Blog From the Field: Haiti Jan. 23-Feb. 5

Friday, Feb. 5, 2010

So, all of our Team 1 Fond Parisien volunteers have returned home after a pretty incredible mission. 

I just wanted to send you a brief update on the Hinche team. All 15 team members have arrived as well as George Politis and Tim Budorick, who will be volunteering in Fond Parisien.  We have been in touch with Partners in Health (PIH) about moving over to Hinche and they are very much looking forward to us joining them soon. Our Operation Smile-experienced nurses and doctors will be able to work alongside the national staff members to teach specific care techniques for the earthquake-related injuries, while also learning themselves about providing healthcare in the Haitian community.

Thanks to our team and Dr. Sherman, Harrison Ford has offered to assist our teams effort by ferrying our cargo and team members in his plane from Santo Domingo to Hinche, trip which would normally take near 12 hours to do. If everything goes as planned, we hope to have half of the team to arrive in Hinche on Saturday night and the other half arrive Sunday with our cargo. 

It is going to save a ton of time and exhausting travelling for the volunteers as well as money for transportation. The volunteers are already thankful to the donor who is saving them from this long, hard ride.

The team also now has an extra day in Santo Domingo which they have been using to prepare for the mission. They are buying more last minute supplies, meeting to discuss mission strategy and protocols, and also had a chance to meet with two of our nurses from the last mission in Fond Parisien to get some insight. 

Everything looks good though and I will be sure to send a new update tomorrow.

- Lucas Carlson, Program Coordinator

Friday, Feb. 5, 2010

Our new team is off to a good start. They performed 5 procedures in our OR tent today. After a long day of rounds, the team now has a good handle on the needs and conditions and they are beginning to see what the next 10 days will look like.

One of the highlights of the day was when some volunteers got all of the children together for a fun time of singing, dancing and games. Seeing all the smiling faces on these children in casts and wheelchairs was really uplifting.

- Mark Beers, Senior Program Coordinator

Friday, Feb. 5, 2010

I have almost completed my first day at Fond Parisien Field Hospital here in Haiti. It is absolutely beautiful here, green mountainous with clear blue skies. It is hard for me to imagine that not far from here there is complete devastation.

This morning we had about 138 patients, and throughout the day I believe we added about another 60 or so, and a few got transferred to other facilities. Currently, we are considering ourselves as part of a rehab hospital, doing a lot of wound care, including OR debridements. We were lucky to get a group of Physical therapists in today-such a desperate need here.

Once again, I have received so much more already than I could ever have offered to anyone here. Today an older lady who had an arm fracture that had an external fixtor attached, told me how thankful she was that she had survived the earthquake. She said she was so happy, she wanted to sing - so sing together we did. The saddest thing is seeing all the young kids and teens with amputated limbs. I look at them and I feel sad, until that big beautiful smile breaks out, and I realize that happiness does not come from an intact body, but an intact heart.

The camp is rows and rows of tents with several patients and family members in each unit. The families all help each other-yesterday I watched a young boy, about 9 wash his mother's underwear for her and then help her wash up before she went to bed. Again, I wondered how willing would I be to help my loved ones in that simple, humble manner. Being here really makes me realize again, for those of us who are lucky to have much, we need to do and give more.

Today we did 6 surgeries-more scheduled for tomorrow. A lot of the work at this point involves wound care and antibiotics. The team that was here before us has done a great job together with the other organizations here of organizing things. I am once again grateful to be here to help.

- Lisa Friesen, Pacu Nurse, Medical Volunteer 

Thursday, Feb. 4, 2010

Greetings from Haiti!

Recovery has begun at least to the small percentage of Haitians who we have in our camp. We began our day as usual making rounds in the tents checking on patients and changing their dressings and making a list of those who may require further surgery or those that just need attention to some other medical problems.

I am getting to know all the patients by name which seems to make them feel very special. The little girls seem to especially like it when I call them by name. On Sunday there was a prayer service in the camp at the end of the tent rows with a nice breeze. Part of the service was dedicated to different people getting up and telling THEIR story.

