 1-yr-old on whom nobody on the team could start an IV. Remember, there is a very experienced pediatric ICU nurse on this team. Still, no luck. They will try to work on him again in February when he is a bit older. Connie said with his condition (whatever that is, she didnt say), the child has to be seen by six months of age or it's too late. So waiting another six months wont affect him much, clinically speaking. Connie said she was getting ready to remove a large tumor from a woman's eyelid. It is the biggest the doctor has ever seen. He said in the States we dont let them get this large, and would have operated on it long ago.
I told her there are many here who think she is courageous and doing a truly wonderful thing. We are all so proud of her. She choked up and said ''Thanks...it feels so right.''
She talked about the challenges of getting IVs started on the Haitians, especially the children. There are many that are dehydrated so their veins are hard to find. She spoke specifically of a 1-yr-old on whom nobody on the team could start an IV. Remember, there is a very experienced pediatric ICU nurse on this team. Still, no luck. They will try to work on him again in February when he is a bit older. Connie said with his condition (whatever that is, she didnt say), the child has to be seen by six months of age or it's too late. So waiting another six months wont affect him much, clinically speaking. Connie said she was getting ready to remove a large tumor from a woman's eyelid. It is the biggest the doctor has ever seen. He said in the States we dont let them get this large, and would have operated on it long ago.
I told her there are many here who think she is courageous and doing a truly wonderful thing. We are all so proud of her. She choked up and said ''Thanks...it feels so right.''
Monday, August 8, 2011
Monday's Recap. Eye Opening.
(This is Brent typing.) It's late Monday night, and I've just received an email update from Mark L. and a text message from Connie. Connie didn't say much about the day, and talked only briefly about tomorrow. Mark, however, had quite a bit to say. I have cut-and-pasted his email here:
----------
Friends of Haiti,
A few updates to begin. We have not had a team member much impaired thus far. No travelers illness, or food-related problems. It seems a case of dehydration may be appearing, but nothing some IV fluids might not relieve. There was some tent flooding on rooftop. (Edit from Brent: Connie feared this, as she is sleeping in a tent on the rooftop. She said the rooftop might get a lot of standing water if it rains too much. I hope she sleeps well and stays dry. She said it rained almost all last night and dogs were barking and roosters were crowing at 4:30am.) Nothing was lost downstream, but dampness abounds in more than the humidity level. Parties have taken to their tasks and seem to be operating at a sufficient level to not mourn for lack of most skills. The team, though, has limits and thinning staffing that could cause us to chug slowly with key loses. A couple examples include malfunction of the autoclave sterilizing oven. Slow cleaning of the equipment means fewer patients served. We also had some interpreter absences at critical times keeping doctors from giving rapid prognoses for treatment choices. All told, the Lord has provided a way to help our Haitian friends.
Try looking at it from a Haitian point of view. (Edit from Brent: These are comments from Haitians to members of the I-Team.)
''In a land where driving between two good-sized regional cities takes an hour to go 8 miles, I walk that distance in 3 hours to make it to the metal gate (the entrance to the mission) with 100 other countrymen by 8am.''
''My mother, 65 years old, lives in my family hut with my wife and 4 children, sharing the 10'x10' dirt floored place we rent with no electricity or plumbing. I work moving rock in a wheelbarrow for $2/day but only a few days a month. When she goes in for eyedrops to treat her advanced glaucoma, my wife leaves 3 of the 4 kids alone at home while carrying one and holding Mom's arm. The appointment takes hours.''
''I live on Tortuga Island (about 5 miles north of Haiti's northern coast). We are very poor, with even less access to healthcare and education than most in my country. The 8-mile sailboat ride gets me to the mission in Saint Louis du Nord to see the Blanc (white) doctors. They are all doctors to me since I have never seen a doctor come to my island of 45,000. Strange that some doctors look only 12 years old, but I trust them because I don't know what to do about this blur so thick like Cuban cigar smoke. They say cataract. I don't know that word.''
''We thought it would heal when our boy Pierre Charles was hit by a rock, shot from a truck tire last year. It didn't. It grew from a poke to a darkening red. He can't close his eyelid, so tears well all day and night. He can't see out of it. We thought the Blanc doctors could give him a pill or use plant leaves to make him see again. They asked if I would let them cut it out. My little Pierre!''
