Last Hoorah from Haiti!

From the BLOG, Stew & Darryl Go to Haiti
http://www.stewanddarrylgotohaiti.blogspot.com
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3/22 From STEW - good morning baby! We will be off to the airport tomorrow bright and early we had Jony with us tonight and he told us his story and of the loss of his wife. He bore his testimony and sang for us and we were all torn apart. Then we had a band and danced (I needed you to make me look good) and drank coke while the canadians stood there and drank beer. See you in 24 hrs I hope!!!!!!!! I will call you from miami. I love you. oh ya we worked in the pharmacy all day. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxxoxoxoxox

3/23 From Katie - Last night was a great end to the week. Jony St Louis came to say goodbye to the team. His new job with World Vision has to do with helping educate and develop income producing jobs for those with disabilities. At the end of our team meeting he told his story of his faith, his family, his wife and the feelings that he has of her continued presence in his life. He sang us a couple songs at our request like he has done on past trips. We then shifted gears and had a going away party with the employees, the Canadian team and danced to a Haitian troubador band. Let's just say that the Canadian team leader said to me with a beer in her hand having watched our team's conga line, swing dancing and a variety of other exuberant musical activities, "it is a good thing you Mormons don't drink!" Although the team is not 100 percent LDS being from Utah County it is the majority and although religious definitely not staid!

7 of us are here at the airport with a couple hours to spare having stood in various lines, gone through three security machines and been patted down twice. The rest of the team has a later departing flight and should be arriving at the airport sometime in the next hour. We are in a nice air conditioned waiting room in the rebuilt/new area of the airport but there are no shops or concessions here like in the old building. The thought of returning to the US has never seemed so good.

I know this trip has been more stressful for everyone as we coped with each others emotions, team sickness, the heat, the odd hours, the injuries and illnesses of the Haitians, and the sad, sad stories that were shared as we tried to lift a little of the burden carried by the people of this nation. This has been a remarkable team in many ways and it has been a privilege to serve with Kathi as the team leaders of such a caring and productive group.

Team coming home tomorrow! Last updates!

From the BLOG, Stew & Darryl Go to Haiti
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3/21 FROM KATHI: I was at the Medi Share Hospital during the rain. It rained all night. There is a little room with a tarp on top and tarps on the sides. This is the ER. The bottom was completely covered with water. It was a few inches deep and they brought in raised pallets to walk on. A minute in the rain meant you looked like you had taken a shower in the rain. We were running from one tent to the next or should I say med/surg to peds. They brought out raised peds and made pathways for us so we weren't wading in the mud and water.

The first night I worked there I gave someone a blanket. It was such a simple act. The next time I was there he came to me and said he didn't know I was coming and wished he had bought me a gift. Instead, he gave me two mangoes, his food that he had brought for him and his sister he was taking care of. Humbling doesn't even tough how it makes me feel.

3/22 FROM KATIE: I can tell we go home tomorrow because several of us have colds, sore throats, tummy rumblings and we are starting to "drag" a bit although everyone seems gung ho about their assignments for today. There are teams going to CDTI, Wings of Hope orphanage, and working in the tent clinic. It was a little sad to sa goodbye to the Miami yesterday as it was a great shift working as a pharmacist and helping out. I took phone photos of some young volunteers and emailed them to their families including one Air Force PVT who comes to rock babies in the NICU.

I went with Amanda this morning to the airport to see her off. It was hard to say good bye to her as the next time I see her she will be happily married and embarked on her next great adventure. It was wonderful to have her with this team. This is the 4th team I have led and there are only a few that have been on all of them and she has been one of the stalwarts. I am so thankful that Garlan "gets it" and was supportive of her serving this close to the wedding.

The airport was a madhouse -- true Haitian chaos and we waited 40 minutes to get close to security and then I left her on her own to get into the building and check in. We got there about 7:05 for her 9:20 flight and I will bet it took the full time to process out.