Some told how they were trapped for days amidst other friends who were dead and another man told about running home after the earthquake only to find that he had lost his whole family except for his three month old baby. After each story the crowd prayed, sang and all consoled each other. It was amazing.

One patient sitting in a chair outside her tent, due to the fact that she did not want to miss the prayer service, wanted us to change her splint and dressing while she had the other hand raised up in prayer and sang. Terrible full thickness wounds to her hand and forearm which covered about half of that area. She smiled as we packed each deep, open wound. We finished it all off with a “Merci” and a big hug and kiss.

There is a constant influx of visitors from CDC, WHO, ARC (American Refugee Committee), US Army and Navy and Ministers of Health from Dominican Republic and Ecuador. There are also volunteers from Canada, Ecuador, Norway, Germany, and Dominican Republic.

But I am very proud to be part of the Operation Smile team because while they are strategizing we are in the trenches taking care of the people. Surgeries, debridements, IV antibiotics, and lots of hand holding. Our patients are improving and I know we are making a difference.

We came with a complete self sufficient surgical team of doctors, nurses, and anesthesiologists accompanied by all the equipment, medications and supplies that we need. We hit the ground running and haven’t stopped. We are now exchanging patients with the USNS Comfort. They are helicoptering their stable patients to us while they are taking our patients that need intensive care. Quite a few USN helicopter landings today, which was annoying due to the stirring up of dirt.

It will take a generation before this country gets over this. How do you rebuild when half of the remaining population is handicapped?

One particular patient named Rose has been to surgery every day. She is around my age and is very dignified. Her daughter stays with her and gives her special attention. Well today it was decided that her leg could not be saved however she refused an amputation. She wants to die rather than be handicapped in this already brutal environment. Recovery for some but not for others. A fate we will all have to learn to accept.

Thanks all your prayers and support.

- Marie Rathe, Clinical Coordinator, Medical Volunteer

Operating room nurse Jodi Strieff (left), orthopedic surgeon Dr. Matt Budge (center) and anesthesiologist Jane Easdown prepare a Haitian patient for surgery at the Love a Child Health Center in Fond Parisien, Haiti on January 29, 2010. (Photo by Chet Gordon for Operation Smile)

Thursday, Feb. 4, 2010

Operation Smile Sends More Medical Volunteers and Supplies to Haiti

In response to the continued need for critical medical and surgical care for the victims of the devastating earthquake in Haiti, Operation Smile has further mobilized its global resources and sent three highly skilled medical teams and over 2 ½ tons of medical equipment and supplies into the region over the last two days. The Operation Smile volunteer teams, comprised of 44 credentialed medical volunteers, will be deployed across three locations in Haiti.

This coordinated effort comes less than two weeks after Operation Smile sent a team of 20 medical volunteers, who provided nearly 100 life-saving surgeries, and over three tons of life-saving medical equipment and supplies to the people of Haiti. 

Read the story >>

(Photo by Chet Gordon, Operation Smile Volunteer Photographer)

Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2010

Bitter and Sweet  

After becoming a part of the daily life of the Haitians in this camp it is time to say good-bye. Another team from Operation Smile will be relieving us and our last day was bitter and sweet.

The Bitter

We have a tent with three young girls ages 12, 9 and 7. Each has a below the knee amputation. Their dressings have to be changed every day and each day it is a struggle. They have warmed up to us and trust us but it is still painful for them so there are many, many tears. And the patients are not the only ones crying. We choke back the tears as we carefully and tenderly care for their wounds.

Each layer of gauze is peeled away to reveal a loss that they have not begun to deal with. Mother and daughter avert their eyes to avoid dealing with the obvious absence.

Today Geraldine who is 12 years old sat very still while I began to remove her dressing. As her stump was gradually revealed giant tears streamed down her face. However she did not move. She only cried and sang. I could not understand the Creole lyrics to her song so I asked someone to translate what she was saying. Her words were “Jesus, Jesus, why am I in such agony?” Repeated over and over again in a bath of tears and not moving a muscle. This was her strength and comfort. A 12 year old child that has already seen the pain of a lifetime and singing the words of an adult that has seen a life of misery.