''Mom started to lose her eye sight 3 years ago. Growing from her eye was a bump, at first no worse than the kind you get when a banana branch pokes it. But bigger and bigger it grew, now there is no eye, just a two inch blob that touches here sunglasses lens. No eyelid, no blink, no end to pain. The doctors say tumor. What is it? Cancer, I don't know that word. Cut it out and she still won't make next birthday?''
The raw emotions would make a formidable story where success and sunshine happen as the curtain drops. But, what our eyes can see is just a snippet of life on an island where currency is not as useful as barter, and a child in school is a great drag on family survivability.
We bring eyecare, encouragement, tourist dollars, education, hope, an enduring commitment to raise our brothers from the country's downward gaze to a view of more than today's troubles. God's love compels us, blessed to be a blessing like ancient Abram.
Mark L.
----------
There is good news coming from our friends at the mission, but, as you see, there are great challenges too. Please pray for everyone in Haiti. I won't ever complain again about having to wait a long time in a doctor's office, that's for sure.
----------
Friends of Haiti,
A few updates to begin. We have not had a team member much impaired thus far. No travelers illness, or food-related problems. It seems a case of dehydration may be appearing, but nothing some IV fluids might not relieve. There was some tent flooding on rooftop. (Edit from Brent: Connie feared this, as she is sleeping in a tent on the rooftop. She said the rooftop might get a lot of standing water if it rains too much. I hope she sleeps well and stays dry. She said it rained almost all last night and dogs were barking and roosters were crowing at 4:30am.) Nothing was lost downstream, but dampness abounds in more than the humidity level. Parties have taken to their tasks and seem to be operating at a sufficient level to not mourn for lack of most skills. The team, though, has limits and thinning staffing that could cause us to chug slowly with key loses. A couple examples include malfunction of the autoclave sterilizing oven. Slow cleaning of the equipment means fewer patients served. We also had some interpreter absences at critical times keeping doctors from giving rapid prognoses for treatment choices. All told, the Lord has provided a way to help our Haitian friends.
Try looking at it from a Haitian point of view. (Edit from Brent: These are comments from Haitians to members of the I-Team.)
''In a land where driving between two good-sized regional cities takes an hour to go 8 miles, I walk that distance in 3 hours to make it to the metal gate (the entrance to the mission) with 100 other countrymen by 8am.''
''My mother, 65 years old, lives in my family hut with my wife and 4 children, sharing the 10'x10' dirt floored place we rent with no electricity or plumbing. I work moving rock in a wheelbarrow for $2/day but only a few days a month. When she goes in for eyedrops to treat her advanced glaucoma, my wife leaves 3 of the 4 kids alone at home while carrying one and holding Mom's arm. The appointment takes hours.''
''I live on Tortuga Island (about 5 miles north of Haiti's northern coast). We are very poor, with even less access to healthcare and education than most in my country. The 8-mile sailboat ride gets me to the mission in Saint Louis du Nord to see the Blanc (white) doctors. They are all doctors to me since I have never seen a doctor come to my island of 45,000. Strange that some doctors look only 12 years old, but I trust them because I don't know what to do about this blur so thick like Cuban cigar smoke. They say cataract. I don't know that word.''
''We thought it would heal when our boy Pierre Charles was hit by a rock, shot from a truck tire last year. It didn't. It grew from a poke to a darkening red. He can't close his eyelid, so tears well all day and night. He can't see out of it. We thought the Blanc doctors could give him a pill or use plant leaves to make him see again. They asked if I would let them cut it out. My little Pierre!''
''Mom started to lose her eye sight 3 years ago. Growing from her eye was a bump, at first no worse than the kind you get when a banana branch pokes it. But bigger and bigger it grew, now there is no eye, just a two inch blob that touches here sunglasses lens. No eyelid, no blink, no end to pain. The doctors say tumor. What is it? Cancer, I don't know that word. Cut it out and she still won't make next birthday?''
The raw emotions would make a formidable story where success and sunshine happen as the curtain drops. But, what our eyes can see is just a snippet of life on an island where currency is not as useful as barter, and a child in school is a great drag on family survivability.
We bring eyecare, encouragement, tourist dollars, education, hope, an enduring commitment to raise our brothers from the country's downward gaze to a view of more than today's troubles. God's love compels us, blessed to be a blessing like ancient Abram.
