The FOTCOH Clinic could not run without the help of our valued Haitian workers: interpreters are essential in helping the medical providers communicate with the patients; clinic staff help keep the facilities clean and food on the table for the 20 volunteers working so hard each day; security and maintenance workers keep the area safe, […]
Posts from May 2015
Every Day Brings New People and Situations to the Clinic
As I type this, many Americans are settling in to watch the NBC Red Nose Day Comedy Special. Great Britain has been observing Red Nose Day for several years, but this is the first one for the US. The purpose of Red Nose Day is to draw attention to children in poverty around the world, […]
Ever Present Graciousness and Dignity
The Haitian cities appear chaotic to an American. Traffic flies in all directions, pedestrians and stray dogs wander into the streets, only imminent collision will cause another driver to yield. The Haitian mountain roads offer blind curves, steep drop offs, unmarked lanes and motorbikes commanded by fearless young men. The Haitian people are commonly impoverished, […]
Their Hands Tell A Story
The air surrounding the clinic is filled with sounds in the predawn hours: the rush of the surf, the drone of the generator and the call of a rooster in the near distance. As the clinic day begins, many of the Haitians are elderly. I take each person’s hand to check a pulse. I see […]
Shocked, Amazed and Blessed
When I was 5, my mom took her first trip to Haiti. Around the age of 13, after hearing and seeing how much she loved going, I decided that I wanted to go too and she told me that I could go after I completed my first year of college. Hearing the stories that my […]
A Little Healthier Because of FOTCOH
As I come to Haiti this May, I come with a little different perspective. My daughter is pregnant, expecting my first grandchild in September. One of the women I saw today is also pregnant and due this September. It made me think of the trials of having children in Haiti. As a provider, I see […]
Diversity In Everything
Geographically Haiti is very diverse. Here at Friends of the Children of Haiti Clinic the view from the upper balcony is like paradise. We are surrounded by beautiful tropical foliage, turquoise water and green mountains. If we walk or drive just a little way down the road we see tiny houses or tent like structures housing […]
Seeing The Struggle for Survival First-Hand
As this is my second trip to Haiti with FOTCOH, I was so excited to return knowing how much I enjoyed my first mission trip! I thought I knew what to expect, but as I have grown in the past two years since my first experience, I see things from a whole new perspective. […]
People Waited All Night Outside the Clinic Gates
We’re into our second week of clinic now and things are proceeding smoothly; by now we all know our roles and what needs to be done every day. This is my first time here with FOTCOH and the first week was a lot to take in: a few really heartbreaking cases of seriously underweight babies, […]
Eyes Wide Open — First Time In Haiti
Bon aswe! We made it to Haiti around 9:00 yesterday morning (5/11). The flight from Miami was just under two hours. I was prepared (well, as prepared as I could be) for a madhouse once we arrived in Port-au-Prince. Much to my surprise, customs went very smoothly and the next thing I knew we were […]