Matthews doctor heads to Haiti to open medical clinic.

Will Conner is returning to Haiti.

The Matthews doctors is traveling with 10 students and doctors to northern Haiti with more than 3,000 lbs of medicine and medical supplies. They left this morning aboard a Hendrick Motorsports Plane. They will be traveling to Camp Louise, a small community near Cap-Haitien on the northern coast, where they will be opening a medical clinic.

Haitians given another 18 months to remain in Charlotte

Haitian nationals, including those who arrived illegally, residing in the United States prior to the 7.0 earthquake on Jan. 12, 2010 can remain in the country through Jan. 22, 2013.

Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano today announced the extension of Temporary Protected Status for Haitian nationals living in Charlotte and across the United States.

Currently, approximately 48,000 Haitian nationals with TPS reside in the United States. According to the Census, 370 Haitians live in Mecklenburg County, but members of the community say the numbers are really in the thousands.

Temporary protected status is granted by the Homeland Security agency in cases of emergencies to allow people from a nation torn by war or disaster to receive temporary safe haven in the United States until the US government deems that it is safe for them to return.


“In the extended aftermath of the devastating earthquakes in Haiti, the United States has remained fully committed to upholding our responsibility to assist individuals affected by this tragedy by using tools available under the law,” said Secretary Napolitano. “Providing a temporary refuge for Haitian nationals who are currently in the United States and whose personal safety would be endangered by returning to Haiti is part of this administration’s continuing efforts to support Haiti’s recovery.”

'I didn't go to Haiti to help their government. I went for the people.'

School nurse Angel Bunce spent her holiday break treating cholera patients in Haiti. I included parts of her story in my article about Boone-based Samaritan’s Purse, the Christian relief agency run by Franklin Graham. The 48-year-0ld nurse from Monroe High School's account is very touching. I was really bummed that I couldn't include more in the original story.

The beauty of the web is I can share more of it here. Here are more excerpts from what she told me.

To read more of the published accounts from local relief workers visit home page for This Land. And also take a look at the Observer Special Reports page on Haiti.

Why did you got Haiti in the first place?

When the earthquake hit, I watched the news coverage with horror. The images were like nothing I had ever seen before. As a nurse, I wanted to go to help. The next morning, I was asked to go to Haiti. I didn't realize it but a teacher that I work with is from Haiti and still has family there. I had to apply for my passport, get the needed immunizations etc before I could go. We went to Haiti in June just as the schools there were starting to reopen.

When I say schools, you probably imagine something similar to what we have here. But, what I found was tarp draped over a wooden frame with desks sitting on a wooden ground. Goats ran freely through the "school." There was no running water, electricity, or air conditioning. The smell of sewage was overwhelming. The technology was an old, black chalkboard. But the kids were smiling and playing games. They were happy to be back in school. They started their day in prayer reciting the Lord's Prayer in their Creole language.

I was touched by how thankful the people were. Instead of being bitter for what they had lost or they were praising God for all that they still had. They were quick to smile and quick to hug. They didn't complain but when asked directly, they all voiced dissatisfaction with the lack of response from their government. This was when I saw their lack of hope, the sadness. Many of the people were still living in tents six months later (if they were lucky). Many others lived on the streets, or under makeshift tents. How do you raise a family in an area 8-by-10 feet? How do you wash your hands or use the bathroom. These people didn't even have the most basic necessities. When I left Haiti that time, I prayed to be able to return.

When the Cholera outbreak occurred in October, I couldn't help but wonder if the children that I saw had been sick or even if they were still alive. I knew in my heart I had to go back to Haiti. It was then that I got an email from Samaritan's Purse to go with them to work in the Cholera clinics.

As a school nurse, I am off work during the Christmas season. So, I gladly agreed to go back. When I mentioned it to my coworkers , three other school nursess agreed to go with me. I went December 27th through January 4th. While there, I worked in the cholera clinic in Cite Soleil.

How are you reflecting on the anniversary of the Jan. 12 earthquake?

I worked in the triage tent while in the cholera Clinic. It was where the sickest of the sick were brought for immediate IV fluids. I saw mothers walking for hours, carrying their babies and children, to get help at the clinic. Having a mother hand over her near lifeless baby to me, a school nurse from North Carolina in hopes, that I could get an IV started that would allow her baby to receive the life saving fluids was.....is very humbling. Finding an IV on such sick, malnourished, dehydrated babies and children is not an easy task. What a feeling to be able to get an IV started and watch a baby "come back alive."

More amazing was to be able to place that baby back into their mama's arms. Since I returned home, my mind has played a near constant recording of the many miracles I witnessed. To fully appreciate the "miracles", you would have to see it for yourself.

The clinic is nothing more than large tents and barn like shelters. There are flies everywhere. The smell of bleach used to decontaminate is so strong that sometimes it takes your breath away. It is hot and the hours are long. The patients are lined up on wooden cots with holes in them that allow them to go to the bathroom when they are too weak to get up.

There is no privacy for them, no call bell, no meals served. Family members help by emptying the bedpans and they bring in food. These conditions would be considered inhumane, unlawful, and disrespectful in this country. In Haiti, it's the best there is.

I never heard any complaints; instead songs of praise filled the air as familiar hymns are sung loudly in the Creole language. Doctors and nurses from the U.S., Canada, and U.K join in, singing in English. It's a happy time in a harsh environment and lives are being saved both physically and spiritually.

Another experience I had came from working closely with the "Porters". S.P. has employed Haitians to carry the sick from the street to the tents or from tents to tents. Frequently, I would have to call out to the "porter" to come pick up my patient from triage and carry them to the admission tent. I'm from the south and I do have that southern drawl. It became a joke to them (friendly kidding) to see if they could imitate me calling out for the "porter". They taught me some simple Creole phrases (stand, sit, and Can you walk). They loved hearing my southern drawl in their language. I didn't mind their kidding. In fact, I taught them to say, "Haaaay Ya'll".

What do you see as the successes and challenges in Haiti?

