Patient interviews...

This is our 'family' photo. Lots of children. Each with their own story. Today I took the time to get some patient stories. Basically we want to document the stories of the children that come through the post-op ward so that we know how they have been affected by the earth quake, what their needs are, how we can pray for them and to let our donors know who we are reaching out to. I must say, it is not an easy task.

It started with a 6 year old boy, Anderson, who has a left femur fracture and is in a long leg cast. He is here with his mother and family and is an only child. Praise God the family survived. During the earth quake he was outside and thought that people were throwing stones at him; he was scared. He stayed outside and before he knew it bricks from the appartment fell on top of his leg. He could not walk. The earth quake woke his mother up from her nap and she quickly went looking for her son. Finding him outside, she proceeded to free his leg from the bricks. The next day they went to the hospital, but they could not help him. He went to other doctors that same day who gave him pain medication. He was the sent to three other hospitals before arriving at Miami hospital at the airport where he got an x-ray and leg cast. During his stay at New Life post-op ward he received crutches. And I can tell you he is happy to be mobile again! He says he wants to keep his crutches. He also says he prefers to sleep in tents and is afraid to go into buildings. The family's house collapsed so when they leave here they will go to the country side to live with relatives there. He is hoping he can return to school because he loves to write. Unfortunately he still thinks about the earth quake often, and it scares him. When he grows up he wants to be a pastor.

The next is a girl, Shakira, who is 3 years old. She lived with her mother, 2 siblings and a few other relatives. During the earth quake she was in the house with her mother and was buried under bricks. Her mother easily found her siblings, but she was nowhere to be found. She looked frantically for her and was relieved to find her after about an hour. She saw that her foot was damaged and went to her church. The pastor graciously gave her 500 Gouds so that she could go to the hospital. However, they could not help her, so she had to go to another hospital. After a day her left foot was amputated due to a crushing injury. Her mother says the experience has made her crazy. She remembers the earth quake well and it makes her cry. However she also knows that God is in control and He will protect her. She feels bad that her daughter lost her foot and cries about it. She is sad to talk about what they went through. Her daughter is afraid of her stump; seeing it makes her cry and scream. At the hospital they even had to sedate her to do the wound care. Mother is unsure as to how she will take care of her 1 year old and her 3 year old who can no longer walk on her own. The future is uncertain. They no longer have a house and she feels like she now has two babies to care for. When they leave they will go to Jeromie to stay with the grandmother.

The last child was a 3 year old boy, Steevenson, with a left femur fracture. He was living with his mother, father and twin brother in Port-au-Prince. During the earth quake he was at his grandmother's house and a wall fell on him. Friends managed to rescure him but could not take him to a hospital. The next day his father took him to a hospital but they could not help him. He took his son back to the tented camp. For the next 12 days the little boy laid in the tent with a very painful and swollen leg. A nurse came to the tented camp and gave pain medication. And the marines were coming in with food supplies. Still the child was in pain. It was not until January 25 that the marines took father and child to Miami hospital and he had his first x-ray taken and his leg was put in a cast. His father was relieved to have found help. Tomorrow the child is going back to Miami hospital for evaluation. I am praying that his leg will have healed and the cast can be removed.

The stories are overwhelming. The emotions are high. These people have gone through so much. Both the parents and the children. I am praying that while the patients are in the post-op ward it will be like a SAFE HAVEN for them. A place to rest. A place of peace. A period of time in which they can recover and regain strength. A time to work through the fear, pain and grief. A time of encouragement. For many of these families the future is uncertain with no house to return to. Pray with me for each of these families- that God's provision for them will be amazing. That they will see that He is God and He is GOOD.