Other Pictures from our Team.....

Who lives in my Tent after I left.....

My Tent....

Day 14- The Hardest Day in Haiti...

Jon and I before leaving.....

Jamie right before we left on the Tap Tap....

Right before we left on the Tap Tap...

A few of the village kids we played with daily...

Jon and I with "grandma" before I left for the airport after taking the woman to the hospital

Today was my last day in Haiti. I packed all my things up this morning, rolling up my tent and loading everything onto the Tap Tap. After loading everything Jamie and I asked if we could go to the Blanchard clinic to say bye to everyone and see the children while everyone else went to the airport either to say bye or to take an earlier flight so Gale allowed our driver to take us in the little red blazer to the clinic. On our way there he was telling us about the Diabetic he drove to the hospital earlier that morning which was 45 min away. He told us that it would be too expensive to continue the treatment so they will not be going back to the hospital and he dropped them back home before picking us up. We arrived at the Blanchard clinic 2 hours before we open and my mouth dropped to see how many patients were already there waiting to be seen. Hundreds were already lined up waiting for us! But today I wasnt there to work, Jamie and I got out and began playing with the kids in the Village that we have come to know really well. We were having a great time until a man came running up to me grabbing my arm pointing to the clinic. We did not have our translators with us at this time so I looked at Jamie and told her I think something is wrong. We took off running towards the clinic and when we round the corner I could see 5 people carrying an oversized unconscious woman towards the entrance. The first thing I noticed was that the woman had a wash cloth hanging out of her mouth with blood dripping from her mouth and the wash cloth, my mind started racing of what could be going on. We were able to break into the clinic lying her on a bed that we had made out of boxes as I began to examine her immediately noticing that she is pregnant! Everyone was talking at once and I had no translators to understand anything. Jamie speaks some Kreyol and finally got an answer that she was 9 months pregnant. The woman was in and out of consciousness and anytime she woke up her main complaints were stomach pain and trouble breathing. I was the ONLY medical person there and so Jamie turns to me asking what I need. She grabs me a doppler and a Blood pressure cuff. As I am trying to find the fetal heart beat, which I could not so I did not know if the baby was dead or alive, as I had someone else checking the blood pressure which was extremely high! I knew that I needed help beyond what I could do here otherwise the mother was going to die soon. As I am checking the babies position I can tell he is laying horizontal in the stomach. The water had not broke and the baby had not dropped so I yelled at our driver to pull the blazar around as we all carryed the woman laying the seats down and laying her in the back of the blazer. I jumped in along with Jamie and either a friend or family member of the woman as our driver took off towards the hospital. With rubble all around and him on the horn going who knows how fast it was hard for me to hold myself up let alone preparing myself to deliver a baby. The woman is unresponsive at this time and several times I think she has stopped breathing, her respirations have become very shallow and few. So I have Jamie positioned to start CPR if need be as I am at the other end. I was able to take her underwear off and was trying everything that I could think of to get the baby turned. I was in constant conversation with God, knowing there was no way I could do this alone, I needed his help and knowledge. I was pretty much in panic mode inside even though I looked calm on the outside I was freaking out within! We finally got to Doctors Without Boarders, I told everyone who could understand me that we were going to carry her past everyone inside and that we were not going to give them the option to reject us. As we jumped out and started carrying her in other Haitians came over to help, I thought great maybe she will make it but soon enough they laid her under a tent on the concrete floor and everyone left her. Jamie and I stood in shock that this could be happening. Hello!? This woman is dying if not already dead we need a doctor! We looked everywhere for a doctor before someone told us they were not there yet. What! This is Doctors Without Boarders With No Doctors!? So I was explaining to the only two people I could find that spoke english what was going on and that this woman needed an emergency C-Section. They told us they would look into it as they kicked us out, all I could think was that they were going to leave her there for dead but they grabbed Jamie and my arm as they escorted us out and I looked back one last time to see her laying on the concrete floor, unresponsive, and no one attending to her. We headed back to Blanchard. It was 8:30 in the morning and Jamie and I began to laugh so hard, I couldnt believe what just happened and if I processed it at all we would have began to bawl. Once we arrived back at Blanchard our team was back so I immediately looked for Jon. We sat behind the clinic as I confided to him everything that had just happened. We talked for a long while than I told everyone bye and we left. Im writing this while I am on the plane now back to the states, My mind is non stop thinking about this woman and what more I could have done. I didnt even know her name just that she was 40 years old. The Blessing I can think of today was that the elderly grandma with the 5 kids Jon and I helped carry ensure to her house came back and saw us before I left. She had a huge smile and continued to tell Jon and I how thankful she was for us as she cried. I Will Never Forget Haiti and The People There!