When you look around Haiti with the devastation still there from the earthquake, it's hard to find anything to say that is "successful." But, when you travel through the city of Port-au-Prince, you can't miss the blue S.P. tarps that are everywhere. One thing that I personally see as a challenge is people no longer want to give money to help the people in Haiti. I hear over and over that the money "isn't getting to the people". My response to that is I too feel it is true that Haiti's government is not doing all that they can for their people. That being said, I didn't go to Haiti to help their government. I went for the people. I just can't ignore what is happening there. I just can't.

'I left Haiti leaving small pieces of my heart behind'

The Observer asked relief workers who traveled to Haiti in the aftermath of last year’s earthquake to share their reflections about the experience. To read more of the published accounts from local relief workers visit home page of This Land. And also take a look at the Observer Special Reports page on Haiti.

Debbie Jonas (photo: blue shirt holding green bag) is a 41-year-old physician assistant with the Conner Family Health Clinic in Matthews. She traveled Dr. Will Conner and a team of Charlotte doctors and nurses in February Cap-Haitien working at a 65-bed hospital that was converted into a 250-bed MASH unit to help treat earthquake victims. She treated 16 patients -- almost each one with amputations -- in a concrete classroom that had been converted into a medical ward.

"One year ago the earthquake that decimated the country of Haiti provided a rare and precious opportunity for me to see first-hand the strength and optimism of the Haitian people. Below is an account of my experience in Haiti:

In times of global crisis, people are able to truly witness the very best people have to offer. February 18th was the beginning of a journey in which I was able to witness the very best people had to offer. Through the gracious generosity of Hendrick Motorsports – our medical team was flown directly into Cap Haitian for a week-long, medical relief effort for the refugees of the Haiti Earthquake.

Our team was fortunate to serve at the Sacre Coeur medical compound in the small town of Milot, Haiti. Outside the gates of a make-shift medical compound, Milot appeared to be a simple rural Caribbean town: Dense green foliage, banana trees, dirt roads, street vendors trying to sell their wares to passer-bys. But within the walls of this make-shift medical compound existed an entirely different world.

I had 16 patients in my unit – a concrete classroom building that had been converted into a medical ward, and the adjoining side had an additional 28 patients – practically each one with amputations. Each morning I entered Salle A and greeted my women, 'Bonjour mes amies' – and without fail they would each greet me back. These women were lovely, graceful, appreciative, dedicated to getting better, and strong. I mentioned on more than one occasion to my teammates that we could learn many lessons from these women: How to face adversity with faith and strength; Living in the moment; Focusing on all of the blessing they had versus all of the losses they had sustained.

Our morning began with an hour commute to Milot and we began seeing our patients by 7:30-8:00 and would work straight through until 5:00 each afternoon – the commute back was considered dangerous after dark so our days were limited to daylight. The time flew by – rounding on patients, assuring their pain was being controlled, dispensing medications, reading notes from the specialists the day before, consulting with the physical therapy team, administering mid-day meds, dressing changes. The days flew by….then night would come and worry would set in…..would they receive their pain meds through the night? Would they receive their injections of Lovenox to prevent blood clots, would the women get any rest, or would they continue to have horrible nightmares about the earthquake that rocked Haiti?

Solange, a 23 year-old female, sustained a fracture in her lumbar spine, resulting in paraplegia. During the aftermath of the quake she was stuck in the rubble with so much pressure on her pelvis that when she was pulled from the rubble, her entire backside was torn off as she was pulled to safety. This woman was in excruciating pain when we arrived – a challenge in any setting but worrisome in a setting of primitive medicine.

Jean-Pierre Azir, a 30 year-old female sustained a fracture to her left femur and arrived in Milot, with the hardware of an external fixator attached to her thigh. This woman and her four children survived the quake, only to be separated so that she could receive the medical treatment to repair her leg correctly. Her youngest child is 4 months old.

Anne-Marie Milieu, was a 41 year old female who had suffered a right femur fracture, damage to the nerves in her left forearm, a scalp laceration, and an injury to the popliteal artery that required surgery. This woman who had serious wounds worked through her physical therapy exercises every single day without fail, and only admitted to discomfort from the exercises, with persistent prodding.

These are just three snapshots of hundreds upon hundreds of patients from the Haiti earthquake. Each of these people had their own story of loss and survival. And while all of their injuries were different, and their prognoses varied from case to case, one thing was certain – there was hope in their eyes. Hope that their bodies would heal. Hope that they were receiving the very best medical care Haiti had to offer. Hope that Haiti will change for the better. Hope that people will never forget Haiti.

I left Haiti leaving small pieces of my heart behind with each of my patients, but these gracious souls gave small pieces of their hearts to me to take home. So while my heart is whole again – it is forever changed."

Photo: Jeff Siner, The Charlotte Observer

Dad reminds kids to remember how lucky they are

Charlotte doctor Marc Lewin, 45, spent a week in Haiti last February working at a 65-bed hospital that was converted into a 250-bed MASH unit to help treat earthquake victims. At the time, Lewin (photo, center) wrote this touching letter to his kids to help explain why he felt moved to use his skills in country they knew little about.

On the eve of the one year anniversary, he's written them another letter -- this time from Charlotte. He said he wants his kids Max, 9, Kate, 8, and Charlie, 6, to know that there are people around the world who are in need of help and, that in Haiti, people are still suffering. He also wants to reinforce that they should be grateful for all that they have.

Here is what he wrote:

January 2011

Dear Max, Kate and Charlie, my wonderful children:

It’s been about one year since I wrote to you from Haiti. I hope you remember that I went there after a terrible earthquake that killed and injured a lot of people. I went with a team of other doctors and we worked hard to help as many people as we could in the time that we were there. All of the people I took care of had suffered terrible injuries like losing arms and legs. I wrote to you about how much the unfortunate people there appreciated our coming to help and what a wonderful experience it was to be able to go there and help them.