Mark L.
----------
There is good news coming from our friends at the mission, but, as you see, there are great challenges too. Please pray for everyone in Haiti. I won't ever complain again about having to wait a long time in a doctor's office, that's for sure.
Another Northwest Haiti Christian Mission blog
The I-Team aren't the only ones at the mission. There is another group in the same building, doing different things, and they are writing about their experiences.
Click here to read their blog.
Click here to read their blog.
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Day of Rest turned out to be quite eventful
(This is Brent typing.) It is late Sunday night, and I just got today's update from Connie. Even though the mission was closed for eye surgeries today, everyone from the mission, including a guest and seven Haitians, went to a local village called La Baie de Moustique to setup a clinic and help whomever they could. It is only about 15 miles to the west, but it is still a 2-hour trip...trek, and involves driving through--not over--the Trios River. They tried to make it for the morning church service in La Baie, but on the way a small truck and a large bus were stuck in the road. The large bus tried to help get the truck out, but it ended up getting stuck in the mud too, and it blocked passage. The bus eventually got out and the I-Team, in their own bus, were able to press on, but that made them too late for church service. The day was not lost however. They were able to setup a clinic in the village and help *97* people! Thanks to having so many skilled hands on this trip, it did not take long to care for them. They only expected to help 40. Many spectacles were given to those w/ poor eye sight, and 8 surgery candidates were identified. The locals treated the team to a seafood lunch straight from the sea: lobster, fish, and rice. MMM. After they closed the clinic down and loaded their gear on the bus, they headed back to the mission, intending to be back before dark which is 7pm (They don't observe daylight savings and are much closer to the equator.) On their way back, though, another vehicle (a cargo truck) was stuck in the mud and blocked passage of the I-Team's bus. They handed out flashlights, donned backpacks, grabbed water bottles and eye diagnostic equipment, and walked for an hour on a muddy, moon-lit road. They then had to arrange for three trucks to come pick them up. The team finally got back to the mission around 8:15, where they were ever so grateful to eat a cold pasta dinner. Connie said, ''CRAZY!''
Connie also said, ''Hot sun!'' (It was 100 degrees there today, which felt like 115 thanks to the humdity.) She is used to working in an operating room which is kept at what? 60 degrees? all the time, with little humidity. Thanks for all your hard work, I-Team! Your courage is an inspiration.
Connie also said, ''Hot sun!'' (It was 100 degrees there today, which felt like 115 thanks to the humdity.) She is used to working in an operating room which is kept at what? 60 degrees? all the time, with little humidity. Thanks for all your hard work, I-Team! Your courage is an inspiration.
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Images of Northwest Haiti
(This is Brent typing.) It is late Saturday night, and I cant get Haiti off my mind. I stumbled across some terrific photos from northwest Haiti, which have *not* been taken by anyone on the I-Team, but I thought you might like to see them. Be sure to read the story that goes with each photo, located under it or to the right of it. Click on the purple words to view the photos. (That was for two specific readers of this blog, and they know who they are. haha)
2) Coastal village vista (this is of La Baie de Moustique, which is about 15 miles west of the mission)
Saturday's Re-cap
(This is Brent typing.) It is about 9:30 Saturday night, and I just received an email from Mark L., the coordinator in Haiti. He said they ran about 50 people through the eye clinic today. All the Haitians seemed healthy, bug-wise (no cholera, gastro-intestinal problems, etc.), and the I-Team staff are all still free of ''bugs''. Connie said she did a corneal transplant on an 11-yr-old girl, helped a 6-yr-old cross-eyed girl, fixed another girl who was double-cross-eyed, and also helped a 6-yr-old boy with cataracts. Mark mentioned a couple other corneal transplants--that's *live* tissue, folks!--and a couple other cataract patients. All in all, it was a productive day thanks to additional skilled team members: 3 pre-med students and 2 Opthalmic resident doctors. Having the extra, knowledgeable staff allows for teaching to flow more easily down the experience stream. There will be plenty of people to help the Haitian Opthamologists, who will be coming around Monday, to learn more and more. There are no Drs. capable of operating on eyes on children in Haiti. The I-Team are slowly working to change that. For those of you who are wondering about baby Joseph (the boy in the photos below): they took a good look at him, and, I don't know why, but they can't do surgery on him at this time. He will have to wait for corneal transplants in a few years. :-( Maybe Connie can help him see then! I know she will be eager to help.