Day 13- Last day of work

Last Day picture with our translators...

Today is the last work day before we leave tomorrow and Gale had gone to Doctors Without Boarders to discuss what patients they will allow and take in because lately they have rejected most of the ones we have sent to them and they told her that they do not take any medically complicated patients and they do external surgeries only however they do not have an x-ray machine. What? Meanwhile back at Blanchard the Diabetic man I went to check on yesterday at his house was back. His Blood sugar was 600+ so again we tried to take him to any hospital that would take him and again they rejected him. This man could not even walk, he was being carried up to the hospitals by the mattress he was laying on so again we lay him on the floor of his broken down home. However we hear that a hospital over 45 min away will take him so our driver will be getting up early the next morning to drive him and his family up there, hopefully it will be good news for him but in Haiti I've learned not to hold my breath. While back at Blanchard the sister of the pregnant woman they carried into us last night who claimed Vodoo came back to let us know they took her into the hospital that morning and thanked us claiming we saved her life by being so instant on her getting help. I still not sure how the hospitals pick and choose who they will accept and who they will reject. Today was busy as Jon, Jeanie, Judith and I suddenly recieved 4 patients with 103 temps or higher. The 19 year old with a low BP from yesterday was back with a high fever as well. We had patients laying on the floor everywhere along with over 100 other patients coming in to be seen. It was hard to give anyone my full attention I was running all over the place! We worked over 3 hours after we closed trying to get everyone seen and temps down. God blessed me with feelings of accomplishment today in two ways. 1) Jon and I had been teaching our translators different english words and american phrases through out the week. Today as Jon and I were working we started hearing other Haitians who we had never met using the words and phrases Jon and I had been teaching others. They told us how they heard it from other Haitians we have never met all leading up to our translators, it made us feel good knowing others were learning from our teachings also 2) I had prescribed an elderly woman a bunch of different meds and labeled each of them but even after explaining each med there were still too many to remember and I had noticed she didnt know how to read. So in the midst of Chaos I sat down with her and helped her sort and organize her meds in a way that she could easily know when to take each, she was so thankful when I was finished. It made me feel good that I was able to help in such a simple way in the middle of a huge mess. I will miss everyone in Haiti and will sad to leave tomorrow. I have decided to sponsor and child through P.I.D. It cost 25 dollars a month and it provides for schooling which is 12 dollars a month here and school supplies. It also provides for 1 meal a day etc. I have meet some of the sponsored kids and they are so sweet.( I encourage everyone to check out P.I.D. website to see in what ways you can help at ..... http://www.pidonline.org/ ) Now one last rain before bed.