I am writing to you now to tell you about what has been happening since then in Haiti. Life is still very difficult for most people there. Most of them are poor and many of them are sick. So many people who lost their homes in the earthquake one year ago are still living outside in tents where it is not safe and very hard to keep clean. In such conditions, diseases tend to spread. One of these diseases is called cholera and in the last few months, thousands of people have died from it including many children. This is especially terrible because simple things like clean homes, good food and vaccines could have prevented so many of these people from dying.

So you see that things that we don’t even think about much like our wonderful, safe home and fresh water and food are things that many people in the world need and don’t have. I know you realize that my team and I went to Haiti and helped a lot of people and came home but I want you to be aware that the people in Haiti and many other poor countries all over the world still need our help. The team that I went to Haiti with is still trying to help. We are currently planning to build a medical clinic so that we can keep going back to help the wonderful Haitian people.

Although it was very difficult for me seeing the terrible tragedies that happened to people in Haiti, it was really a wonderful feeling helping them. In fact, there is no greater thing you can do in your lives than help others. When bad things happen to me here in Charlotte, I always think back to the unfortunate people I worked with in Haiti (and India and Africa on other trips) and I realize that my problems are really very small in comparison.

I hope that all three of you realize how lucky you are to live in a place where you are free and safe and also to have food and water whenever you want. I also hope that you will take the opportunity whenever possible to help people less fortunate than you throughout your lives.

Love,

Daddy

The Observer asked relief workers who traveled to Haiti in the aftermath of last year’s earthquake to share their reflections about the experience. To read more of the published accounts from local relief workers visit home page of This Land. And also take a look at the Observer special reports page Haiti.

Charlotte connections continue to grow in Haiti.

Karen Goins-Byrnes, 44, a Nascar sports marketing consultant, approached the Charlotte medical team at the Port-au-Prince airport.

Byrnes returned last week from their trip educating residents on cholera. She traveled with members of her church, Gold Hill Road Church of Christ in Fort Mill.

I asked Byrnes to reflect on her trip. This is what she wrote.

“My first trip to Haiti was just a few months after the earthquake. I anticipated seeing people that were distraught and hopeless and it would be my job to lift their spirits. Boy was I wrong. In spite of unbelievable devastation and human suffering, I was introduced to a country of people that were strong, persevering, full of hope and even joy. How could this be? Instead of me lifting their spirits, they lifted mine.”

This week I had the good fortune to return to Port-Au-Prince and Cap Haitian, Haiti on the one-year anniversary of the devastating earthquake. Now the people of Haiti are dealing with a second disaster, the Cholera epidemic.

We are distributing 4,000 dropper bottles containing two ounces of bleach. Eight drops of the bleach will treat one gallon of water and make it suitable for drinking. Each two-ounce dropper bottle will treat and provide approximately 250 gallons of drinking water to Haitian families. We have already distributed enough to treat 1,000,000 gallons of water. The trip has been such a success; we have pledged 16,000 more dropper bottles, which will treat 4,000,000 gallons of water.

Our church has been doing work in Haiti for over 10 years. Our team leader, Tim Mastenbrook, has made 48 trips in just 25 years. Our church works with about 150 churches in north Haiti and even more in south Haiti. This network of churches guarantees that the efforts actually reach the people.

The ultimate solution to the Cholera epidemic is wells and latrines in these communities to provide clean drinking water and safe disposal of sewage. We are trying to raise the $6,000 needed for a well and the $2,000 needed for a latrine to place in 10 Haitian communities with the greatest need. Each location would provide clean drinking water and safe disposal of sewage for 1,000-2,000 people, half of those being children.

I know there are many people in the U.S. that do not sympathize with Haiti, but there is no way you can understand the situation without seeing it first hand. They do not have the resources that we have in the U.S. There are no landfills and no trash service, so there is trash everywhere. There are no water treatment plants or sewage systems, so they suffer from Cholera. There are no public schools so many children grow up illiterate. The Haitian people are very hard working, but there is no commerce, so there are no jobs. We live in a country where there are programs, resources and elements to ensure success. None of that exists in Haiti.

I hope I have the good fortune to visit Haiti every year. Seeing the country reminds me of all my blessings. Being with the people reminds me that happiness is a state of mind, not a set of circumstances. Anyone who visits Haiti to help the people will discover that they help themselves and are forever changed."

Photo: Goins-Byrnes spending time with children at a Port-Au-Prince orphanage.

'You are now my only family'

One of the most touching moments of this trip was when the Charlotte medical team, led by Dr. Will Conner, first visited the home of 4-year-old Jacky Delva and his mother, Chella Michel.

They live with Nadége Pierre and her three children Jovanny, 13, Christopher, 7, and Oliver, 2.

On the eve of the January 12, 2010 earthquake, Pierre tearfully read by candlelight a letter that she had written to Natalie Conner.

If it wasn’t for Natalie, who with her husband are helping support the two single-mothers as well as paying for their childrens’ education, Pierre said they would be living on the street.

The letter is posted below. Here are a few roughly translated excerpts.

“After the earthquake that devastated Haiti, I believed that my life was not worth living. I had truly lost my mind because I had lost my family, my house, my friends. I could not fee my children. And we did not have a place to live."

"… Thanks to people like you Madam Laurence and Donald, you have put me back on my way. You have given me another chance and hope for a better life…"

"…Thanks to your help. You have taught me that despite the difficult times of life that God will always put a person of good heart and good will to help you."

"You are now my only family.”

In September, Jacky and Michel moved in with Pierre and her three children, Jovanny, 13, Christopher, 7, and Oliver, 2. Jovanny was another one of Conner’s former patients at Sacre Coeur Hospital where a Charlotte team worked in February. 
For seven months, Nadége Pierre, 33, had no idea her daughter was alive, and even held a funeral.

It was until after the Jovanny’s remembrance ceremony when Laurence Desvignes, who was then with the International Committee of the Red Cross met Jovanny, who had suffered a brain injury, at Sacre Coeur. Desvignes eventually tracked down Nadege Pierre in Port-au-Prince and brought her to the north to reunite with her daughter.