Before the new team arrived we went from tent to tent saying our good-byes. Children, parents, and patients all giving us hugs and heartfelt “Merci’s.” (Thank You’s.) These patients are changed and moving forward. I hate leaving when I feel that they are depending on us for their continued health care. Having another Operation Smile group come to continue what we have started helps us leave with lighter hearts.

The Sweet

Yudmena, a sweet 9 year old girl whose entire right arm and hand was degloved in the earthquake, followed us to the bus. She is one of the few patients who is able to walk around independently. She wanted one more hug and one more kiss before we boarded the bus. She sat on the steps and waited there until the bus pulled out. It was like she was our send-off for all those left in the tents.

I have been with Operation Smile for ten years and people always ask me why I do it? There are many reasons and so often it is hard to put into words. Now I have a word - Yudmena.

Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2010

Despite Conditions, Hershey Medical Center Doctors, Nurses Treat Hundreds of Haitians

The Patriot-News

The team of doctors and nurses from Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center was among the first medical teams to arrive at the Love A Child Village orphanage in Fond Parisien, Haiti. They are working through Operation Smile, an organization with experience in Haiti.

Read the story >>

Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2010

Video from Operation Smile's surgical site in Fond Parisien, Haiti.

- Video from Mark Beers, Senior Program Coordinator

Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2010

So we are coming to the end of our first groups operations in the Haiti relief effort. So far we have performed 85 surgeries, made countless casts for patients, and have managed the sites x-rays, wards, ORs, and assisted with overall management.

This camp is very well coordinated by the people from Harvard Humanitarian Initiative, but we believe we have played a vital role in the medical organization and quality of care that is being maintained.

As people see the order of our facility, more patients and volunteers have been attracted to our site. Although we have managed to move some patients to the IDP camp once they are ready to be discharged, the patient numbers rise everyday as the USNS Comfort and other surrounding hospitals bring post-operative patients over, who actually usually need at least one more operation.

We have also been expanding our role down here, thanks to the Operation Smile team back at headquarters in Norfolk, VA. We are currently finalizing logistics for expanding our service in Fond Parisien and other locations as our current team is due to depart on Wednesday.

We have many wonderful medical volunteers and partners that are a key to our success. Thank you all again for your efforts and support.

- Mark Beers and Lucas Carlson, Program Coordinators

The Operation Smile Haiti Relief volunteer surgery team at the Love a Child Health Center in Fond Parisien, Haiti on Sunday, January 31, 2010. The surgical team comprised of surgeons from Penn State University - Hershey Medical Center, as well as nurses and staff from around the country, were in Haiti treating eathquake victims. (Photo by Chet Gordon for Operation Smile)

Monday, Feb. 1, 2010

Beautiful Haitians

Yesterday we had our first case of maggots in a wound.

Church was today, as it is Sunday. You cannot believe peoples spirits here. There they are sitting with a broken arm and a leg amputation—hurting and broken, singing, raising hands in worship, and thanking God for their lives. It is an incredible inspiration.

We get new patients every day from other facilities, and there is just so much to be done between surgery, recovering patients, dressing changes, addressing pain, antibiotics, food, clothing, etc. but despite all of that, I love working here. The patients are just so lovely, singing softly and always thanking for any little thing. They have suffered such a lot.

It is very hot and dry and very windy. About 6 times today, Navy helicopters flew overhead and kicked up all kinds of dust—into the OR into patient tents and their wounds. The sun beats down and cooks people sitting in their tents. Still, the scenery is idyllic. Green mountains, blue skies with fluffy white clouds. So beautiful!

The team is tired, but carrying on, dedicated to helping those that we can. We had a very sick baby over the last few days. A little one month old had been hit in the face during the earthquake and suffered trauma. He had sutures to the face, but must have had some other injuries as well (possibly inhalation) as he breathes he frequently has difficulty breathing. He was finally transferred out to a more acute facility today.

I am so happy to be here with this team, and to have this amazing chance to be part of helping people in the midst of their suffering.

