A Smaller World

Providing health care in Haiti was a team effort, not just between Aaron and me, but with the many others who committed to the Heart to Heart Clinics: translators, administrators, nurses, doctors, paramedics. 

My last blog post included an email from Calixte, one of our translators. This post, I'd like to share an email from Anita, an ER nurse from California. Anita joined us about halfway through our stay, and stayed on awhile after we left. She accompanied us on our first day of the then-experimental mobile (aka: taptap) clinic and on our house calls. 

She and I made an easy connection, sharing a room (and a tent when a smaller, but still alarming 4.7 earthquake on 2/24 shook us out of the modest seminary room), communal meals, and most importantly sharing the day to day of working in a medical and humanitarian disaster of a magnitude that still remains hard to fully comprehend.

Serving in Haiti was a life-changing experience for both of us. She has put some of her thoughts down in words, and given me permission to share them with you. She hits eloquently on our experiences, the issues that remain, and the uneasiness we all share having left a place, and a people, who remain in need of so much.

~ Maryclaire

..........

It has been a week since my return from Haiti, and I thought you would appreciate some reflective thoughts.  How quickly it was for me to fall back into my roll as "Mom" with swim practice, the start of baseball season, classes to attend, working day & night shifts, and yes, even a Bon Jovi concert with husband & son...  and that was just one week!
 

The difference is that this week I also shared my thoughts and experience with loved ones, co-workers, friends, acquaintances, and strangers who were interested in hearing my story; whether it was in the grocery store, work, school, on the sidewalk, etc.  It always began with the standard question, "How was it?", and my answer always began, "It was life changing... I don't ever want to forget". 

I think daily about Elyse, the beautiful Haitian woman, and her incredible meals.  Also, her ability to find joy in the simple tasks of daily living.  The lesson she taught me was the ability to rejoice in the act of serving others (sound familiar?).  I was a guest in her country, to serve those in need, and she relished in her ability to share her talents (and tent) to make our stay enjoyable.  She taught me that I did not have to travel to Haiti to experience the joys of volunteering and offering aide. 

I was humbled by the thousands of Haitians who woke every day to the never ending despair of their situation, yet maintained their activities of daily living with dignity & resilience; peace.  They returned to their churches and gave praise and thanks to the Lord with total ruins and loss surrounding them on all sides.  I felt like an intruder bearing witness to their powerful return of faith as I questioned my own on some levels.

You greet strangers with a smile and wave that was always returned.  The trust that was placed in our work was unyielding, and yet I/we could offer so little in comparison to the modern technologies of the 21st century United States.  Frustrated? Yes!  Every second of every day I was frustrated.  Frustrated that we could not offer patients proper surgical and medical attention that was a basic standard of care in my country.  I was embarrassed at my ignorance to this crisis that was clearly present long before the devastating quake.  

Will the young mother who lived with her husband, 2y/o son, and parents in an 10 x 10 shanty receive the surgical services to remove the external fixator?  

Will the elderly female with the  gangrenous finger receive the appropriate care before getting septic?  

Will anyone remember the 14 y/o boy who was so proud of his healing leg wound that initially presented with maggots?  

Did the infant child with the neck abscess / infection make it to the hospital, and was she received or rejected?  

What will happen to the people of Haiti when the rains begin?  

I question whether I remembered to report off all the "follow up" plans / ideas that were passed along to me when others departed.  I was mentally and physically exhausted, overwhelmed, worried, and I am sure that I did forget.  The comfort comes in knowing that I am a proud member of this wonderful society of humanitarianism.  Many will follow after me fresh with energy, skills, and ideas to make a change / difference in human lives.

On that same note, I could not be more proud of my community and hospital.  Yes, one person did make a difference.  Mendocino Coast District Hospital did make a difference.  The community of Fort Bragg, California did make a difference.  Thank you for your love, prayers, and support.  Thank you for making my world smaller. 

- Anita