So we've been home for 4 weeks and I believe that I am slowly getting back into the swing of things back in the states. I've returned to work and have finally finished unpacking. With that being said, I have had some time to reflect on my second trip to Haiti. When Bruce and I went to Haiti in March, it was a new adventure where we met incredible people and experienced things that very few people ever have the opportunity to. Whether it was the Haitians unwavering faith or the children’s beautiful singing, it changed our lives and empowered us to make a commitment to improve the lives of these impoverished people.
As we landed in Port au Prince in the beginning of July, we didn't feel like visitors, it felt like we were coming home. It was wonderful to be back, but disheartening that nothing had improved since we left, with the exception that the children had returned to school. The buildings affected by the earthquake, eighty percent, are still just huge piles of rocks which entomb tens of thousands of dead bodies. Although the stench of death has passed, the pungent smell of sewage and garbage fills the air. The people look tired and haggard, but they are still praising the Lord for giving them another day to live. They are very aware that they live difficult and trying lives, but they will gladly explain to you that they are rich in spirit and faith. The tent villages have not lessened in size or quantity. The tents are still spaced only 2 feet from the next and are now tattered and torn from the hot sun and the rainy season. Parents and children alike sleep in the sweltering, muddy, mosquito ridden tents where communal diseases such as Tuberculosis will soon become rampant. With all of this being said, we were still elated to be back in Haiti and even more driven to improve the lives of these gracious people.
Our team was a very diverse group in age, profession, experience and of course personalities. We had four Emergency Medical members which included Chris and myself being paramedics and Bruce and Randy who are firefighter EMT's. Two college students, Chris is a sophomore at Boston College studying pre-med and Kelsi who is a junior at Temple University studying psychology. Lindsay and Randy just graduated from high school. Randy will be attending Alvernia College for nursing while Lindsay will be studying Physics at the University of Pittsburgh. Sandy has Doctorate in Education and has been teaching at Octorara Area School District in the primary grades for the past 12 years, with a total of 17 years in the field of education. Michelle is a graduate from Bloomsburg University and is a teacher at Twin Valley Middle School. She is also a member of St. Peters Church where the members have been gracious enough to help support our team in Haiti with prayers, man power and monetary contributions. Bruce and I were extremely pleased with this incredibly hardworking, kind and dedicated team who joined us for our second trip to Haiti. We laughed and cried, questioned and problem solved, prayed and sang, broke down and rejoiced TOGETHER. It is our hope that they will all return to Haiti with us in the future.
Our time in Haiti was interesting and diverse. We spent time in both Petit Goave, a smaller suburban town that was devastated by the 6.1 aftershock, and the highly congested capital of Port au Prince. Although we didn't expect to be stationed in Port au Prince, we were given the opportunity to work in varied settings and meet some incredible people. One of those people was Pastor Freddie Hebron, a Pastor from Savannah Georgia, who has been working in Port au Prince for the past 14 years. Through his tireless dedication and faith, he has been able to establish many services that benefit the Haitian people. We were fortunate enough to work with Pastor Freddie and 10 of the members of his church in Georgia. We travelled to four different orphanages and churches to provide medical care to those who haven't been seen by a medical professional in as long as a year or more. We were even given the opportunity to go to Cite Soliel, an area that was determined by CNN and Time magazine as the worst place in the world to live. Although this may be true, the children were beautiful and the people were kind to us. Most of these people live in a way that would be found to unfit for our livestock in America. Yet there is minimal assistance, with both medical and humanitarian needs. These, and all the others that we cared for, are literally hanging on by a thread for day to day survival. The patients ranged in age from newborns to 90 years old. Each had a different story to tell, with different medical complaints, but all were extremely gracious for our services. It was truly an honor for us to provide care to each individual, knowing that they honestly gave us so much more than we could ever give them.
While we were in Haiti, our team was stretched to every limit possible. From dealing with extreme heat while sleeping in a tent, to ants invading our luggage, to living in Port au Prince which should hold 300,000 people but now has 3,000,000 residents. People who were placed in leadership positions were unable to fulfill their roles, and our team jumped in and accomplished what needed to be done. We debated healthcare with the Red Cross after we found out the doctors and nurses leave the hospital at 5pm leaving the hospital with no medical professionals. Even when we offered to volunteer to cover the night shifts, we were denied as we weren’t a part of the Red Cross. So through their own vanity, they were willing to have very sick people either wait 12 hours for medical care or possibly die rather than allow qualified emergency medical personnel provide care. Simply outrageous and this is a situation that will be addressed with the Red Cross prior to our next trip to Haiti in October. My point being that even though there were many aspects that were either out of our control or completely opposite of what we expected, we remained united as a team with a clear vision of making a difference in the lives of the Haitian people.
Since this was my second trip to Haiti, I was very aware of how difficult it can be to process all the experiences and emotions that you incur daily. Since four of our members were under 20 years old, we took special care to speak often about how they were feeling and what their thoughts were about condition of Haiti. By the end of our trip, I was truly amazed at the maturity and commitment of the college kids. Not only did they work tirelessly without complaining, they processed all the destruction and poverty and formed their own opinions on how we as a team can make a positive impact concerning these issues. All four students will be returning to Haiti in the future and are hoping to bring other students with them. These young adults will truly be the ambassadors that are needed to continually remind others that children and adults in Haiti are dying every day from preventable illnesses. Through their testimonies and drive to empower the Haitian people, I believe that we will be able to make the lives of these incredible people brighter and help restore hope for the future.
The future of our team will full of change and expansion. We are currently completing our forms to become our own non-profit organization named Helping to Heal Haiti. Our plans are big, but our determination is bigger. Bruce and I will be returning to Haiti in October for 10 days to take care of the business aspect of our mission. We have located a large house in Petit Goave that we are hoping to rent for the next year. It has room for a medical clinic and housing for our teams. It even has a toilet and a shower! We will also be looking for land and meeting with the Mayor of the town in hopes of having 7-10 acres donated to us so that we may begin the building of our first “village.” More details will follow, but we have big dreams that we are diligently working on to make them come true.
So, in ending this very long blog, I would like to thank all of the families, friends, churches and organizations that have supported all of us through this crazy journey. It’s your support and prayers that allow us to be successful. A special thanks to my three incredible daughters, Jenna, Kelsi and Abby, who understand my need to Help to Heal Haiti. “My whole world begins and ends with you.”
Tres bien merci ! Au revoir, Shelly Meadowcroft
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