- Susie Stevens, Nurse, Medical Volunteer

Sunday, Jan. 31, 2010

Operation Smile secured an air-conditioned, sterile operating room yesterday at their medical camp in Fond Parisien, Haiti. So far, Operation Smile's volunteer medical team has provided surgery for 64 Haitians who needed urgent medical care following the earthquake.

- Video by Mark Beers, Senior Program Coordinator

Sunday, Jan. 31, 2010

64 surgical cases so far.

Organizations continued to stop by yesterday, including WHO, UNICEF, and Doctors without Borders. Everyone heaps praises on the entire operation happening here. We honestly believe that this is one of, if not the best place in Haiti, for injured earthquake victims to receive care and recover safely.

- Mark Beers, Senior Program Coordinator

Sunday, Jan. 31, 2010

Meet Carlos and Laura Miranda, from the Dominican Republic, who have been helping Operation Smile's volunteer medical team in Haiti. 

- Video by Mark Beers, Senior Program Coordinator

Saturday, Jan. 30, 2010

We have this one Haitian working with us named Fennel - great guy, great heart. He was in his last year of university before the earthquake. He had just married a woman and started to build a house for them to live in.

The earthquake destroyed the foundation of his home and his university. Now he does not know when he will graduate. Still he is here helping the other victims of the earthquake as a translator and Haitian team leader. Great guy.

- Lucas Carlson, Program Coordinator

Fennel and his wife helping Operation Smile at the medical camp.

Saturday, Jan. 30, 2010

The camp has progressed a lot since we have been here. Volunteers have really learned the system of things and we are working fluidly with the other smaller teams and camp administration, who works on getting more volunteers and supplies. People are really used to the basic nature of life - bucket showers, one hot meal a day, sleeping in tents and so on.

And these things are getting better every day - we now have access to a private bathroom with a western toilet, and we have also just had three air-conditioned tents donated to the camp which might be usable as ORs. Things are really flowing though and the team is doing very well.

Today, we will operate on 15 patients (mostly more complicated procedures), and, including yesterday, we have operated on 47 patients and made and replaced casts for 15. While we wait for the AC tents to set up, we have a few patients who we cannot operate on in the current classroom OR because we can’t guarantee a level of sterility needed for the operations. We are moving some instruments and supplies to a clinic down the road for the afternoon to make sure we are able to take care of these patients nonetheless. We were hoping to move these patients to the USNS Comfort but it appears the Navy’s Comfort is overloaded with patients as well.

Mark and I are working with the team back in Norfolk to coordinate the two following teams to here (the second I believe we will start to fill early next week) and the first team to the PIH hospital in Hinche, which will begin Feb 5.

Back at Operation Smile's headquarters, Shannon and Joella in our Programs Department have been working incredibly hard to build these teams and make this possible. We are also making sure we learn from this past mission, specifically in terms of supplies - we are not used to the larger amounts of blood and fluid in surgery and some items are running low and so we are working with Operation Smile Dominican Republic to procure these.

There is a lot of good going on down here. The Haitians work together to help people adjust to having limbs in casts or none at all. We are trying to come up with ideas to better teach people skills to adjust to these problems - one of the most needed things are physical therapists.

Mark also came up with an idea to teach people to clean wounds and ex-fixes as well as how to use crutches by setting up a video projector and speakers with a recording of a Haitian Doctor instructing on these items.

- Mark Beers and Lucas Carlson, Program Coordinators

Friday, Jan. 29, 2010

Friday, Jan. 29, 2010

Fritz's story:

Pierre Fritz was an electrician. He has three children and his wife is pregnant. 

He was working on top of a roof on the day of the quake and he was thrown from the roof. His leg had to be amputated below the knee and then it became infected again so we had to operate again and unfortunately amputate above the knee. 

After the surgery, he called one of our nurses over and asked her something in creole so they pulled over a translator for him. Sitting next to his pregnant wife, he asked sincerely if we thought it might be possible to get another leg so that he would still be able to support his wife and family. 

The nurse could not be sure.

