I have not felt so alive in years

Ukiah Team 5 is in Haiti. She is our RN Alice, the last straggler on our first round of volunteer medical teams to the Hopital Adventiste d'Haiti. Every person is changed and wants to go back. As Leanna said, "I have not felt so alive in years".

I heard from Jean my interpreter. He has started his language school in a church. He checked on my baby Sara and says her family is OK and she is doing well. Patti our RN from Team 1 is back in Haiti to pick up her two new girls from the orphanage. She is coming back with Gregory their father to complete the adoption paper work in the United States. Kathy from materials management at our hospital is organizing a "shower" for them.

Words From Skip Ukiah Team 4

We are home, it has been four days and all I can think of is Haiti.
The beautiful people that we encountered, their warmth, their appreciation.
Like everyone else I will never take for granted our supply chain, or the length of lab turnaround.

From the moment we arrived with the group from Children’s Hospital Oakland (CHO) we worked well together and got done whatever was necessary. A wonderful group of people that I hope to keep in touch with.

On my third busy day in Haiti, I am on my way to start an IV on a baby when this very large man comes bursting in the ER saying, "Let me in I have an emergency". As if that did not get our attention, the two armed men bringing in a young, well-dressed woman in a wheelchair did indeed. I took one look at Tammy from CHO and said, "I got this".

It turned out the woman was being treated for malaria and typhoid and had been found down in her home. She presented to the ER with completely altered mental status. Several members of out team, Bryon, Tammy and one of the Haitian nurses helped gather supplies, while I started an IV, labs etc. It became apparent that this woman was suffering from a serious form of malaria and was not doing well. The Miami field hospital was contacted, they have a portable CT scanner along with a neurosurgeon and they accepted the transfer.

I will never forget that ride across town; lights and sirens over some of the roughest roads you could imagine, UN troops with their machine guns, the intense rain, flooding, total devastation all around us and all I could think was please do not start seizing now. I cannot express the relief we all felt upon arrival. The team at the Miami field hospital were awesome and we felt that she was in the best place possible considering her serious condition. I remember the look her husband gave me and mouthed, "thank you". That day was his 39th birthday. I wonder if she made it?

At the Hopital we began relationships with wonderful people that will stay with me the rest of my life. When asked if I would go back all I can say is "when do we leave"?

Pictures: Patti's new daughter, Skip with translators, Poster for our slide shows