Life in Haiti is different, which in no way means that their way of life is wrong because they are not like us. I’ve learned very quickly that our western ways are not the grace of everything. Our western society demands that problems be solved, questions be answered, and interventions be prompt and successful, but […]
Posts from May 2016
A Small Example of Great Impact
On the first day of clinic we saw this little boy with an abscess below his left eye. The swelling was obstructing his vision and the entire area was very tender to touch. A large amount of pus was easily expressed. We gave an intramuscular injection of Rocephin and started oral Keflex. The boy returned today to evaluate his […]
A Smile Can Bridge Two Worlds
Since being in Haiti, I have learned the value of a short “bonjou” or a squeeze of the hand. Yes, we (Americans and Haitians) may not speak the same language, but I have learned there are other ways to communicate and more importantly to show love. Expressions of love can come in the simplest of forms. […]
Haiti Has Reminded Me of the Power of Touch
I have been hard-wired as a nursing student to glove up and scrub up every time I dare set foot into a patient’s room that I forgot how much power there was in human touch free of latex and hand sanitizer. Our goal as a clinic is to serve as many people as we can but our […]
A Ripple Effect for So Many
Sometimes in life there are those moments that change the course of your own intended destination. It’s the moment when gears shift and there is a dawning deep within you that there is more that you could be about.As this is my second experience with FOTCOH I realize that this team serving those of Haiti is […]
The Road to FOTCOH
The road to the clinic is long, seemingly endless. Countless turns and twists. However the process of adjusting is much, much longer. It is so different in Haiti, as compared to the US where you’re never more than a few steps from a new idea or experience.Water and garbage run freely through the streets, and disease rules, […]
It was only my first day
“You gotta make sure and drink plenty of water”, Steve (a fellow volunteer) said. Very succinct and pertinent advice for anyone being outside all day in Haiti. I walked anxiously back and forth on the first floor of our clinic, not knowing what to expect. I wondered if Steve could tell that I was nervous as hell. […]
First Impressions
Our team of 14 includes 4 new volunteers. The remaining 10 have varying number of trips with FOTCOH, ranging from 2 to 32 times, but I am sure we can all remember our first. We landed in Haiti around 8am on Sunday and began our almost 3hr drive to clinic shortly after. One could make judgements about […]