Natalie Conner and Desvignes, who also met at Sacre Coeur, worked together to help find the two displaced families housing in Cap-Haitien. And with the help of Donald Chaudry, the Conners’ guide and closest friend in Haiti, the Conners have continued to support Pierre and Michel’s families.

Photo: Nadege(right), Christopher, 7, and Oliver, 2 as well as Jacky, 4, his cousin, and their neighbor wave goodbye to the Charlotte medical team.

Charlotte relief workers look back

"I can't believe it has been a year already. January 12, 2010 was one of the worst days of my life, but it made such a strong impact on my life at the same time." -- Dr. Sherma Morton, Charlotte Obgyn

The Observer asked relief workers who travelled to Haiti in the aftermath of last year’s earthquake to share their reflections about the experience. We’ll publish responses online and in the newspaper over the next week.

Louise Rogers, 47, Charlotte, Obstetrician – Gynecologist

The Charlotte doctor traveled to Cap-Haitien with the Haitian Heritage & Friends of Haiti in February for a two week relief trip. The team worked at Sacre Coer Hospital in Milot, a 65-bed hospital that was holding more than 250 earthquake victims. She was in charge of evacuee tents that each contain roughly 30 patients.

1. Why did you go to Haiti?

"I had visited Haiti in 2006 and 2007 and the friends I made had been directly impacted by the earthquake and even though I wasn’t able to help or see them while I was there in 2010 I felt like I was reaching out to them. I also thought that as a surgeon my skills would be helpful caring for earthquake victims."

2. How are you reflecting on the anniversary and the experience you had?

"Being involved with HHFoH has ensured that I have continued to think of Haiti regularly throughout the last year. I am glad that the anniversary has come so that Haiti’s problems will be on the minds of most Americans again. People continue to ask me about my trip and my experiences and sharing the same stories and pictures helps reassure me that people in the US still care about Haiti. Due to my work schedule and other commitments I haven’t been able to go back to Haiti but there are many people who express an interest in going and I hope to encourage others to go and see what Haiti is like while I stay home and work to help rebuild Haiti from here (for now)."

3. Is there any one person or thing that has held the majority of your thoughts?

"I think about the patient at Milot who was a young girl, paralyzed from a spinal injury who was taken by the British neurosurgeon to join the long term care facility they have a few miles from Milot. I hope and am fairly certain that she is doing well. However, I keep remembering that he said he had 40 people to consider for the one spot in their facility.

There are hundreds of paralyzed patients in Haiti and who is taking care of them? Where are they? Have they died from lack of care? I just can’t imagine the average Haitian being able to handle the problems that come with a paralyzed family member. In the US, we have institutions and home nurses and physical therapists that help and it is still remarkably difficult. How are people with no shelter and minimal funds able to do it? I’m afraid that some of these patients have been left to die."

4. What do you see as the successes and challenges in Haiti?

"The success is that Haiti is still on the minds of the international community. The challenges are huge – the lack of organization and success of the Haitian government and people themselves makes me wonder if they will ever have a better life despite our help.

It’s a lot easier for me to pay my taxes in the US when I see how our governments provides for us. I wish the Haitian government could do more for the Haitian people but I don’t have much optimism that will happen."

Sabrina Joline-Ellis, 22, dental student at Meharry Medical

The Charlotte dental student originally from Haiti traveled to Cap-Haitien with the Haitian Heritage & Friends of Haiti in February for a two week relief trip. The team worked at Sacre Coer Hospital in Milot, a 65-bed hospital that was holding more than 250 earthquake victims. Joline-Ellis worked in the pediatric unit with some 45 kids.

"I remember being in my dorm room and hearing a knock at my door. That knock would change my life forever. My suitemate came in to tell me that there had been an earthquake in Haiti and I needed to call home. After hearing about the disaster in 2010, I teamed up with HHFoH to provide any medical and emotional support needed. When I got there, I was placed in the pediatric ward and intensive care unit where I translated, changed wound dressings, administered some medicine, told stories, danced, cried, and realized who I really was. I think about how no matter how much we try, we are still a long way from rebuilding the Haiti I knew a long time ago.

The people of Haiti have been suffering for a long time, and now we are rebuilding- literally-brick by brick. Since my trip to Haiti, My friends and I have been collecting and sending clothes for those still being hospitalized and those just in need.

Some may ask me with the earthquake anniversary coming up, how do I feel and what do I think about? Thing is, I think about it every day. I think about Dove, Sandia, Yvelene, and how it’s because of them I am pursuing a career in pediatric dentistry. I think about reuniting babies with their parents and protecting those who were possible orphans. I think about how my grandfather’s house was literally 57 steps away from the hospital where we were trying to save lives. Like I said before, I don’t wait until January to think about what happen. I’m reminded of it every day when I look at myself in the mirror. The earthquake impacted my life majorly. It made me stronger."

Dr. Sherma Morton, 32, an obgyn from South Charlotte.

Sherma Morton's family is from Haiti. The Charlotte doctor traveled to Cap-Haitien with the Haitian Heritage & Friends of Haiti in February for a two week relief trip. The team worked at Sacre Coer Hospital in Milot, a 65-bed hospital that was holding more than 250 earthquake victims. Morton was one of the only doctors in the women’s unit.

"I can't believe it has been a year already. January 12, 2010 was one of the worst days of my life, but it made such a strong impact on my life at the same time. I initially thought losing my Godmother in the quake would have been enough to shake my foundation, but actually being able to go there and helped teach me more then all my medical training could.

I am Sherma Morton, an obgyn in Charlotte who was blessed with the opportunity to go with the group HHFOH to Haiti last year. I remember when we just got there, my heart bled for the victims. I didn't think I could have done anything to impact the people of Haiti. Little did I know when I landed back in Charlotte I would be the one that would be forever changed.

The people that endured but still persevered gave me hope and drive to do more with my life. I was humbled by my grief and enlightened by their strength. I am forever grateful for the time, but I felt horribly guilty for leaving. For having water, food, a place to lay my head, my limbs and for my life. For something that made no sense to have happened it made my life's purpose very clear. That was my year in a nutshell and I wouldn't change a moment of my growth. I just pray my country will have the same monumental growth as I did.

