We have a website and new blog now. I will no longer be posting on this one. Check us out at www.mamababyhaiti.org
March 8, 2010
March 8, 2010
Theard, Carrie, Jennifer, Santos
First Letter from Santos 2/28/2010:
Dear midwives:
Today it’s the best time of my life. And I’m so proud, happy, grateful to take this opportunity to write you this little letter. Even though, I haven’t enough words and expressions to write you a best letter, but I hope you could understand it. In fact, the main object to this letter is it’s very important for me to tell you, when you come in Haiti it’s great opportunity for the pregnant moms and the baby’s for keeping on to live cause you are a helping hand, so you save many lives, and rescue many people after the earthquake in Haiti. I saw you take all your patience to help them. I so surprised to meet a team like that, because you work all the days and all the nights, you made the clinic mobile everywhere, you give birth with many pregnants at the hospital St. Therese. You feed the baby’s and family’s every day. Midwives, especially Jennifer, Patricia, Carrie Kaellia. Thank you so much your job you realized in Haiti. So I have many words to share with you but I haven’t enough time to write you a lot. I hope when you get back next time in Haiti I will share you more things. You are the best team.
Your translator,
Santo Choute
Email from Santos:
Hi
This is a pleasure for me the translator who worked with you last week in hinche inside of midwives programs. First of all I would like to greet you and your family ,ask to you how things are running for you in usa. So the baby’s mother that you gave birth and I ,we are really thankful for your support during ten days you passed in Haiti.
In fact , since you left Haiti I couldn’t stop to dream of you , cause you helped me to get more love into my heart for the translation job. one more time thank you for your hospitality,love , charity, wisdom and faithfulness you have shared to me during your presence in Haiti,not only for me so the patients at the st therese hospital too.In more each night you used to share breads with peanut butter ,juice,candies,supplies,medecines and so on.to the patients ,this morning,I went to hospital to meet someone,I got in delivery room the pregnants left asked me where are you ? It was so sad to answer them you’re not in Haiti anymore
Finally,I was sorry for the first letter ,cause it didn’t correct yet and I’m looking forward reading from you next time into inbox. Please could you send kailia’s e-mail for me by mine.
Your translator Santo Choute
Email from Theard:
Hi, Dear Jennifer, thanks to you all who worked to save women and baby’s life in Haiti and thank you also for coming and seeing patients in our village. You see that we have a lot to do. Please keep us in your prayers, so we can reach our goals.
Theard
March 8, 2010
For those who would like to see all the photo’s we took in Haiti:
www.flickr.com/photos/48282664@N08/
March 8, 2010
Twins with their baby doll tennis shoes
While in Haiti we saw children get very creative about what they would use as toys. The kids at the orphanage would play a game of soccer with a shoe until I tossed them a ball (I deflated 6 balls that I brought to Haiti). A smart boy at the orphanage made a spin top toy out of trash. A little boy in Joseph’s village had a toy made out of a plastic lid, a stick, and a corncob. He would hold the stick and push the lid along like a wheel. The one that melted my heart were the twin girls, each cradling a large old tennis shoe, which was their baby doll. They lovingly cared for their “baby’s” everywhere they followed us that day. Lastly, I posted a picture of a little boy with new underwear and a matchbox car we brought.
Corncob lid toy
Spin top toy made of trash
New underwear and toy
March 4, 2010
Beautiful girls
I’m home! Spent yesterday holding my babies (mostly the 19 month old and 3 year old, though my 6 and 9 year old wanted a bit of holding time as well). They did so well while I was gone (I guess their little worlds don’t revolve around just me, who knew?). I think Daddy enjoyed all the needy attention while I was gone. They are a bit clingy today and insist on going everywhere with me (even on the smallest errand).
I am having a bit of culture shock after being in Haiti for 10 days. Too much of everything here. There is atually water that comes out of the tap when I turn it on, and guess what? It’s drinkable! A grocery store? And the shelves have food on them! Mind boggling….