We have the tent clinic seeing patients and doing therapy, there are 4 team members at CDTI and another group at Wings of Hope orphanage. Two of the SWers are doing therapy with patients referred by the treating RNs and MD. Rachel and Kathleen (RNs) are doing an awesome job of seeing and treating patients along with Rick.
Every member of this years team has worked hard and been faced with the frustration of physical limitations due to the heat and associated illnesses. We have all learned many lessons about what humanitarian service is, what it can do and what it cannot do. We will have many insights to share when we get to that point in our own emotional abilities. Our social work team has done an amazing job teaching us, debriefing with us and being there for us throughout this experience and I am so grateful that they have been willing to share their talents and skills.

3/21 FROM JOYCE: Today we were able to go to church. I didn't understand a word but it was still wonderful to be there and I think that hymns are beautiful in french...We got the pharmacy in order and made a list of things needed here, we made an exchange with CDTI hospital of meds we had a surplus of for meds they needed. It is important to help each other, we are all here for the same reason. I think today might be the hottest since I got here, I am grateful that I am not in a tent and sad that so many people here are......

Stew's Weekend Update

From the BLOG, Stew & Darryl Go to Haiti
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3/19 I slept around the puddles in the tent this morning but after the night in the hospital you just don't care if you pillow is wet. It was cloudy and cool. We all enjoyed the break.

3/20 Friday was a lost day after the all night-er at Miami hospital. We went shopping and i found you some authentic Haitian kitchen stuff. The jewelry has been very basic and cheap looking, but I am still looking. I think it could to a good tool for fund raising. I hear threw the grape vine that HHH has reached their goal of fund-raising to build the new hospital but who knows what the money will be used for.

Saturday was so awesome we left at 7 to go to Club Indigo. We traveled 30 miles through a shanty town called City of Sole ( like circ de sole) which they have gone around in years past because of the danger. There was an accident but I am getting ahead of my self. We got there at 9 and had cold cokes with ice. They have a large pool with a view of the ocean with blue Caribbean water. There are about 400 rooms and 200 have roofs. We swam and relaxed and look at local art and large conch shells form the ocean. I borrowed snorkeling gear and found my happy place. Darryl had to come get me after I got too far down the beach because he would not be able to save me from there. He is such a mother hen lol. I found some great shells beautiful conch , star fish and sand dollars and others but later returned them to the ocean because someone was living in them. We left at 4. (Much needed emotional and physical break after the week).

We left at 4 of us had to stop on the side of the road because of a case of Montezuma's revenge. While traveling through Sole we hit a pig with our 30 passenger bus and sent him spinning off the side of the road. The whole bus gasped as we watched it slide on his side. We really did not need this (have i told you about the driving there is not enough time or space to describe the madness). Thank God as we all looked out the back window the pig got up and walked away. The pig collision slowed us down enough to stop for the cattle just ahead.

Tomorrow we are going to church and taking inventory of the pharmacy. Darryl is already talking about home but I cannot go there yet in my mind or I will go crazy missing home.

From Darryl

From the BLOG, Stew & Darryl Go to Haiti
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It is now 10:15pm here, we went to Indigo beach. Stew and I have been talking for hours, waiting to get on the computer. We are the last ones to go to bed. We are going to church in the morning. The beach was fabulous today. The road we traveled on, to the beach, was much better this year, it only took two hours. Stew got to see some of the countryside. It was awesome. Stew and I swam, played in the pool, ate good food, etc., etc. Great excape and relaxing.

Friday- After our 12 hour shift at the Miami Hospital, we came home and slept for a few hours, then to the pharmacy here at the clinic. The night at miami hospital was the most amazing, I was the only pharmacist, mixing IV's, (I have not done this for 30 years), taking orders from Haitian nurses, doctors helped me figure out how much morphine to give in an IV over a 12 hour period, etc. I cut my finger on an ampule (I had to break 17 glass ampules to mix in the IV), it bled good, but we kept going. Stew was a good help in the pharmacy. At about 3am, a doctor needed a certain medication for a ruptured ear drum, and by the spirit and looking in the right box I was able to find what he needed. It has been an amazing trip and a bit scarry at times. I have many things to tell you, but for now, I cannot say how much I love America and my family.

Healing Rain is falling down!

From the BLOG, Stew & Darryl Go to Haiti
http://www.stewanddarrylgotohaiti.blogspot.com
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Here comes the Rain!

