Each time we travel to Haiti in order to lend aid to the people of Milot, it involves being in a country usually devastated by an environmental calamity of varying degrees, which leaves the people suffering from the effects of a storm, flood, earthquake, fire or mudslide. Shortages of food, medical care, housing and essentials predominate.
The difference in October 2012 is that the visit to a beleaguered country came on both ends of the trip. Haiti was recovering from the results of Tropical Storm Sandy which had struck only a few days before our arrival. When it came time to return to the Northern New Jersey, New York City area, the same storm had made landfall as a Superstorm and left the area in chaos. Could there be a better reminder that suffering knows no national boundaries; no ethnic differences and has no respect for economic disparities?
The people of the Northeast were as discomfited by the same lack of electricity, food, gasoline, housing and other essentials which have beset Haiti for decades. The common suffering should serve to bring the people of the respective countries together, to form a bond of sympathy and understanding. Most importantly it should enhance our ability to understand the suffering which goes on throughout the world.
There is no doubt that the United States will recover more quickly from the punishing storm than will the Haitians but the experience of all the horrible after effects of such a disaster, should heighten our awareness of what is not a temporary, but a daily fact of life in Haiti. If the power is off for one or two weeks, we in the United States have confidence that it will be restored. Not so in Milot or at Hôpital Sacré Coeur.
On every trip there is always a medical case which we encounter which clearly points out the differences in our worlds. This time, it was a young man suffering from tetanus after stepping on a rusty nail. Tetanus is almost unheard of in the United States, but this was the third case at Hôpital Sacré Coeur in a month.
Observing this young father, in a small hot room, existing on a ventilator and tethered to beeping monitors donated to us during the earthquake by the Philips Corp., the harshness of the medical condition was apparent. Over a 48 hour period of time he suffered through the constant spasms which typify this disease, until finally exhausted and able to fight no more, he passed away.
A visiting physician commented on how easy it would be to prevent this kind of disease. A simple tetanus shot, taken for granted in the United States, not expensive and given in a systematic way would have saved this and many other lives. It was another “good idea” about how Hôpital Sacré Coeur can improve the health of the community, but also a reminder of how much we lack in money and resources to implement it.
We can identify problems in all spheres of Haitian life and propose solutions to them, but unless we back that up with volunteers and contributions, all we can do is stand by and sadly shake our heads at the loss of another young life which could have been prevented.
When you think of the suffering which occurred so close to home after Sandy, please remember this suffering is an everyday experience in Haiti. We want to help, we can help and we are doing all we can to alleviate it.
Last year over 1,000 volunteers came to Hôpital Sacré Coeur in an effort to stem the tide of sickness and disease which threatens to overwhelm the country. We gladly supply food and housing for these wonderful people. The expense of doing so is mounting, but we know that we cannot do without them. In addition to offering their time and talent, these volunteers pay out of their own pockets for the privilege of working 12 to 14 hours a day under almost impossible conditions. This example is inspiring.
This year because of the support of Holy Name Medical Center in Teaneck, New Jersey we have been able to supply our patients with a steady stream of vital medications which had been only sporadically available in the past. This has markedly improved the morale in the community and enabled us to better fulfill our mission.
Things are looking up at Hôpital Sacré Coeur and with your continued support the future is even brighter.
Thank you for all you do for the people of Haiti.
God bless you all!
David G. Butler, M.D.
Chairman
