By Warren E. Wilhide, Sr, WEWilhide@cs.com, Hilltop Church, Mendham, NJ
What an experience! What a life changing experience. In Haiti, I saw such need in situations where you are able to truly help others, and where there are many critical opportunities all around you. Help is needed now – the sooner, the more meaningful.
Of course, this trip included some hardships such as hot temperatures without air conditioning, dust and dirt, Johnny toilets (or none), 8 days without a shower, and being involved with things of such importance, that using a bathroom was often forgotten until things became urgent. But, what rewards come from knowing you are making a difference to people in their time of great suffering and need.
The team I was part of for this trip were mostly medical professionals, mostly from New Jersey. I felt very fortunate to have been accepted for this trip (as a civilian). I offered to do anything I could to assist or support the medical people, or jobs no one else wanted to do. Believe me, there was plenty of meaningful work for everyone. The night before our 6 hour bus ride to the Haitian border, we all helped salvage wood from old pallets, to take to Haiti to be used in construction of latrines. On the way to the border (with 5 armed guards), we stopped to pick up a group of doctors and nurses from a Presbyterian church in Greenville, SC. Our combined team was a fantastic group of dedicated people. Also, the Foundation for Peace leadership and coordination was superb. I shall always remember everyone involved.
Once at our compound on the Dominican side of the border, I helped assemble many double deck bunk beds for our use. (Some of us still had to sleep outside). Everyone insisted that I get a bunk (lower), probably because of my gray hair. Across from our quarters, were other buildings holding several hundred injured Haitians. Many were amputees.
I helped unload boxes and supplies, and assist nurses who told me where to move things by medical category. I also made trips to their pharmacy area to pickup and deliver needed medicines. I was also able use Excel to assist a nurse in setting up a checkoff sheet for patient care schedule. In addition to numerous other activities, the one which was most rewarding to me was accompanying nurses (particularly Mauricia of Overlook Hospital) as dressings were being changed.
I greatly appreciated the opportunity to provide some comfort to these injured people and their family members who were (and still are) extremely concerned about their uncertain future. It was amazing to me to see how rubbing their arm, and giving a smile and a caring look seemed to transform both the patients and their families. For the younger members, I was able to show a few tricks, including my thumb trick, which made a positive change in atmosphere. Fortunately, I was able to do many of these support type activities on both sides of the border. I was happy with what I had the opportunity to do, but, it was really very minor compared to what everyone else was doing around the clock. Also, please remember that these were all volunteer activities by many people from countries around the world (many giving up their vacations to be here).
One of the needs I saw while there, involved the many very sad situations where people don’t know what happened to their family and loved ones. I remember hearing about one very anxious mother who greatly misses her 12 year old daughter, and has no idea if she’s dead or alive, or where she may be. Apparently, there is no system in place to have an overall database. After checking into this on both sides of the border with senior doctors, and Mayo Clinic, and Johns Hopkins people, it appeared that nothing is currently available, but the need is acknowledged. Later on, I was directed to a young doctor from the Harvard Medical School who said that he and a friend are working on a system concept using I-phones, with their cameras, and GPS systems. He hopes to develop a new App (Apple I-phone application) to collect and transmit this information to build a centralized database. I got his cell number and passed it on to contacts at JHU. This is for a system that, while it may be too late now to help in Haiti, should be ready and available for the next disaster anywhere in the world.
Shortly before our team was to return home, we were informed that the Dominican government wanted all Haitians back across the border and into Haiti within the next day. This caused great concern to everyone (patients, family, and medical staff). We were told that after a certain time, the Dominican military and police would enter our compound and force people into buses and take them across the border and be dropped off somewhere. Through interpreters over many hours, the Haitians realized that for those able, it was in their best interests to be delivered across the border to the “Love a Child” medical facility. Within less than 24 hours, we had transported several busloads across. The Dominicans agreed to give extended time to the remainder.
I must also mention the very sad happening involving two men from Naples, Florida. Instead of just writing a check they came to help in person. One of the men bought a small helicopter, and with his friend, a pilot, took it to Haiti to ferry doctors and medical supplies between hospitals as needed. This was a big help. Unfortunately, on the night before our team departed, their helicopter crashed into a mountain, killing them both. What a shame! So many people from all over the world have sacrificed so much to help in this –they sacrificed everything.
At this point, I want to mention how extremely proud I was to be an American, and to be a Christian, and to be involved in critical help for our fellow man. It’s very difficult to describe how impressed I was with all of the many doctors and nurses I saw. It was fantastic to see how people from different countries, different hospitals, and different backgrounds were able to discuss options and quickly reach agreement on what would be best for the patient (without politics and self interest).
The world is changing rapidly with so many new technologies to connect us all. We are truly becoming one world, one people. We should all be involved to help our fellow man in time of tragedy. What happened in Haiti is not the fault of the Haitian people, as some have said – no more than 9/11 was our fault. The Haitian people have suffered from a history of colonialism, and bad governments. On the other hand, we have been blessed by our founding fathers, and our ability to fight for the good of mankind, and the progress of humanity.
I want to thank Harriet Muir for directing me to Dr. Ken Culver of Foundation for Peace, after I expressed an interest to her in volunteering to go to Haiti at this critical time. I also thank Ken for accepting my application although I lacked medical experience, and maybe being a senior citizen could present problems. However, I feel privileged in getting to go with his group who are doing many good things.
I took about 800 photos and some video, which I edited and assembled into a 45 minute DVD. Some of the photos were taken on what would have been Carol’s 76th birthday. She would have been proud to have been on this important trip with me.
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