From the BLOG, Stew & Darryl Go to Haiti
http://www.stewanddarrylgotohaiti.blogspot.com
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Got a couple of messages from Stew yesterday and several from the team. This team is amazing as they are facing some really tragic things and are working nearly round the clock and now the rain has come. Many of them are so exhausted but their spirits are so good and they always try to find the positive in the emails they have sent. Although they are trying to have some fun while there, the reality of it all is still very real for the team. I admire them all so much.

Here's a couple from Stew:

3/18 7pm - Working at the miami university hospital pharmacy and it's raining hard. Darryl is filling scripts by flash light. We are well stocked. There is a man who will pass away tonight and his wife and family are with him. It brought me to tears tonight when the the people of the hospital sang to him.

3/19 12am - Most are asleep now and and Darryl can finaly sit down for a minute. He was really moving. The blisters bug bites and exhaustion are starting to become serious concerns for many of the group. Emotions are on edge and we have all been through a lot. The dying man is still gasping in the background and others are moaning in pain once in a while yet the Hatian staff are chatting and giggling. What a place and my hats go off to these doctors and nurses. 12hr shifts in mud and cots and doing things they would never be allowed to do in the US.

Message from Kathi:

3/17 - I think this trip has been one of my best. Even though the devastation is everywhere you look I see people working and helping each other. I see kindness and hurt. I talked to a girl who was afraid to touch her healing leg that looked like an artificial knee. I showed her mine and soon I had a crowd looking to see the scars on my leg. They wanted to know if I could bend it and if I could kneel. I told her she needed to do the therapy so she could walk again too. It's hard to complain when you see children with stumps. The good thing is I see families supporting each other with the tragedies.

The work is different this time. We are working around the clock and everyone steps up to take their turn. They will huddle around in a tent and share one meal. Everyone will take a few bites. This is a lesson we could all learn.

The pool is the hit of the day. Don't every complain again when buying a kiddie pool. They're a lot more expensive here! We were able to get 10 people it to play volleyball. Well sort of. Thank you Stew. There's nothing like a little water to get you cooled down.

Message from Joyce:

3/17 - Sad day today. Orphanages always make me a little sad. To much work there and not enough workers. The caregivers are constantly on the move, doing laundry, making meals, picking up, changing diaper after diaper. Usually these workers don't stop and I know they do there best but it is still sad to me when they must tie a child to a chair because they can't watch all of the children at once. Not all the kids are tied to a chair just a handful that were hard to watch. I went around and did the best I could to untie the little ones I could and let them out to walk or play, then I would try to let those out of their wheelchair etc...even if for a few minutes. There was another group of volunteers there with us from another NGO and they had 2 men that were on the group playing like a horse with these little ones. Each man took a turn with 5 or more kids climbing on their back at once. The children were laughing and giggling so hard. One of these men was making everyone laugh because he had 5 children around the age of 6 on his back and his friends were coaching him into trying to continue to do push-ups with the kids on his back. It is sad to see these kids, but for one day we made them laugh, gave them hugs, held them in our arms....I guess it wasn't all sad was it?

Those of you who know Stewart will appreciate this!

From the BLOG, Stew & Darryl Go to Haiti
http://www.stewanddarrylgotohaiti.blogspot.com
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Check out what Stewart rallied everyone to go find! Yup, you guessed it...they found a blow up swimming pool. Leave it to my hubby to always try to have the "fun factor" in everything he does! Looks like he's found his "happy spot!"









I did get to chat with him early this morning and he was at an orphanage with 38 kids. He said 2/3 of them have disabilities. He just loved them. One was sitting on his lap while we were talking. It was really loud in the background and sounded so great to hear kids running around and playing.

He got pretty emotional about being there today. He said he almost felt a little self indulgent about it since he was getting so much from just playing with the babies and there is so much more not so fun work to do.

I told him to enjoy the moment because I'm jealous and that's right where I would want to be.

He wanted to let everyone know who has gave any type of donation or prayers, it IS making a difference for these people!

There are some funny stories about luggage that I need to write about but I will let Stew share that one!