If you had an army of a thousand doctors and nurses (and pharmacists and…and…and) with a bottomless well of medicines and supplies, working 28 hours a day non-stop for a year, maybe you could begin to make a dent in Haiti.
We have a much more modest team.
Our first stop was at an orphanage. We treated about 35 kids, with maladies ranging from scabies to fungal infections to an abscess.
The orphans were wonderfully grateful:
We then went to a village (where some of our construction folks had previously put up an impressive roof on a church building – welcome shade!), and there saw about 90-100 more people. Lots of kids, though one of our healthiest patients was 93 years old (a rare lifespan in this country).
We kept Dr. Early and our Haitian doc, Reginald, quite busy. A number of the kids end up with intestinal worms, which happily is taken care of with a single pill. For the other medications, we have to translate directions into Creole.
We got to hand out candy and toys to the kids, who truly appreciate every gesture of love (especially playing around with them).
In the United States, we have had vigorous discussion about healthcare in recent years. I must say, it is nice to leave that behind for a while and focus on real, on-the-ground medical care, where a simple antibiotic and some vitamins can make a real difference!
Thanks for the update Steve, a powerful reminder of how truly fortunate we really are. May God give you strength and health.