- Lucas Carlson, Program Coordinator

Photos by Chet Gordon, Volunteer Photographer

Thursday, Jan. 28, 2010

Ruth's story:

There was a young woman who received surgery here yesterday. Her name is Ruth. She is 30-years-old. Ruth was at her school in Port-au-Prince teaching a class during the earthquake. The school collapsed on her and she lost her right arm. We had to perform an operation to close the wound and control an infection, which she would have most likely died from.

Her husband has stayed by her side this entire time attending to her needs, washing her, buttoning her pink dress. 

One of the most touching things is seeing the Haitians sing to each other to soothe one another.

- Lucia Mauer, Clinical Coordinator, Medical Volunteer

Clinical Coordinator Lucia Mauer of Seattle, WA, comforts a 2-year-old Haitian girl who is scheduled for surgery at the Love a Child Health Center in Fond Parisien, Haiti, on Jan. 28, 2010. Mauer is part of the Operation Smile volunteer medical team from Hershey Medical Center. (Photo by Chet Gordon for Operation Smile)

Thursday, Jan. 28, 2010

I wanted to write a quick note to send off before we sit down and detail the whole day. Lots of groups stopped by our site today, from WHO to Operation Blessing. It was a constant parade of visitors here to evaluate this facility that is so rapidly developing. Everyone that came by expressed how impressed they were at the capacity of the facility and the level of care being provided. I believe we are part of an exemplary operation, and that is very encouraging. It is clear that word of this place is spreading fast and it can be expected to grow just as quickly.

It has also been a reality check for our whole group. The volunteers are being overworked and can hardly keep up with the patient load they are seeing. Our PACU is a tent in the dirt that only has two walls, and the patients are all in tents that are incredibly hot all day. The fact that our surgical camp is one of the better options for these earthquake victims to call home just shows the gravity of the situation.

Our team is very glad to be contributing their help, but the need is huge. We will get you the numbers shortly.

- Mark Beers, Senior Program Coordinator

- Photo by Chet Gordon, Volunteer Photographer

Thursday, Jan. 28, 2010

Photos by Chet Gordon, Volunteer Photographer

Thursday, Jan. 28, 2010

Phone call from Ami Willenbecher to family:

Just talked with Ami, she was optimistic and upbeat! They did about 8 cases today...which was incredible for their first full day with the ORs up and running. She says they are all very tired but pressing forward.

Another small after-shock today, which she said causes the locals to gasp in fear then applaud and sing afterwards. Like Jay had said, she likens it to a train passing by. She says there are continuously new issues popping up to deal with so there is definitely not any routine to their days.

A helicopter landed in their "complex" today which she thought was neat, but it created quite a dust storm! She said they are all ready for a good night’s rest as they have a challenging and busy day ahead of them tomorrow.

- Ami Willenbecher, Scrub Tech, Medical Volunteer

Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2010

Operation Smile Offers Help in Haiti

Video via Wavy.com

Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2010

Phone call from Jay Bridgeman to family:

Our team's operation is the best medically staffed camp in the local region. Which is great. But, when other overseeing organizations see what is happening, they are immediately impressed, but also want the medical staff (which includes our team, the 2 main ED docs running the show, who are not from PIH, and some Dominican nurses) to split up to different local sites to meet their medical needs -- which are not surgical.

Our team feels strongly that they have come to share their particular surgical skills which are greatly needed, not do primary care, which is out of their realm of expertise. The site previously considered on the border (Jimani) was being run by a second year medical student from UCLA -- so one doc and one nurse at each location would be a luxury at this point.

Jay reports that they are greatly in need of additional help. And each day the staff change -- some people move on and leave and new folks come in. They are in desperate need of adult crutches, a physical therapist, and primary care docs like internists to take care of the non-surgical issues.

- Jay Bridgeman, Hand/Plastic/Ortho Surgeon, Medical Volunteer

Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2010

Phone call from Jay Bridgeman:

One tremor daily. Feels like a freight train going by.