Keep praying for Haiti and don't forget them."

Thomas Hall, 47, Waxhaw, Paramedic

The Fort Mill paramedic traveled to Cap-Haitien with the Haitian Heritage & Friends of Haiti in February for a two week relief trip. The team worked at Sacre Coer Hospital in Milot, a 65-bed hospital that was holding more than 250 earthquake victims. He took over organizing EMT helicopter response.

"Back in January after the earthquake I felt the need to help. I have responded to natural disasters on several occasions as a paramedic and thought my experience could be helpful. I learned about the trip being sponsored by Haitian Heritage and Friends of Haiti and was able to go with HHFoH to Haiti in February.

During my time there I did med-surg nursing and helped coordinate patients being transported in and out by helicopter. Our time and work there was exhausting, but very rewarding. Once back from Haiti I became involved with HHFoH and started to understand the long term needs in Haiti. One need I noticed was the lack of emergency services. The ambulances we saw were not equipped and the drivers had no first aid training, they were only the driver.

With HHFoH we were able to purchase a used ambulance and equip it with donated emergency medical equipment. I was able to return to Haiti in September to provide first aid training to the drivers and provided training to doctors and nurses that will respond with the ambulance on calls for help. We have purchased another ambulance that we are preparing to be used as a mobile clinic in some of the communities out in the country that does not have access to medical care. I plan to return to Haiti in March to help with the initial set-up of the mobile clinic.

The greatest successes would be the overall response to Haiti from the medical community as a whole; from the initial response to the continued support given for the cholera epidemic. (Personally it's the ambulance and the training we provided and knowing it will be used to make a difference). The greatest challenges are going to be the lack of healthcare infrastructure that's needed to meet the needs of their citizens. This causes them to rely on international response. From the stand point of HHFoH, it's finding the funding and resource to continue the work that we have started. So we can assist in building the healthcare infrastructure that's needed."

Hayes Woollen, 47, family physician with Charlotte's Presbyterian Medical Group

The Charlotte doctor traveled with Dr. Will Conner to help the injured in Cap-Haitian last February. Worked at Sacre Coeur Hospital in Milot, a 65-bed hospital that held more than 250 earthquake victims. He was in charge of an evacuee tent for roughly 30 patients

"One year ago, I watched with my family the news of the earthquake in Haiti. I've known Dr. Will Conner most of my life, and it didn't surprise me at all that he felt called to go help.

I was pleased when Will called me a couple weeks later to see if I would be able to join him and a group to go to Hospital Sacre Coeur in Milot, Haiti. I remember telling a few friends in Charlotte that I was going ... and within a few days, checks began pouring in from all over to help with medical supplies. Charlotte has a big heart.

When we arrived at the hospital in Milot, I was the doctor assigned to tent #4. My first patient was Joseph Edelyn, (a young man) who all the staff called "Light" because of his infectious smile. Joseph was a double amputee, whose family had been killed in the earthquake when his home was destroyed. He had nowhere to go, no family to reach out to, and yet his gentle optimism seemed to light up the entire tent. I just remember how gracious he was. He thanked everyone around him and thanked God for being alive.

Later, when our team returned to Charlotte and my children ran up to me at the airport, I remember getting very emotional as I told them about Joseph and our trip to Haiti. We have so much to be thankful for, and I am grateful for meeting my friend Joseph and giving me a new perspective.

I also remember Laurant, our 85-year-old patient who developed pneumonia and went into respiratory failure on our second day at the hospital. He was intubated and my friend, Mac, sat with him throughout the night in the ICU, monitoring his vitals...The next day, we prepared his family for the worst, and yet Laurant showed his own strength and determination by pulling through. It's unusual to live past age 60 in Haiti. To meet someone as strong and wise as Laurant was a gift.

My favorite follow-up e-mail was from my nurse in Haiti: "Tell Dr. Hayes Joseph was walking on a temp prosthesis and crutches and that Laurant is like a new man, totally with it and sitting up and feeding himself...."

The experience in Haiti changed me. It gave me new perspective on my life... We have so much to be thankful for. I look forward to my next trip back to Haiti so that I can take a long walk with my friend Joseph."

Charlotte ambulance delivered to Haiti hospital

It took six weeks to get the ambulance out of customs, but a Charlotte ambulance was finally delivered to a Haitian hospital this week.

Members of Charlotte’s Haitian Heritage & Friends of Haiti delivered the ambulance to staffers at Justinien University Hospital in Cap-Haitien, Haiti. The ambulance with over 200,000 miles was formerly used by Mecklenburg county's emergency medical service department.

The Charlotte rescue team purchased the vehicle for $3,000 this spring as part of a county auction. It was transported by ship to Haiti in June, but got stuck in customs because of incomplete paperwork.

“What a bliss,” Dr. Jean Gracia, medical director of Justinien University Hospital, wrote in a thank you letter to the team and city of Charlotte. “...My staff and the patients are very grateful and lucky to have organizations like yours thinking about their well-being when they are most vulnerable. The quality of care has improved tremendously due to the newly received donations.”

Fort Mill paramedic Thomas Hall, a member of the Haitian Heritage & Friends of Haiti, will travel back to Haiti in the coming weeks to help train Justinien staff on how to use and operate the ambulance.

For more information about the Haitian Heritage & Friends of Haiti, or to help, visit hhfoh.org or contact sabinesg@hotmail.com.

Charlotte relief worker: Haiti continues to need help

It’s been six months since the earthquake and relief efforts continue. Results have been mixed as millions remain homeless. Most are living in tents during the summer hurricane season. Sabine Guerrier, president of Charlotte’s Haitian Heritage & Friends of Haiti, recently returned from her group's third stint of relief work. I asked her about what she’s seeing on the ground.


How do you feel things are progressing?

