Earthquake Reflections 2-Last week

Enjoyed meeting a team from Iowa who adopted us into their 'family'. We enjoyed getting to know them, working with them and helping them eat food treats that they brought along. They spent time with Eli and Anna as well. This team ended up traveling with us back to Port-au-Prince and overnighting Friday night at the Wesleyan guest house.

A second special team that we met the last week came from Northern lower Michigan and one of the members lived in Haiti as a kid while I lived here. Very interesting how fast folks can connect even after over 30 years of not seeing one each other....when your a 'MK' or 'TCK'.

Now John's folks are good friends and we have enjoyed connecting with them from time to time over the years both in Haiti and in the USA. John reminds me a lot of my brother Todd-they were friends back when we'd stay with John's family once a month during trips to Port from LaGonave.

So an important benefit and blessing of the trips to help out was connecting with friends from the past and new friends. Many folks are keeping in touch by E-mail--thank you.

One interesting medical story to share today. Tuesday of that week, a young 19 year old male, while eating spaghetti at home suddenly fell forward off his chair. Family found him to be unconscious, bleeding from his nose and mouth.

Before hearing the history and just glancing at him while walking to the table where he lay stiffly--my first thought "tetanus". But on closer observation it dawned on me that the position of his hands was posturing-a seizure. His right pupil-blown. All doctors agreed on a diagnosis of blown aneurysm due to the suddenness of the attack and to his physical exam.

Now treatment in many other countries would of been more aggressive. Remember this young man is at a field clinic in post earthquake Haiti. He received medications to control the seizures and prayer. I explained to the family what we thought had occurred and that without a miracle that the young man would die. What did they want to do?

In Haiti it can cost 4 times more to transport a dead body than a living person. So many times in a critical case the family will decide to take the patient home when no further treatment is available. The family decided to take the young man home.

A bit later a team member came to find me due to concern over this young man. The family's arrangement to transport him home turned out to be a motorcycle. While this shocked the team it could not hurt him.

Almost every motorcycle you see in Haiti works as a taxi. The driver remained in front while a family member sat behind, his arms holding the comatose man's body on the motorcycle in the middle position. No something you'll see in most countries.