Day 12

24 year old man with 106 fever

Today on the way to the clinic a woman was hit by a car while riding on a motorcycle. Both the car and motorcycle took off and left her lying in the middle of the road. We had loaded her into our Tap Tap and drove her off to the hospital where she was rejected so off to the next hospital. Finally we found a hospital that took her in, she obviously at least a dislocated her hip. Jon, Jeanie, Evita (our counselor) and I go back out to Bon Repo today and the second we opened the gates people began pushing and shoving to the entrance of the door. I was trapped outside. I yelled up to Evita who helped pull me over the edge as I climbed up to the second floor of our clinic. It was going to be another busy day. Once we were inside we suddenly realized only 2 of our translators were there! So until 11 we spoke all the choppy Kreyol we knew. It was very frustrating at times but I thankfully have been learning how to write alot of words in Kreyol and was able to write out all the medication instructions. Later that night learning more than 50% of Haitians do not know how to read and those that do graduate from a university graduate at a 5th or 6th grade level. So we opened our doors and the first patient came up to Jon and I in the pharmacy as I was trying to label all the meds in Kreyol and she suddenly came in and collapsed. We immediately started with an assessment quickly realizing her BP was extremely LOW. Her systolic was 80 and we couldnt even get a diastolic. She was 19 years old. So Jeanie immediately starts an I.V. She was there for almost the entire day as we set up a place in the back of the pharmacy for her to lay. Than soon after a woman in labor came in, she was pre-eclamptic and so we sent her into the hospital. The last thing I need to do in Haiti is try to deliver a baby. Soon after we had an elderly woman who had fallen trying to get away during the quake and hurt both knees. So we had her use crutches as we took her outside in front of a huge crowd to teach her how to use them. She tried and tried until she was finally getting it and everyone around started clapping and cheering for her. It was great to finally see the Haitian community uplifting each other instead of one man for himself survival mode. Today was a very busy day seeing 80 patients and as soon as we begin to close a man 24 years old suddenly comes in running 106 fever. We started packing him with ice and giving him an alcohol bath treating him with typhoid and malaria. We were closed at this time and it was getting dark, with no electricity we only had a limited amount of time left before we would be standing in the pitch black. All the sudden down stairs at the gate a family is carrying this woman in who is 20 something and a month pregnant. However they would not let anyone examine her. She came in with stomach pain and told us it was vodoo. So we asked the family why did you even bring her in if you wont let us check her out our treat her and they told us that they wanted us to just administer first aid. What? We told them that she needed to be taken to the hospital and there was nothing more we could do since they wont let us assist her medically so they left carrying her the way the came in. The man soon after left with a fever of 101, it was now pitch black outside. We get back to our tents and have our nightly meeting learning that the girl who has the stomach tumor was ready and packed to have the surgery when they rejected her saying the surgery was too complicated and she would need to get it done in the states. I dont know if she will ever have surgery....... Late into the night at about 1 am we had our strongest aftershock since being here and my heart raced! I have the glimpse of fear not being in control of my own body. Mangos from the tree above came crashing down onto my tent and put holes through it as I had to repair it the next day with Duct Tape. Duct Tape in Haiti is amazing and has been a huge blessing. They can fix almost anything, alot of tent repairs and shoe repairs, I took two rolls (Due to Chelle's advice) and used it all up before leaving. I had to be sparing and choosy because I had not brought enough. Next time I go to Haiti :) I will have to bring more!

Day 11- Lord give me Strength

Grandma taking care of her 5 grandkids, no food or water... After carrying Ensure to her house