Not as well as I would have expected. Six months after, its still baffling to me that we’re not done with the cleanup. How are we going to start the rebuilding effort? People are still buried under the rubble. People are still living on the streets. We’re past due to start the rebuilding. Why is it taking so long? They should have the equipment. They have raised the money. Why are we not doing it?

What are the greatest needs at this point?

You have a long list of needs, but it's still medical and housing. You still have people in the hospitals. You still have people needing care. People also need a lot of the mental and psychological care. People are scared. Also, housing is an issue. We’ve talked a lot about the tent cities around Port-au-Prince. But many people have left the city and moved to other parts of the country where housing was already inadequate. Especially right now with hurricane season, how are the tents going to help those people?

Last month, you were to deliver an ambulance from Charlotte. What is it now?

Right now the ambulance is still in customs. And it's in customs because of paperwork that we need to worked out. There were mistakes done that need to be fixed. We’re hoping if we get the right paperwork and signatures, over the weekend, hopefully by next week, we’ll get the ambulance.

People can see the ambulance in the shipyard when they’re walking on the street. And they can’t understand why we’re donating something free of charge and it's not being used. They’re starting to ask a lot of questions.

What other things are you’re working on?

The first thing is trying to send a crew to Haiti to train the medical workers on how to use the ambulance with the additional supplies we sent. Next, we’re working on a rehab center for handicap earthquake victims and continuing to build housing for the displaced. We’re also trying to find a handicap accessible van. There are a lot of people who are now handicap.


What should people consider when they think about Haiti?

It’s not over. A lot of people think it’s over. That the country has gotten better with all the donations that have been collected. But it's far from over. It's going to take years. A lot of support, both internationally and internally, a lot of collaboration to get Haiti back on its feet. The challenge is that people are tired of giving. They feel they've given enough. And they don’t see enough results. Haiti continues to need help. And those that most need the help are not receiving it.

For more information about the Haitian Heritage & Friends of Haiti, visit their website at http://hhfoh.org. On Thursday, the group will be at the Bank of America's 10th year Diversity Cultural Fair. It will be held from 11:30 to 2 p.m. in Founders Hall at the Bank of America Corporate Center.

N.C. relief worker tells of pain and inspiration in Haiti

"I have been told not to care so much…But the day I ignore blatant child neglect and abuse I will know that I have failed as a human being."

Lauren Falduti, 23, joined a Charlotte relief team on their latest trip to Haiti to help with earthquake relief.

Members of the Haitian Heritage & Friends of Haiti will be in northern Haiti for two weeks. They delivered an ambulance and more than 41,000 pounds of supplies to the devastated nation still reeling from the Jan. 12 earthquake.

Falduti emailed me this weekend about working in the pediatrics unit at the Justinien Hospital in Cap-Haitien, Haiti. She and another relief worker from Atlanta have worked together to try and save the life of an abandoned little boy who they believe has cerebral palsy. He was receiving very little care until Falduti took it upon herself to help him.

Here are excerpts from her message:

"There is one patient in particular who has stolen my heart. He was abandoned in the street and brought to Justinien where he has been laying in a crib for 2 weeks. We think he has cerebral palsy and are guessing he is between 6-10 years old. Because he was abandoned and is unable to speak, we have no idea what his name is, so I named him Michael after the archangel.

…When I met him I truly believe he had given up all hope of survival- he was catatonic and unresponsive. I thought he was in a vegetative state. Imagine having no one love you or hold you as a child- it is utterly heartbreaking.”

... For the past couple of days I have been feeding my sweet Michael and have told the head of pediatrics about him. Luckily the head Dr. ordered the nurses to feed him, but they still only seem to feed and diaper him when I am there to make pressure them to do so. It is still a daily struggle to get them to change his sheets and the other day after I left the hospital he had diarrhea and was forced to sleep on his soiled sheets all night.

Two days ago I was at the end of my rope! I was told Michael had begun to run a fever and immediately began to cry. I wanted to scream… I felt so hopeless. I felt God's righteous anger at the abuse of His precious child welling up inside of me.

… I have been told not to care so much. I have been told to separate myself from Michael. But the day I ignore blatant child neglect and abuse I will know that I have failed as a human being. Ignoring Michael would be enabling the abuse, and I refuse to do such a thing.

… I am attaching a photo of Michael and I listening to my Ipod yesterday. I held him and rocked him while I sang him the song "For Good" from the soundtrack of the Broadway play, WICKED. At the very moment when I sang the words "Because I knew you, I have been changed for good," my darling Michael looked me in the eyes and smiled! I love this child SO MUCH!"

Charlotte team returns to Haiti

A Charlotte team of relief workers returned to Haiti this weekend to deliver an ambulance and more than 41,000 pounds of supplies to the devastated nation still reeling from the Jan. 12 earthquake.

With support from Myers Park United Methodist Church and Presbytery Church of Charlotte, five members of the Haitian Heritage & Friends of Haiti team returned to the northern region of the country. The doctor, physical therapist, EMT, and project manager left on Friday. They will return June 19.

“The need is still there,” said Sabine Guerrier, who is leading the group.

(This is one of two groups that I followed during my second trip to Haiti in February. You can read more of our coverage on their work here.)

In addition to delivering the ambulance and supplies, Guerrier said the team will also provide medical training to about 15 local doctors and nurses, operate a mobile clinic, which will travel to nearby villages to provide medical care and deliver other supplies.

Guerrier said the team is also working with federal representatives and a local mayor to receive approximately 10 acres of donated land, which will be used to build housing and a rehabilitation clinic.

The team purchased the used ambulance this spring with more than 200,000 miles for $3,000 at a city of Charlotte auction.

It was serviced and repainted before being driven to Miami last month where it was loaded onto a cargo ship for delivery to Haiti.

Guerrier said the ambulance will be donated to Justinien University Hospital, a public hospital in Cap-Haitien, Haiti. The struggling hospital does not have an ambulance.

"What a bliss," Dr. Jean Gracia, medical director of Justinien University Hospital, wrote in a letter to the team and city of Charlotte. "... My staff and the patients are very grateful and lucky to have organizations like yours thinking about their well-being when they are most vulnerable."

