Trip back to Haiti!

After spending three wonderful, relaxing days in Santo Domingo, it was time to head back to Port-au-Prince. Once again, I headed to the airport to catch a UN charter flight. However, instead of hopping aboard a 12-seater plane, we were greeted by something else: a Russian helicopter, complete with angry Russian crew.

Highlights:

- As I was the last person to board, I was drew the short straw when it came to getting the necessary noise-cancelling headphones....which led to the following exchange:

Me (to the Russian pilot): Umm, are there any more?

Angry Russian pilot: No, there are no more. And yes, you will be quite uncomfortable. It will be very loud. Bad luck for you, no?

Me: Thanks. (You don't argue with a Russian helicopter pilot)

Luckily for me, I brought along my iPod and bose headphones. In your face, Russia!

Our charriott awaits. Nothing inspires confidence like a Soviet era, Russian piloted helicopter.

Me and Valerie, my lovely Czech neighbor. Gotta love the UN.

When Russians tell you not to smoke, they mean it.

Tight quarters, again.

Arriving back at the UN in Port-au-Prince.

Trip to the DR

Greetings! Things have been calm (relatively speaking, of course) at the University of Miami hospital here in PaP lately. No huge emergencies, no flooding, and most importantly, no fires. Unfortunately, things in the city have not. There have been a myriad of protests in the past two weeks....against the government, for the reinstatement of former President Aristide, against the UN forces, etc. Sporadic violence has been reported but nothing serious. Let's hope it stays that way!

I took the opportunity last weekend to catch a UN-chartered flight to the Dominican Republic for a couple days of R&R. We flew in a single propeller, 12-seater plane and were at a very low altitude the entire time....great for taking pictures. Here are some of the pictures from the flight:

Our plane...complete with Mexican crew!

Tight quarters.

This beautiful lake sits on the border of Haiti and the DR.

Earthquake fault. This is the fault line from January 12. When it rains, it becomes a river.

Flying over the DR. Notice the lush, green vegetation largely absent in Haiti.

Dinner at Hotel Oloffson

Sometimes the fast pace nature of life here at the Project Medishare hospital is just a bit too much. In times like these, we need to get out and relax at one of the few places in Port-au-Prince where that is possible. Recently a group of us had dinner at the Hotel Oloffson, the oldest and best hotel here. It was built in the "Gothic Gingerbread" style in the 1800s and has hosted plenty of celebrities over the years, including Mick Jagger and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. It was a much needed escape and a completely different world from the rest of the city!

From left to right: Judy, Sam, Eric, Me, and Amy

Typical Haitian Artwork

Sam and our unexpected dinner guest, the hotel mascot

Jason, Asram, Kendra, and I

Me and Eric

Pictures

Hi All! My apologies for the lack of updates, but all is well here in Port-au-Prince. Here are a few pictures from the crazy night we had recently.

Patients in the parking lot....at midnight

Moving patients outside

Moving patients back inside with the assistance of the U.S. Army

Still moving

Finally, all 100 patients inside!

Back in the Saddle

Greetings All! After a much needed R&R trip to Florida, I am now back in Port-au-Prince. After an uneventful arrival on the evening of Saturday May 1, I was ready for a lazy Sunday. Nature, however, had other plans.

At about 6pm, the strongest thunderstorm to hit Haiti in the past 6 weeks began. For over two hours we were besieged by heavy rain, thunder, lightning, and strong winds. Several of us spent our time working on recently installed water pumps that were not cooperating. After hours in knee-deep mud and water, the rain stopped. Then things got interesting.

A small electrical fire completely fried our electrical panel (likely caused by a lightning strike) and sent smoke billowing into the OR, ICU, NICU, PICU, and pediatric tent. Chaos ensued. We were able to evacuate all patients into the parking lot, along with their family members and belongings. We were able to cut off the generator and kill power to the tent.