Eleven OR cases today. Mostly debridement of infected open fractures. One revision of a below-the-knee amputation to above-the-knee. They are hoping to prevent more amputations by doing debridements, but more amputations are inevitable. They have one OR with two tables-- which basically is two ORs. There are also some small mobile procedure rooms in the back of some Dominican trucks, but only small procedures are done there.

Yesterday they had a vaccine campaign directed by the two ED docs who are from Boston and running the show. Hopefully most of the 800 tetanus vaccines brought by our team were used.

Old teams are leaving the area and new teams are arriving constantly. LSU team is about two days behind our team-- doing the same thing, driving around to look for a good site to work. A general surgeon wanted our team to come take over his site-- but our team felt that they were best serving by staying where they are now.

The refugee camp in the Love A Child walls has about 300 patients-- each with one family member allowed to stay. Food and water are supplied. All have injuries and have mostly come as referrals from other sites. There is a refugee camp for non-injured but displaced people about 2 miles away-- run by United Nations.

Lots of work to be done. Jove, our general surgery chief resident who is from Haiti, went into Port-au-Prince to see his dad. He encountered a lot of ortho patients just hanging out in the open. They were "fixed" initially and told to go back to seek medical follow-up. But, because they know many of those who return for care get amputations, they simply don't go back.

The team is in good spirits.

- Jay Bridgeman, Hand/Plastic/Ortho Surgeon, Medical Volunteer

Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2010

Yet They Sing

I am writing to you from a field hospital camp in Fond Parisien near the border between Haiti and the Dominican Republic about 40 miles from Port au Prince. An orphanage and school called “Love a Child” in the small town of Fond Parisien owned and operated by two Americans has become the refuge for all those fleeing Haiti who are injured and have no available medical care.

Several organizations as well as several countries have combined efforts to develop a site for all displaced injured Haitians. There is no one else in Haiti to care for these people. We were told that there was only one survivor from a nursing school in Port au Prince. Hospitals were destroyed with all the physicians and nurses inside.

This camp has two sections, the field hospital and about a 30 min. walk away is the refugee camp. Our team is supplying the only surgical services for this endeavor. The field (tent)hospital is located atop a big hill across from a beautiful mountain range. The beauty of the landscape camouflages the tragedy it contains.

There are rows and rows of Red Cross tents donated by Taiwan. Inside you find the aftermath of true devastation. Babies, children, teenagers, parents, and grandparents sharing common disabilities. Babies missing a foot, fathers missing a leg, a daughter missing an arm. Some with gapping wounds and others with undiagnosed complex fractures. Others laying in the heat with an external fixation device on their leg with a draining open wound with significant tissue loss.

Most of these patients have had hasty surgeries done following the terrible trauma of having their home, which is usually a place of comfort and security, take away their life or one of their limbs. Now they are left with wounds that won’t heal, infections, and they are facing further amputations. When surgery is mentioned the family replies, PLEASE NO CUT. Our surgical team is treating all the complications from these injuries and from previous surgeries.

We have had two aftershocks since I’ve been here. It is a very unnerving feeling to have the ground move under your feet accompanied by a loud rumbling sound. We are all in tents so we don’t face any danger. The patients want to sleep outside.

Despite the despair all around them faith in this community abounds. When I stick my head in the tents many are reading their Bible and comforting each other. Last night as I feel asleep in my tent I could hear a large group of people singing. Praying and singing and glad to be alive. Appreciating life as it is at this moment for them is living in a hot tent with 3-5 other people, limited bathroom facilities, two meals a day of rice and beans, and limited mobility to get out and see the sky.

Yet they sing.

- Marie Rathe, Clinical Coordinator, Medical Volunteer

The "Love a Child" orphanage and school in Fond Parisien, Haiti, where Operation Smile's medical team has set-up a surgical camp for earthquake victims. (Photo by Chet Gordon, Volunteer Photographer)

Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2010

Fond Parisien, Haiti: Putting in a lot of hours. It is not easy. It's hot, dirty and tiring, but the rewards are many. The smiles and the happy glances from the grateful Haitians acknowledging that this surgical team is helping them here in an IDP (Interally Displaced Persons) camp in the mountains is immeasurable. That is why I am here.