Tomorrow is a Day of Rest, so there will be no surgeries at the mission. Even so, the team will go to La Baie (not too far from the mission) to host a field clinic to help people in whatever way they can, as long as the river isn't too high.
It sounds like the travel, all the setup and opening of the mission, and the heat have made it hard for most to get rest. I hope they sleep soundly tonight. Bless you all!!!
Tomorrow is a Day of Rest, so there will be no surgeries at the mission. Even so, the team will go to La Baie (not too far from the mission) to host a field clinic to help people in whatever way they can, as long as the river isn't too high.
It sounds like the travel, all the setup and opening of the mission, and the heat have made it hard for most to get rest. I hope they sleep soundly tonight. Bless you all!!!
The kids' prayers for Mom tonight
(This is Brent typing.) Its Saturday night, and I just put the boys to bed. They each had prayers for Mom. Blake (4 yrs) said, ''I love Mom, and let her fix all those childs' eyes.'' Evan (6 yrs) said, ''Mom, I love you, I hope you can help those kids see, and I hope you are praying for us, too.''
Connie and the I-Team are ready for surgeries today
(This is Brent typing.) It's Saturday morning. Connie sent me a text this morning saying they set up the OR yesterday. Although she didn't sleep well last night, she is ready and eager to start work today. She's sleeping in a tent on the rooftop of the mission, and she says there are so many stars to see--shooting stars, too. How wonderful it must be to feel so close to them and witness the Beauty. I imagine it's sort of surreal, given the circumstances all around her.
She is able to text and call from her phone, but she won't be doing that much. It's 50 cents to send a text (5 cents to receive one) and $2 per minute to talk. It's kind of nice that it's the same time in Haiti as it is in Kansas City. They are one time-zone ahead of us, but they don't observe Daylight Savings, so the time is the same. Anyway...
Hoping the surgeries go well today!
She is able to text and call from her phone, but she won't be doing that much. It's 50 cents to send a text (5 cents to receive one) and $2 per minute to talk. It's kind of nice that it's the same time in Haiti as it is in Kansas City. They are one time-zone ahead of us, but they don't observe Daylight Savings, so the time is the same. Anyway...
Hoping the surgeries go well today!
Friday, August 5, 2011
Most of the I-Team have arrived at the mission in St. Louis du Jord, Haiti
(This is Brent typing.) It is Friday night, and thankfully most of the I-Team have safely arrived at the mission in St. Louis du Jord. It sounds like the trip was pleasingly uneventful. I will quote an email I received this evening from Mark L., who is sort of the organizer in Haiti and the person sending updates and picutes to the family members back in the States.
"The need for care and affection seems unchanged here in Haiti. At least some of the post-quake and cholera peak troubles are less acute. Still, the teeming masses of people began arriving today on foot for the clinic opening in the morning. We thank God for your support that let us make the trip. You are helping the blind and visually impaired to see. Thank you for getting us here."
Saturday is their first work day. I am eager to hear how it went. Blessings to the I-Team!!!
"The need for care and affection seems unchanged here in Haiti. At least some of the post-quake and cholera peak troubles are less acute. Still, the teeming masses of people began arriving today on foot for the clinic opening in the morning. We thank God for your support that let us make the trip. You are helping the blind and visually impaired to see. Thank you for getting us here."
Saturday is their first work day. I am eager to hear how it went. Blessings to the I-Team!!!
Connie has landed in Port Au Prince, Haiti
(This is Brent typing.) It is Friday morning, and she has safely made it to Haiti! Thankfully tropical storm Emily, which was between Miami and Haiti while the I-Team were flying, wasn't much of an issue for them getting there. They have landed in Port Au Prince and are already taking a peek at their soon-to-be patient, the 11-month-old baby Joseph. They are trying to get a better grasp of what his condition is and how severe it is. The picture below is of Dr. Olitsky, the Opthamologist from Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, and my wife Connie, who will be the anesthesia provider for the surgeries, holding little 14-lb., 11-month-old baby Joseph.