I’m downloading photo’s and should have them up by Saturday. Will also try to fill in my blog with missing days and unfinished stories. Came home to a sick 19 month old who wants held constantly, so it may take a few days. 
We started a 501c3 today called Mama Baby International, with the current business called Mama Baby Haiti. Fernando is working on the website today. There is a sense of urgency to get the birth center in Haiti up and running. Our goal date for opening is May 1st. The name of the birth center in Hinche will be Maternite Fanm Saj.
I miss Haiti and look forward to going back. Fernando and I plan on taking all the children for the month of December so we can spend Christmas away from all the commercialism and help the children focus on others. Patricia plans to take her family for a month as well, hopefully this summer. If at all possible, I encourage everyone to go and spend some time in service there. It will move you.
My trip to Haiti is one of the most life changing, memorable, beautiful things I have done.
A child in Joseph's village
March 2, 2010
Waiting for our plane here at Haiti Airport. An aftershock rumbled and about 200 people jumped up and ran for the door. There was a lot of yelling. I sit here wondering what happened. I thought it was just an airplane landing and shaking the ground. Everyone is on edge here about another earthquake happening. People still refuse to sleep inside. At Heartline Ministries hospital yesterday, all the patients were outside under tarps. The inside is empty of Haitians. It reminded me of the orphans in Hinche who came from Port Au Prince. They were still sleeping outside when we left.
March 1, 2010
Lots of love and care
We are staying at a birth center/hospital in Port Au Prince tonight.
It is run by a small nonprofit, Heartline Ministries (run by Beth and John Mchoul). They are doing a fantastic job and it was amazing to see the care and love these patients are receiving. All are victims of the quake, all are sleeping outside on cots as they refuse to go indoors. Plenty of supplies and pain medications. A stark contrast to the lack of care people were receiving in Hinche hospital (I say that without judgement, as the Hinche hospital is trying: they have too many people with too little staff).
Antonette nursing her baby in the afternoon
There are many amputees laying on the cots. A vivacious boy who followed me around and kept grabbing my hand was missing chunks from his face. I have a picture of him. He was smashed in the rubble. Another boy who’s eyes were swollen shut due to his earthquake injuries being infected by maggots.
Vivacious little boy with crushed face
I nursed 3 babies. I started with one premie that the mom, Colette was refusing to nurse. After watching me nurse and laughing at all the commotion it caused (everyone gawking and giggling) she agreed to nurse her baby herself! Colette was found days after the earthquake, her pelvis split open at the symphis pubis from an earthquake injury. Her uterus still intact with a live baby inside. Heartline Ministries took her to the Comfort Ship where they performed a cesarean. She uses a walker and is in a lot of pain.
Nursing Collette's baby
A momma with a big, fat little girl insisted I nurse her baby and then asked me if I would take her home with her and adopt her. It’s her 7th.
Later that evening a third mom, Antonette, who has an amputated leg, said she couldn’t nurse due to being in so much pain. Her left leg is intact but in a brace that is screwed into her bones from her hip to her ankle. She patted her bed for me to sit on and I nursed her baby until her pain meds took effect. A neighbor on the cot to her right asked her, “You feel bad?” The neighbor on the cot to her left started laughing so hard that her body shook. We all asked her why she was laughing, she answered, “Antonette is laying there with one leg that doesn’t even work and someone asks her if she feels bad!” The absurdness hit us all, but especially Antonette. She began to laugh and laugh. She threw her head back in laughter and yowled, “I’m laughing so hard it is making my leg hurt more!”
I have so many stories to add to my blog once I am home and on a computer. Typing on the iphone is a bit slow.
Had dinner and church at a home here in Port Au Prince.. It was wonderful (both dinner and church). I’m falling asleep as I text, so “bonwit”.