- Chet Gordon, Volunteer Photographer

Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2010

Team member Ami said they all got a good nights rest and just finished breakfast - oatmeal. The team is getting ready to start surgeries. Seven planned for the day so far, however they are assessing the new patients that arrived last night to determine how they need treated. The team sounds excited to have a full day of surgery planned!

Photos by Chet Gordon, Volunteer Photographer

Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2010

The site

There are about 200 patients on site right now, 40-50 of which are surgical patients and half of those are in critical need of surgery. They are set up in rows of Red Cross tents. 

Up till now, the site has been more of a rehabilitation/post-operative center but people are bringing in loads of patients who have not had operations yet or that need major revisions (40 were dropped off two hours ago).

The site had been doing minor surgery before we arrived, but the main team doing this has just left. Also, they have a group of Dominican volunteers with mobile ORs/clinics supported by the government.

All international volunteers are sleeping in tents, bringing their own food, and are taking bucket showers. We are looking into providing as much comfort materials to our team as possible - we bought a hot plate today for food and Mark constructed a private shower area as well. There are port-a-pots for bathroom facilities and hopefully more are coming soon.

There are two people basically running the site, logistically and clinically, who have been placed here by PIH. They will be replaced by a new team next week.

Today's accomplishments:

- Emptied, cleaned, and sterilized 4 rooms for OR and storage space. 
- Unpacked all cargo (100+ boxes and trunks) and set up two OR's in classroom buildings, an Recovery Room tent and two storage rooms.
- Reorganized pre/post op wards with patient chart/guide (before there was no way to determine where patients were besides checking every tent).
- We made our own tent city of various tents that were left for us by other organizations. 
- Two of our team members ran the x-ray system
- Resupplied/organized the Dominican Republic volunteer OR
- Delivered 160 tetanus vaccinations
- Held crutch training for patients (30+)
- Began physical training for ortho patients
- Performed seven surgeries in the Dominican Republic ORs (Knee amputation revision on an eight year old girl, Ex-Fix replacements)
- Lined up full OR schedule for our two tables (scalp reconstruction, skull Incision and Drain (I&D), skin and muscle flaps, I & D on exposed tibias)

Future:

We were discussing with the team tonight different things about the future of Operation Smile at this site. As we mentioned this site has a lot of potential since a lot of the emergency logistical things (arranging toilets, satellite communications, etc.) were already taken care of and the relationships with Unicef, Red Cross, and others are in place to maintain flow of food, water, etc. for patients.

We could expand the capabilities of this site surgically, we would need three things - more nurses for post-op care (most all sites are hurting for this now), more beds and tents for patient accommodations, and buses to bring the critical patients from Port au Prince (we do believe that we will receive more critical patients as people understand this as a surgical site though). One other important thing, now that we know the exact conditions we will make sure we have OS volunteers fully prepared for the living conditions, more or less camping. Our team members are powering through and really giving it their all.

In regards to medical points, Spence, Shane and Pat will write us some notes tomorrow on the specific medical needs - what we need more of or less of in terms of supplies and team members. 

Thanks to everyone for your help and support and we will be in touch with an update again tomorrow.

- Lucas Carlson, Program Coordinator

Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2010

Photos by Chet Gordon, Volunteer Photographer

Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2010

Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2010

Monday, Jan. 25: Team Arrives in Haiti

We have all finally settled down at our site and the team is ready to begin setting up the ORs tomorrow. After deliberation and discussion over a few different ideas, we have decided to all stay and work at "Love a Child" in Fond Parisien, about an hour east of Port au Prince and a half-hour from the Dominican Republic border.

The site is a combination of a few things (orphanage, IDP camp, post-operative care center) and up until now they have only been doing very basic operations. They are all very happy that we have arrived now though and that we will expand their surgical capacity.

Tomorrow we will set up the ORs (two tables in one room and possibly a local to follow) and begin surgery. Then we will also work with the pre-existing infrastucture here and find how we can best mesh with the foundations in place.