Photo: Fort Mill paramedic Thomas Hall(right) drove the ambulance to Miami where it was loaded onto a cargo ship headed for Haiti.

'Gus' looks back toward Haiti

Gyslain Auguste was one of the most beloved members of the Charlotte team of relief workers. Members of the Haitian Heritage and Friends of Haiti described "Gus" as the "big brother" of the group. The one with the jolly laugh who was always calm and never got upset. 

Over breakfast this morning in the Dominican Republic, I asked him to reflect on his two weeks providing earthquake relief in Haiti.

Why did you come to Haiti?
I came to respond to the calamity of the earthquake that affected so many people. I’m a native Haitian and it was fitting for me to respond in the way that I did so I could help in some small way.

Something I learned a long time ago is you need to give back some of what you've amassed.

What was your job?
My job was to manage one of the tents that housed 40 patients with various degrees of injuries. They had depressed skull fractures. Some of them had lost limbs. Some of them had neurological problems. Emotional problems.

What was your goal?
My goal was to touch at least one person’s life and help them through their suffering. And to share with them some of the resources that I had professionally and emotionally.

Do you feel you had an impact?
I certainly do.

What touched you the most?
The response. The acceptance that my patients had. Haitians normally do not hug, especially men. And they were hugging me, pulling me, shaking my hand, smiling, and voicing their appreciation for what I did. It touched me very deeply.

What frustrated you?
The lack of supplies when you most needed them. And seeing people being deprived of simple things like toiletries and things that they really need for daily living.

What will you remember?
The smiles. I will remember the positive response. The people that I met of different backgrounds. And the sheer goodness that I have seen among other people who came to help their fellow human beings.

What will you try to forget?
I’d like to forget that this earthquake ever happened. But that can’t happen… I think I have more to remember than forget. I don’t think I’ll forget anything because it's just a film that you can play over and over. It keeps bringing back memories. 

The children: Sad and inspiring

The young victims of this horrific natural disaster have been the most painful, yet inspiring part of this experience in Haiti.

Kids, as young as two, must now face an uncertain future without a leg or arm.

Yet they’ve maintained their curiosity. They even flirt strangers.

More than 45 children are being treated at the Sacre Coeur Hospital in Milot.

When asked to describe her job, Sabrina Joline told me: “We’re medical clowns….

“We do undercover PT.”

It’s been fascinating watching Joline and Ashlyn Armistead do their work inside the pediatric tent.

Both Charlotte relief workers are younger, perhaps helping the children relate. Joline, 21, whose family is from Cap-Haitien, speaks Creole allowing easy communication. And Armistead, 26, is the “bubble girl.” She’s the one with all the toys, including bubbles, which has fascinated the Haiti children.

While standing outside the pediatric tent, I asked Joline what was the hardest part of working with such young victims.

“My heart is broken,” she said. . It’s hard enough to live in Haiti with both legs and arms. Now these kids have to figure out with just one.”

This boy, Jackie Delva, lost bones in his forehead after doctors stitched back his skull, which had been partially crushed in the earthquake. He needs reconstructive surgery, but

Charlotte team members don’t know if he’ll be able to get it in Haiti.

But Joline said she’s learning more from the kids than she could ever teach them.

“We think we go through things, but these kids have lost an arm or leg or their family and their still fighting. They’re still smiling.”

Armistead said the children, despite their losses, “are still kids.”

“It’s the saddest place, but the happiest,” she said.

Armistead has been teaching several of the children with amputated legs songs that they can dance to. They sing and dance together. The children concentrate on the singing and dancing while Armistead makes sure they’re working out important muscles they’ll need to get by with only one leg.

Dear kids: 'Why I left last week for Haiti'

Charlotte doctor Marc Lewin says his children Max, 8, Kate, 7, and Charlie, 5, don’t quite get why their dad came to Haiti. The family physician wrote them this letter to try and explain.

Dear Max, Kate, and Charlie.

I am writing this letter to you because I want you to understand why I left last week for Haiti and because I want you to know how lucky you are.

There was a big earthquake last month in a small country called Haiti and many, many people died. Even more people where hurt and lost everything they had, including their family and their homes.

Haiti is a very poor country and there aren’t enough hospitals and doctors to help all the injured people. On top of that, some of the hospitals were destroyed in the earthquake. This is why I came here, because we have to much and they have so little.

You also know that I speak French and that is the language that many Haitian people speak. So you see, it is important to learn other languages.

The hospital I am working at is made up of a bunch of a very large tents in a field. I am the doctor for Tent #2, which has thirty-five women, some of the them are pregnant. All of them have serious injuries.

Let me tell you about one. Her name is Virginie. She is twenty-seven years old. Her whole family was killed in the earthquake. She was trapped without food or water for fifteen days until she was rescued. She lost her right arm and has a badly broken right leg, which was fixed with surgery. She is learning to walk again now.

I can see in her face that she hurts with every step, but she never complains. Instead, she tells me “thank you” many times every day for helping her.

This has been my experience with all the Haitian people. They are warm and grateful and never complain.

I feel so terrible for these people who have suffered so much and yet I think they have a lot to teach us about being grateful for what we have. I hope that, somehow in your lives, you will learn this.

I love you and I look forward to seeing you at home soon.

Love,

Daddy

'This quake and mission has become part of my history.'

Charlotte pre-med student Sabrina Joline said she was scared and unsure when she returned to her earthquake devastated nation. But she was inspired by the strength and spirit of her patients. Here are excerpts from our conversation:

Why are you here?

I am from Haiti, and my people needed help. My colleagues needed help and my family needed help.

Tell me about what you’re doing?

I have served as a childcare specialist with Ashlyn, a physical therapist with Fabbien, a nurse, and mostly a translator. I will be learning physical therapy exercises for children with Fabbien and Ashlyn.

Is there one patient who impacted you the most?

