Day 14: Never a Boring Day

Sunday was an eventful day.  I was working in Triage that morning and things had been pretty slow.  Then, around 10:00, a truck raced up with a badly injured 13-year-old American boy.  He had been in an ATV accident and obviously had major head trauma.  When I got to the truck he was minimally responsive with blood coming out of both of his ears.  His mother, a pediatrician, was down in Haiti for the week volunteering at a clinic.  The staff at the clinic knew that Medishare is the only facility with a CT scanner, so they rushed him here. We got him into our ED and began to assess and stabilize him.  He clearly needed a head CT, but since it was the weekend, our CT scanner wasn't up and running.  But a technician was able to be called in, and after the power initially went out, the generators starting working and the scan was able to be completed.  The CT revealed multiple skull fractures.  But since, the patient was stable and he didn't require any immediate neurosurgical intervention, the staff at Medishare was able to get him med evaced back to a hospital in Fort Lauderdale.  Sammie and I transported the boy on the ambulance ride from the hospital to the airport.  It was kind of cool getting to ride right onto the runway. The pilots and medics that were transporting the patient back to the States were fabulous.  They even brought us some special treats.  We definitely enjoyed our Dunkin Donuts flown in from America :)  Overall, I was very impressed with how well everybody worked together to provide this boy with such exceptional care in less than ideal circumstances.  The fact that he made it to the hospital, was stabilized, got scanned, and was already on a plane back home in less than eight hours from the time of his initial injury is amazing.  Project Medishare did an awesome job!

Day 8: Farewell to the MN Crew

Well, today was the day that I knew would be difficult.  The rest of the volunteers left this morning to head back to the States.  Even though I'm far from ready to be going home, it was tough watching my friends load up and head to the airport.  Sammie and I definitely had a few tears in our eyes as we hugged everybody goodbye.  We had an awesome group here last week.  This past week was definitely the easiest week I've ever had down here, because everyone worked together so well.  I'm glad I've got Sammie for at least the next two weeks!

Day 5: Finally in Haiti!

I arrived safely in Port Au Prince on Saturday.  Today is day five of the trip and so far things are going great!  After all of the planning and prep work, I'm happy to finally be down here.  I've been blown away by all of the progress they've made in Pediatrics since my last visit in March.  I've kept busy seeing pediatric patients that come in to triage or the ED, although today I enjoyed some down time on my scheduled day off for the week.  It's weird to have a day off down here but I've realized I definitely need to enjoy the down time when it comes, because things can get hectic pretty quickly.  It's also nice to have the opportunity to leave the hospital every once in awhile, so I don't go stir crazy.  I have no doubt that coming down here was the right decision.  I'm already wondering if I'll be ready to come home after two months!

Final Countdown...

Only two days to go and I'll be leaving Gainesville to head to Haiti!  This trip has been in the works for a good six months now, and I can't believe it's finally here.  I am totally excited and totally overwhelmed at the same time.  I think reality finally sunk in last week and my practical side couldn't help but think...did I really just quit my job to go to Haiti?  But deep down I know that this was the right choice, that I won't always have an opportunity like this, and that making a decision like this would never be easy.  Right now I still don't know what's next for me after Haiti, all that I know is that's where I'm supposed to be for now and I'm trusting God for the rest.  Thanks for your love and support.  The next update will be coming to you from Hopsital Bernard Mevs in Port Au Prince!

"Let us not be satisfied with just giving money. Money is not enough, money can be got, but they need your hearts to love them. So, spread your love everywhere you go." -Mother Teresa

Toys from Tyler

In 2005, when I first started working at Shands, I met one of my very favorite patients.  Tyler was five-years-old at the time, battling stage IV neuroblastoma, and having a stem cell transplant.  I got to be friends with Tyler and his family during that time and we have stayed in touch ever since.  Tyler not only defeated cancer, but has gone on to do some pretty amazing things.  He started his own charity, Toys from Tyler.  What started out with his desire to bring a Christmas gift to a friend who was hospitalized over Christmas, has grown by leaps and bounds every year.  Toys from Tyler collects thousands of toys each year to deliver to kids who are in the hospital for the holidays.  This year Toys from Tyler is going international and their first official donation is a box full of goodies for me to take to Haiti.  Thank you to Toys from Tyler!  I'm sure these toys will bring lots of smiles to the patients I will be caring for at Medishare!

Tyler, Me, and Nicole with the toys I'll be taking to Haiti

Can you even believe that these are the same kids? Time flies!

Saying goodbye

Less than three weeks to go and I will be back in Haiti!  Even though I've been planning this trip for a long time, I can't believe how quickly it's approaching.  I have just over a week left at work, which is crazy to me.  After seven and a half years at Shands, I can't believe that I only have a handful of days left working there.  It was sad telling my coworkers that I'm leaving.  But, as I expected, it's been much harder saying goodbye to my patients and their families.  Some of these kids I've known for years and have taken care of them as both a nurse and a nurse practitioner.  After going through so much with them it's definitely bittersweet to give them a hug one last time, not knowing when our paths will cross again.  When I started working in pediatric oncology, I had no idea what I was in for.  It has been the most difficult and the most rewarding thing I've ever done. 

I was examining a 9-year-old patient this past week.  I told him it was the last time I was going to give him his checkup because I was going to be moving away from Gainesville.  "Where are you going," he asked me.  When I told him I was going to Haiti, he got serious, looked me in the face and said, "does this mean you're going to be eating goats?"  And that is just another reason why I love working in pediatrics...

Big Changes

The decision to go on this next trip was one that was many months in the making.  My involvement with Project Medishare first began when I initially volunteered to accompany some coworkers on a week long trip to provide medical care in Port Au Prince following the earthquake.  Over the past two years, I've become increasingly involved with the organization and it has taken on a greater role in my life.  The last time I was in Haiti, this past March, I wasn't ready to come home at the end of the week.  After four trips, many amazing experiences, numerous great friendships, and countless life changing moments...I knew.  Going for a week had been great, but I needed to go down for a longer period of time.

So I began praying about it.  I realized pretty quickly that this was what I was supposed to do.  But the decision still wasn't easy.  Going to Haiti would mean loosing my job here in the States.  So how committed to this was I?  I believed in what Project Medishare was doing in Haiti, but did I believe in it enough to leave a good job and the comfortable life I have in Gainesville?  So I prayed some more.  I got some great encouragement and advice from a few of my friends.  I knew what I had to do.  How often in life do you get the opportunity to really go after one of your dreams?  To live out something that you're really passionate about?  I knew this was something I'd always want to do and that this was an opportunity I'd regret passing up.  So, I decided to resign from my job and signed up for a long term volunteer assignment with Project Medishare.

Several people have also asked me what my family thought when I told them I was quitting my job to go volunteer at a hospital in Haiti.  The responses ranged from..."I'm proud of you, follow your heart" to "why don't you stay down there longer than just a few months" to "maybe we'll come down with you".  Yeah, I'd say my family has been pretty supportive.  They probably weren't that surprised when I told them either.  I think most of them saw this coming.

Some of my friends have told me they just don't get it.  To that I guess all I can say is that if you've never been there, you probably never will.  It's hard to put into words how my life has been changed through my trips to Haiti.  But one thing is for sure, it's made me reconsider what I really "need" in this life.  Coming to this decision over the past few months has taught me a lot about myself, my values, and my faith.

What's next for me after I come back from Haiti?  I'm still not sure.  But I'm ok with that.  All I know is that God is calling me to spend my time serving in Haiti later this year.  After that, I look forward to the next adventure...