Nursing Antonettes baby at night
February 28, 2010
We left the orphanage today to the sound of the children singing praise to the lord during Sunday service. The drums beat quietly in the background. I feel sentimental as we were greeted the same way our first morning there.
At the orphanage
The first thing I did at the hospital in Hinche was catch a dead baby. The last thing I did at the hospital this morning was pick up a dead 17 month old off the floor where he had been asleep by his mother and to place him in the crib and tell his wailing mother I was sorry. Sorry that they had been there for 4 days and no one had given him the medication he had needed. Sorry his limbs were cold with death and his body and head were still burning with meningitis fever. Sorry I hadn’t been able to save him when I heard her scream in Creole, “Where are the doctors and nurses at this hospital? Everyone sleeps while my baby dies!” Sorry that when I put my stethoscope to his chest I heard nothing. Sorry that when I looked at his chart that it said “fever and diarrhea” and her baby was not given IV antibiotic.
He was a beautiful child. I think she had nursed him as he was fat with chubby, cute cheeks and curly hair.
Is there nothing we can do to help these dying children?
“Mwe regret sa yon timoun ki mouri.” I’ve learned to say, “I am sorry your baby has died” in Creole.
February 28, 2010
I am laying in bed across the street from the hospital listening to the rain.
My time in Hinche has come to an end and tomorrow we take the bus to Port Au Prince. I am excited to see the city again, and I hope that this week has brought thousands of tents for the homeless. I heard there were many hung up in customs. Surely they will release them with the rains here?
The "road"
Our day began with driving to Pan de Azul to do a health clinic at Theard’s School. Theard is one of our translators, a teacher and leader of a community up in the mountains.
The truck arrived and we piled in the back (I really enjoy riding in the back of the truck on bumpy roads: it reminds me of my childhood in Honduras). We drove much farther than I expected, and the truck made it through mountain paths that you could not call a road. One time we had to get out so the truck could make it up a very steep hill.
Up the freshly cut road
Theard pointed out the freshly dug soil and told us that the men from the village had worked for hours to make the road passable. He was very excited to show us his school. the truck finally stopped and we walked down and up a hill, 7 people single file, carrying buckets with medication and vitamins (midwives, translators, drivers).
Walking to the school
As we walked into a clearing, Theard pointed to a large mango tree and said, “This is our third/fourth grade class room.”
Then we came to a half made building with walls made of coconut tree and the roof made of palm fronds. This was the main school house.
Theard's School (getting ready for patients)
Theard told us they do not have the money yet to finish it and people from the community keep “borrowing” the chalk boards since there are no walls to keep them out.
I was surprised at it all. When Theard told me of his school, I envisioned a building that was larger with concrete walls. This was humble and sweet on a beautiful piece of land. I could imagine my boys attending school outdoors and loving it. Right next to the school was a soccer field for the children to play.
Mango tree in background with waiting patients, school to the right
Waiting under the mango tree were about one hundred people. Not too bad, I thought. We should be done in a couple of hours. Ha ha
They kept coming in droves. We saw men, women, children, pregnant mammas. We treated parasites, scabbies, high bp, staph infections, malnutrition, etc.
Waiting to be seen
Some of our pregnant clients
The line
Towards the end, people worried they would not be seen and they started pushing and shoving a yelling. Theard started writing their names down so they could go in turn, and he kept the peace.
We finished and packed our almost empty bins and walked back to the truck.
A sweet 106 year old woman climbed into the back with us for the ride to town (check out her picture).
106 year old lady
Once home, I went to a notary to sign the rental papers for our new birth center in Hinche. We have grand plans, and I’m sure we will have many volunteers. The goal is to move into the main floor by May and have the upper floor done by July.
That done, I had dinner and met lovely new midwives who just arrived.
I showered and started walking to the hospital but was caught in a monsoon so took motorcycle taxi to the hospital. It was lovely to feel the rain and warm wind on my face as we sped through the streets. My last night in Hinche.