Diabetic
Woman with Leprosy

Today a woman came to the clinic carrying her child. It took her two hours to get to us. He was running a 103 temp. Once she arrived at the clinic the we soon realized that the mother was also running 103 temp. It was encouraging to see the love this woman had for her child and the strength she had to do everything she could to get him help. It pushed me to a greater level of strength, past the feeling of exhaustion to do everything I could to continue to help those in need. Soon after Jon, Jeanie, Kim and I returend to Sahat with our suticases full of meds and supplies. The first patient I saw for that day was another woman who was having a miscarrage. We set up a spot in the corner where Kim examined her as I held her hand and confirmed. I keep thinking of the mother this morning and praying for the strenght to continue. By day 11 I am feeling emotionally and physically drained, its getting harder and harder for me but I know God will not give me more than I can handle and I dont want God to regret giving me so much to deal with so I keep thinking what I am going through is nothing compared to what the Haitians have and are going through and I can continue on. Next thing I know a translator pulled me to the side and introducing me to this elderly woman. Next to her is a young child who I learn is her grandchild. As I am talking with them I quickly learn that the grandchild's parents died in the quake and her grandmother is now taking care of her. But as we continue to speak I learn she is taking care of 5 granchildren whoes parents were killed in the quake. The grandmother begins to cry as she explains that she no longer has any food or water for her or her grandchildren. She was very distraught so jon and I carried as much pedialight and ensure that we could possibly carry and walked them to her place in the village. She preceeds to tell us her husband was shot and killed years ago and that she had bearly escaped. As we came up to her place after walking through trash and dirty water past pigs and goats we saw her grandchildren who were all malnourished. We set their things down as she began to cry and bless us, we took a picture with her before we left and prayed. I keep thinking to myself "remember God is good" as we walked back to the church clinic. When we finally arrived back we were immideatly faced with a baby who was unresponsive. After checking her over I had no idea what was wrong with her. Jon and I could not get her to wake up, our best guess was that she was severally dehydrated so we started her with fluids. She remained at the clinic for the rest of the day while trying to get fluids through her until she finally came around. Praise God. After we packed up and left Sahat we went back to our main clinic in Blanchard. The second I walked in another woman from our team pulled me into her exam room and asked me to take a look at this woman's foot. I had not put gloves on has I began to exam her, I than called in Kim who did the same. Soon after a Haitian dr. had walked in and told us she came in a week ago and that she has Leprosy. Kim and I immediatly went and scrubbed our hands. Never have I experienced that before. As we were finishing up washing our driver came up to Kim and I and asked if we would go check out the diabetic at his house. I can hardly call it a house because it was completly fallen apart but as we entered we noticed he was still on the cement floor however was awake. His blood sugar was 361 so we gave him some insulin which we are sparing of because its so expensive that alot of times Diabities is just a death sentence and Im afraid soon it will be for this 33 year old man as well. As soon as we are finishing up with this man a woman from another house comes up and asks us to see someone with a fever, we agreed and followed her to a man laying on a matt. I took his temp which was 101, after seeing so many patients with 105 fevers + this temp seemed good to me and so we gave him tylenol and told him if he was any worse to come into the clinic the next day. I felt bad downgrading his problem but after seeing the patients we've had my mind keeps thinking, Ive seen much worse. Once we got back to Blanchard before getting out of the car I was asked to assist an elderly woman back to her place. I thought yea no problem but as Gale was rushing around trying to find me security I was getting a little worried. What do I need security for? She was telling us we needed to hurry and get out of there before dark so I assisted this very malnourished elderly woman into the car literally having to carry her. Kim went along with us as our driver and security guy tells us we need to hurry her in and out. Asking why he than tells us that most of the prisoners who escaped went to this town and this is one of the most violent neighborhood. My heart starts racing as we pull in and you see all the people stop and stare at us as you see all the bullet holes etc. Kim stayed in the car as I jumped out and carryed the woman inside, my heart was pounding. I raced back to the car as we took off out of the neighborhood. We we arrived back at Blanchard where we than gave the mother and son who traveled 2 hours to get to us back home. At this point I am getting frustrated that we are having to take our most critical patients home because the hospitals are shutting down because we only a clinic and are not equipt to handle the situations we are having to face hoping these patients make it through the night. However on a happy note I heard the 7 year old boy we found under the tree came back today, I wasnt told how he was doing but at least he made it another day. As we finally arrive back to our tents we have dinner, rice and our meeting where we are told the 16 year old girl whoes parents were beating her cuz they thought she was pregnat but instead she has a tumor is going to have surgery tomorrow. That is a praise, Now its time for bed as I hear the rain beating against my tent.