It’s hard to just mention one patient because all of them had an impact on me. Jenson, a 13-month-old with hydrocephallis child, taught me how to truly nurture and unhealthy baby. Sandia, 3, and Yvlene, 3, who have broken legs, taught me how to laugh even in the worst situations. And this list goes on.

How do you hope to help them?

I hope I can keep their spirits up and take their minds off their situation. Also some people at home are willing to adopt an entire family, so maybe we can get some of these patients adopted and taken care of.

What inspires you?

The spirit of my people. From an outsider looking in, it seems as the ones who are in distress are the doctors and nurses. The patients are strong, courageous and appreciative. They inspire me.

What frustrates you?

Not being able to do more.

The needs are so great. Do you feel you can really make a difference?

A little goes a long way. Just by translating, changing dress wounds and feeding the patients, I’m able to allow the doctors and nurses to relieve some stress. By doing that, they can be more productive.

What will you remember most?

Fortunately and unfortunately, everything

What will you try to forget?

Nothing, this quake and mission has become part of my history.

'Can you imagine'

Matt Lord is one of only four physical therapist for 250 patients at Sacre Coeur Hospital. So many of the patients have lost a leg or arm. They need as much assistance as possible preparing for an uncertain future in a country unequipped for so many physically challenged people.

Lord, 29, who works at Presbyterian Hospital, was struck by the story of one young patient who shared his story on his journey to the hospital in northern Haiti.

An accounting student at a university in Port-au-Prince, Verdou Mensou, 21, was in class when the earthquake struck. He is unable to remember most of what happened, but he says he was trapped for up to five hours when he was pulled out of the rubble. They put him on a bus for victims needing treatment.

Verdou lost consciousness again on the bus. He was out so long that riders thought he died. Lord said the young man told him he woke up in a pile of trash with eight dead victims.

"Can you imagine," Lord says.

When someone noticed him moving in the trash, Verdou was picked up and taken to an aunt’s house where he stayed for two days before being sent to Sacre Coeur.

"The thing I found strange is that this boy was smiling the entire time he was telling me about his journey, which is the attitude of most of the earthquake victims," Lord says,

In Haiti, small things have big impact

The conditions these Charlotte medical professionals work under is tough, but it’s even harder on the injured Haitians who often must sleep on the floor and have their open wounds treated in rooms infested with flies.

Vickie Blackburn, a Rock Hill nurse practitioner (featured in Sunday's story on the Charlotte team taking over treatment of evacuees) is in charge of the operating room at Sacre Coeur Hospital. She found a way to make one patient a little more comfortable.

When Blackburn found out an injured mother, Ena St. Pierre, was sleeping on a military metal cot without a mattress, she grabbed her sleeping bag. 

Ena has a crushed spine, infected left foot, and pins holding together her broken forearm.

Blackburn thought Ena could use the sleeping bag as padding. 

Charlotte OB/GYN Dr. Sherma Mortonwho delivered the sleeping bag to Ena, said she was so glad to have it.”

“May God bless you,” Ena told Vickie. 

Blackburn said seeing Ena smile made her day. They took a picture sitting on the pink sleeping bag.

It was humbling, Blackburn said, to see how much Ena appreciated the small gesture. 

“These people have so little and are happy with what they have. They say thank you for everything you do. It is a very humbling experience.”

'Please help me. Don't leave me. Will you come back?'

Dr. Sherma Morton says the post-traumatic stress many Haitians are suffering may be worse than their lost limbs.

The OB/GYN from the Carolinas Medical Center-Pineville has been struck by the mass of emotional injuries she’s seen here at Sacre-Coeur, this northern Haiti hospital, treating more than 250 earthquake evacuees.

Working in a tent with more than 30 female victims, Morton says she’s giving out Prozac because there are so many depressed patients. They spend their days staring at the walls, she said. They don’t want to get out of bed. They don’t eat.

“I literally fed a woman her food today,” she said. “I put it in her mouth.”

Morton, whose family is from Haiti and who speaks Creole, says many of the women just need someone to listen.

They cry out to her: "Please help me. Don't leave me. Will you come back?"

Every night, Morton writes about the experience to family and friends. Here is a little of what she’s told them.

“I have seen so many unimaginable tragedies. This earthquake has spared no one. And now there is soo much that is still needed. God help Haiti.”

“I was able to go back to General surgery and medicine today. It was really gratifying to touch these lives. A school recently collapsed and 4 children were killed and many wounded. Ages 9-12. That is not the way their lives should have ended. They barely had a chance to live. So sad.”

“I found out today that the post-traumatic stress that Haitians are suffering may even be worse than their lost limbs in the earthquake. We can't turn out the lights at night in their outside tents because they start having flashbacks of being trapped when the world fell upon them. The cries of grown men mixed with the screams of children are a few of the things I will never forget.

'Most have lost a leg or an arm'

A Charlotte relief worker writes in her journal about her first visit to a Haitian hospital treating earthquake evacuees and the children she met.

I asked if any of the team members were keeping a journal. Ashlyn Armistead, who works at Presbyterian Hospital helping children prepare for traumatic medical procedures, said she is and gave me the OK to print what she wrote.

Here is an expert about the group's visit to Sacre-Coeur Hospital in Milot, a 65-bed facility serving more than 250 earthquake evacuees:

Milot was about an hour away. I cannot believe the condition the roads are in here. It takes forever to get anywhere because of how slow you have to drive through all the sink holes. We passed one poor family after another. One of our people threw pencils and crayons out the window for a few kids and you would’ve thought it was a million dollars! Then more kids ran after our bus – it was heart breaking…

The staff at Milot were so happy to see us. They didn’t believe that a team our size would be coming to help. We toured the facility and had a debriefing on the previous weeks. There were so many people there – men, women, children.

Across from the hospital were tents that were an extension of the hospital. It looked like a tent city with cots, people sleeping on the floor and families living outside of the tents.

On our tour, I saw where I would be working – the pediatric tent. I met the doctors and nurses and they were happy to see me. A few even knew about child life! I even met some of the kids. Most have lost a leg or an arm. They were so cute but so sad. I am excited to get started tomorrow.