Five minutes passed, and we saw smoke billowing from the other tent, which houses adult patients. Once again, chaos ensued. Everyone worked like crazy to evacuate the adult patients. At 10pm, we completely ceased to be a functioning hospital. All of our patients were outside, in a parking lot, with absolutely no protection from the elements. Once again, we killed power to the affected areas.

After spending 4-5 hours cleaning, organizing, and completely re-wiring the adult tent, we moved all patients back indoors. Luckily, a team of U.S. Army soldiers arrived and assisted with the process. All in all, it was a hectic, horrible, yet amazing experience. Unfortunately we lost one young child who was connected to a ventilator. Given the circumstances, things could have been much, much worse.

I'll post photos soon!

Colombianos!

At times, the diversity of the international peacekeeping force here in Port-au-Prince can be overwhelming. While mostly consisting of Brazilian, Jordanian, Chilean, and Argentine forces, there are small contingents from every country imaginable.

I was lucky enough to meet some Colombian soldiers that operate a small, basic hospital here. They were in need of supplies, and we were happy to oblige. Unfortunately I never made it to their base to enjoy a nice "sancocho", but took full advantage of the opportunity to practice Spanish!

Visit to Cite Soleil

I was lucky enough to visit the home of one of our best workers, and a good friend, Junior Lerolien. His family lives in Cite Soleil, which is regarded as the largest slum in the Western hemisphere, and the most dangerous place in Haiti. We, however, were treated like kings. In addition to enjoying some amazing fried fish and plantains, we toured Cite Soleil and managed to make plenty of friends along the way.

To keep the experience authentic, we left in a "tap-tap", which is the common mode of public transportation in Haiti. It is basically a pickup truck with two benches and a roof on the bed.

The Damage

Greetings! I've had mixed feelings on whether or not to post pictures of the destruction here in Port-au-Prince. It is ubiquitous and all consuming, but it does not necessarily define the city. Here, as with any place after a disaster, life goes on. People eat, shop, pray, visit loved ones, and try to find happiness in any situation. However, after a visit to downtown to see the Presidential Palace and National Cathedral, I realized how necessary it is for everyone to see the damage that remains three months after the earthquake!

Three months has passed and it still amazes me how little rubble has been removed. It is a sobering realization that under every destroyed building and pile of rubble there are bones of those that perished.

The National Cathedral, or the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption, was completed in 1914, and completely destroyed on January 12, 2010. In addition to its religious significance, the cupola also served as a lighthouse, guiding ships into Port-au-Prince harbor.

The Presidential Palace was also severely damaged by the earthquake, and has really come to symbolize the extent of the destruction. Here are two pictures: soon after I arrived, and now that renovation has begun.

Zo!

This past week we received, literally, the biggest star to pass through our hospital: Alonzo Mourning, former Miami Heat star, is a big supporter of Project Medishare and has been pivotal in fundraising efforts. In addition, Hillary Clinton's Chief of Staff, Cheryl Mills, visited on the same day that Michelle Obama was in Port-au-Prince. Thanks Zo!

The Kids

Friday April 9 was a sad day at the hospital. The last of our orphans, Macken, has finally gone to an orphanage, and there is definitely something missing. Two wonderful volunteers from Ohio are trying to adopt him and we all wish them the best of luck. Here are some pictures of the kids that have graced our presence in the last several weeks (and some that are still with us for medical reasons):

Visitors

Greetings all! We have received some high profile visitors in the last week, which has added some unnecessary chaos to the mix here. However, they are shedding light on the situation and hopefully will produce some positive change.

On Tuesday April 6, Senator Mary Landrieu of Louisiana and Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz visited our hospital. It was a pretty quick trip; they were in and out in 25 minutes. They spent most of their time visiting with patients. Unfortunately, there was no time for photos.

On Wednesday April 7 we were invaded by Katie Couric and CBS News. They spent 6-7 hours onsite and focused on the amputees that are currently at our hospital. The majority of time was devoted to the prosthetics lab that we have and the lucky patients that received new limbs. Here are some pictures of the visit:

This guy is truly an inspiration. Before the earthquake he was a soccer coach and player, now he's on his way back!