Day 10- A day of Emergencies

Patients waiting outside of the Blanchard clinic cuz there were so many patients packed on the inside waiting as well

After the party ontop of the clinic. Amanda's last day :(

Last Night we had Gun shots yet again, I didnt sleep well and today I needed it. When we arrived at the Blanchard clinic we had emergencies waiting for us. In one room a man was in a coma from a blood sugar of 576. In another room a little girl was unresponsive with 103 fever. a 7lb 2 month old was in another room with 101 feer and others layed on the floor along side these others. We hit the ground running the second we walked in. I immediatly went running back and forth between three patients. We than attempted to take the diabetic (who eventually woke up) to the hospital but after the third rejection we had no choice but to take him home and lay him on the floor of us fallen down house hoping he makes it through the night but doubtful. Eventually three of us were assigned to the satalite clinic in Sahats and had to leave the others with all these other patients. So we packed up our suticases full of medicines and supplies and headed out. We arrived to Sahats pretty late due to helping with the others in Blanchard but once we arrived we had our own emergiences to deal with. We had to make up rooms for our emergency patients as we continued to see less critical patients. My first patient was a woman who was pregnant and had fallen. She was having a miscarrage. With all the Choas and running back and forth it became an emotional and overwhelming day. We had to finally close our doors because we were too packed and was trying to leave in order to make it back to Blanchard on time for Amanda's dinner/party who is leaving tomorrow but once we shut the doors fights and riots started outside. We never leave or go out until they are over so as we wait we begin to pack up. Our translators always go out and try to calm the situation down. Finally we are able to leave and arrive at Blanchard with all the patients gone and food and cake ready! All the workers of PID were invited and before we ate all of us gathered in a circle holding hands while singing How Great Thou Art. It was great to spend that time together in fellowship laughing and playing with the kids from the village. I had a coke! As soon as the party was over we headed back to the tents and it began to rain. I was very emotional today and am ready for bed but my mind continuous to think about the diabetic. I hope he makes it through the night.

Day 9 - Easter

3 month old outside of church

Easter Sunday outside of church

Pics of children outside the church

Today is Easter and the Day of Sabbath, this morning we went back to the church in Alchai. As we were on our way out we past by the Mass Grave and Zompie swamp again. As we past by Zombie swamp we saw a group of men dumping buckets of water in the middle of the field and digging holes. We continued on and headed to the church. I did not enter the small church but listened from underneath a tree with the rest of the church members from outside. I was able to hold a 3 month old during the service until it was time for us to go up front where the pastor prayed over us as we took the bread and wine. After communion and the end of worship I went back to hold the baby again, I asked his mom what his name was and she told me he doesnt have a name they just call him baby. I told her there was a boy in the states named Daniel that really means alot to me and that she should name her baby Daniel. So Jeanie took a picture of me and Daniel before we left however when I tried to give him back to his mom she kept saying "you take Daniel". I kept telling her I cant and she eventually took him back, I wish I could have brought him home but I had seen this on the news and know it didnt turn out well. As everyone continued to visit, Kim and I walked down the road for awhile and saw people taking baths and washing thier clothes in the filthy water. We watched children play and just enjoyed their company taking pics etc. We left around noon and on our way to the beach I was telling Gale about Daniel. She informed me of the ratio that 1 out of 5 kids will die in haiti and in some places 1 out of 2 children die and the average life here is age 50. She was telling us how they continuously throw away their babies and children because they can not afford funerals. We finally got to Wahoo Bay which is a Beautiful resort where we were able to swim in the Ocean for awhile and have lunch. Burger and fries with a coke!!!!! What a Great Easter! I bought a couple of paintings and collected some shells, we spent most of the day there before heading back. As we drove past Zombie swamp again the people were all gone however there were several crosses in the middle of the field. Once we finally arrived back to our place it was pitch black outside and we were all just sitting around talking. A man who was visiting us shared about his experience during the earthquake when we suddenly heard drums and instruments playing down the road and coming our way. We all took off towards the street which was down an extremly dark alley but once we got there we saw hundreds of people marching and dancing in the street. As they past by people were running from all directions to join in the parade. Once we got back to our tents I went straight to bed. My thought is with Daniel tonight as I can still hear the drums playing in the distance.