Although they are in Haiti, they have a ways to go today. Next is a bus ride to a local, domestic airport, where they will fly to Port-de-Paix, and then they will take another bus to the mission in St. Louis du Nord. They will be doing surgeries tomorrow. One young Haitian boy I'm sure is very eager for their arrival: he received one corneal transplant from the I-Team in February of this year. He gets his other eye done tomorrow (also a corneal transplant)!
I am >>>so proud<<< of my wife and the good things she's doing right now.
 |
| Dr. Olitsky, baby Joseph, and Connie |
I am >>>so proud<<< of my wife and the good things she's doing right now.
 |
| Joseph Pierre, the baby boy in the picture above with Dr. Olitsky and my wife. (This is an older image of him and was not taken today. He was 7 lbs. and 7 months old here.) |
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Connie has left the building
(This is Brent typing.) Well, Connie has made it to Florida, where she'll stay overnight and fly out first thing in the morning to Haiti. Evidently doing the trip in one day is flat-out brutal, so they break it up like this. It was a special scene at the airport this morning, with everyone from the ''I'' Team and their family members there. Those are some terrific people, giving what they can for the Haitians. I got to talking w/ a lady who has done medical missionary work in Haiti several times and also in India. She has no medical background, but the team can use all the help they can get. She is bringing her 10-yr-old daughter for the first time as well. The daughter's job? To help lead the seeing-challenged patients from one end of the hospital to another. Pretty cool. I'd like to go some day and bring the kids, too. Speaking of the kids...
Evan (our 6-yr-old son) said a special prayer for Mom tonight. He asked to: keep Mom safe, help the kids she is helping stay still for their surgeries, and to please, please, please let Mom come home in five days instead of ten. We miss you already!
Lots of love and best wishes to everyone.
--Brent
Evan (our 6-yr-old son) said a special prayer for Mom tonight. He asked to: keep Mom safe, help the kids she is helping stay still for their surgeries, and to please, please, please let Mom come home in five days instead of ten. We miss you already!
Lots of love and best wishes to everyone.
--Brent
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Leaving tomorrow!!
I wanted to post one last time before I leave tomorrow!! I have the dining room table as packing central! Tons of stuff to bring and a lot of supplies, plus keeping an eye on Tropical storm Emily...sounds like it is just rain and she will be out of Haiti by the time we get there! (Here is a link to the weather in a nearby city [Weather.com does not have a report for where we are staying.]) Hopefully the already bad roads are not worse! Just to give you a little run down of the time in Haiti...we leave KC around 1 pm and land in Fort Lauderdale around 8pm (with a short layover in Dallas FW). We will stay in a hotel overnight in FL then leave bright and early to Port Au Prince, Haiti, on Friday. In PAP we will claim all of our bags, get on a bus that will take us to a different airport nearby. Then we wait...and possibly wait longer! In the past they said it has been 1 hour and it has been 6 hours, so we will be patient. Then we fly to Port-de-Paix, Haiti, and then take a bus to our mission in St. Louis du Nord (which is not far away, but will take 2 hours because the roads are bad.) Friday night we will set up the operating rooms and get settled in for the night! We have the option of sleeping in separate guys/gals sleeping quarters on beds or bringing a tent. I opted for the tent (recommended by many) so I could control the buzzing mosquitoes better, have some alone time in the evening to reflect on the days events, and most importantly...a few years ago some people had problems with bed bugs! Sounds like it is not an issue now-but it still is to me! So I will sleep on the roof under the stars in my small tent! Saturday we will focus on 3-4 corneal transplants on children. Sunday is Gods day of rest so we are driving to a nearby beach (Labay?) to have a church service, frolic in the ocean, and possibly have fresh seafood for dinner! Monday through Thursday will be spent mainly in the operating rooms then travelling back through Haiti on Friday and sleeping over in Fort Lauderdale again Friday night and arriving in KC on Saturday around 10 am!! I am very excited about this trip and excited to see the kinds of blessings God will present to me and the people of Haiti!! I will not be able to text or talk on the phone and I will have a limited opportunity to log onto the internet in the evenings to update this blog! I will call home to Brent and the boys a few times and he might update the blog so check back if you want stay updated! Now-off to finish packing!! Love, Connie
Thursday, July 21, 2011
WOW GOD DAY!!