We have a good supply of everything right now and with the easy access to the DR, we can bring more over easily - one of our Haitian-American volunteers might even be able to borrow a truck from a relative here. The conditions are fairly rough (tents, can goods, etc.), but we have prepared well for this in terms of supplies (much thanks to Paul Martinez and Ruben's coordination) and the volunteers seem at ease and strong.

Thank you for everything you all have done to help put this together.

All the best,

- Lucas Carlson, Program Coordinator

Sunday, Jan. 24: First Photos 

- Photos by Chet Gordon, Volunteer Photographer 

Sunday, Jan. 24: Getting There

I got a call on Monday that Operation Smile wanted me to be a part of a small team heading into Port-au-Prince to assist in the disaster relief effort. I rearranged a few things and managed to get booked on a flight on Thursday, stopping in Chicago for a few hours to pick up a few things before heading out to Norfolk, VA (headquarters of Operation Smile) and then onto Haiti.

When I arrived in Norfolk, I was briefed about our departure and what to bring. We needed mosquito nets for protection, sleeping bags to sleep in, matts to sleep on, snacks to snack on, and all the items a trip to a 3-world disaster unknown might bring. Not to mention detailed briefings of what to bring, what to expect, and how to make difficult, life-altering patient decisions. We had bonding time at Bill and Kathy Magee’s (the stellar founders of Operation Smile) including wine, steaks and Italian-creation pasta (from our very own Jean-Luc).

Come Sunday we were ready to go and our nervous energy was waning. The dedicated clinical coordinators had raided and re-raided the Operation Smile warehouse for all the needed supplies: picture IV fluids enough for 150 totally dehydrated possible amputee patients, packing for unimaginable wounds, antibiotics for coverage of any sort of infection, pain medications for those suffering from unspeakable discomfort after amputations or injuries. After we gathered extra needed equipment, and stopped at sport shops in the area for supplies, we were ready to take off.

We headed to the airport (a team of 21) on Sunday morning. Our transport was to be a ‘Swift’ plane, all donated. This plane usually carries sports team so every seat is like first class: cush seats and plenty of leg room—travelling in style! Somehow I think this is the most comfortable we will be for a l-o-n-g time.

We flew into Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, with the plan to drive to Haiti by bus in the morning.

- Susanna Stevens, Medical Volunteer

Photo by Chet Gordon, Volunteer Photographer

Saturday, Jan. 23: Getting Ready to Depart

As tragic news stories continue to come out of Haiti, we are even more determined to do everything possible to mobilize our resources and reach the people who desperately need our help. Surgical supplies are urgently needed.  There is not enough equipment.  The people of Haiti are suffering from fixable, treatable injuries. And lives are hanging in the balance. 

As I write this note, we have Operation Smile staff in Port-au-Prince.  We have assembled a team of highly trained medical volunteers – surgeons, anesthesiologists, critical care nurses and other medical professionals – that will be departing the U.S. to provide surgical care in Haiti.  Several  tons of medical supplies and equipment including operating tables, medicine, sutures, syringes, gloves, and countless other critical items will be loaded onto the same aircraft so we can provide Haitians with the quality care they deserve.  The plane we have secured will be departing from Norfolk on Sunday but this is just the first step of what will be a long-term commitment on the part of Operation Smile. 

Our decision to get involved was easy. Not only do we feel a moral obligation but we also have a vested interest in the Haitian community as we have conducted several medical missions in this country alongside Partners in Health over the last several years.  Many children in Haiti have been healed as the result of our past commitment.  And they need our help once again. That said, while we are not a traditional first responder disaster organization, we are uniquely qualified to provide critical surgical support.  We commonly call upon thousands of expert medical volunteers to set up hospitals and work in difficult conditions across the globe. 

The medical need in Haiti will go on for months and we will be on the ground for as long as possible. But we must have help from friends like you to continue to send more surgeons, send more supplies, and save more lives.  Donate now or make a $5 donation by texting SMILE to 90999.

Deepest thanks.

- Dr. Bill Magee, Co-founder and CEO of Operation Smile