So today I got an email from the 3 eye surgeons going to Haiti asking me if I was comfortable administering anesthesia to a 7 month old? It went on to say how this little boy, Joseph was suffering from severe cataracts and malnutrition (his mother died-not sure yet if it was while giving birth, but that is very common and babies are typically breastfed for 2 years.) So this little guy was born with severe cataracts and if not corrected soon he could have permanent damage and go blind! They were in the final process of getting paperwork completed for a temporary medical visa to the US & had surgeons who were willing to do the surgery, but they heard of our eye team coming so they asked us! So this little guy weighs only 7 pounds...yes 7 pounds and is 7 months old...which presents a lot of possible complications along with the risks of anesthesia! I can honestly say just thinking about doing this anesthesia (mind you I am the only anesthesia provider going to Haiti!) brings me anxiety! Little kids are very different and sensitive when it comes to anesthesia! So my heart was screaming YES, but my head was saying NO!! Anyway-I emailed them back saying I wanted to talk to the pediatric eye surgeon-Dr. Olitsky (to ask about length of the surgery and what it all entails) and I wanted to talk with a CRNA friend of mine who works at Childrens Mercy in KC and honestly-I just wanted to pray about it! So I sent a quick prayer warrior request on facebook then ran off to my doctors appointment to get anti-malarial meds, etc for the trip! The nurse was asking about my upcoming trip and why I was going to Haiti-I told her about the kids I would put to sleep while the eye doctors fixed their eyes and she began to tell me her story! Her son is now 5 years old, but when he was `6-7 months old he needed to have eye surgery to fix his cataracts by Dr. Olitsky at Childrens Mercy in KC!` She went on to say how wonderful he is and how well her son is doing!! So then I proceeded to tell her about little Joseph who weighes 7 pounds (she said her son weighed the same amount at that age also) and is 7 months old and Dr. Olitsky will be doing the surgery in Haiti!! So...of all the people I could have had as a nurse today-I got a mom whos sons story is the *exact* same as little Josephs & needed the same surgery by the same surgeon and everything went well! WOW GOD! You did not waste time showing me a sign that You are in control!! I think that is just absolutely amazing!! I was crying-she probably thought I was crazy-but I dont think she completely got what just happened...that she was an answer to a prayer and I trust that God will take care of Joseph and will guide my hands to provide this little mans anesthesia! So please pray for Joseph and pray that I can properly prepare to take care of this little guy!! To top off my night...I got free (last minute) tickets to see the Christian band called Casting Crowns!! I love them and have been patiently waiting for them to come to KC- but didnt have tickets-turns out a worship leader I met just last week had an extra ticket and asked if I wanted it! YES I DO!! :) So I pulled up-got a front row parking spot and sat 5 rows back!! Amazing day!! Love, Connie
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Getting ready!!
Good Evening! I am getting so excited for my trip to Haiti! I leave 2 weeks from tomorrow!! I did reach my goal!! YEAH!! Praise God! Thanks to all of my wonderful friends and family!! God bless you all!! I actually got extra money~so that will be applied to supplies, anesthesia meds, and the rest will go toward buying clothes and shoes for the little orphans!! Last Thursday I got my passport (horrible pic-but I was in a hurry to start the process!) as well as the bright yellow mission shirt we all have to wear while traveling through Haiti! They also sent a daily devotional book to read every morning for: 2 weeks before the trip, during the trip, and one week after the trip~so I will start it in the morning! They put it together to help missionaries prepare for their visit and even to help with their thoughts and feelings after they return to their `normal` life after experiencing what they have in Haiti! Last week I also got my necessary vaccinations! I got the Hepatitis A shot and an update on my tetanus shot (ouch! my left arm hurt for a few days after this one!) I also had to take Typhoid pills-live vaccine-every other day-4pills over 8 days! Tomorrow I have an appt with my doctor for a physical and she will give me prescriptions to prevent malaria and travelers diarrhea (pretty common to get if you travel abroad...ugg!) Today I bought a journal to bring with me~they recommend everybody write what they are experiencing and feeling so you dont get too overwhelmed with your emotions! They say you cry a lot and you need an outlet-so I used a gift cert I got for my bday and bought a Travel Journal! On the front it says `For the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go` Joshua 1:9 and I know He will be with me! :) Love, Connie
Monday, July 18, 2011
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