In Haiti, often people have no place to go when they get injured or become sick. Sometimes it is because they do not have money to afford treatment – money this is often required up front to see a doctor. Other times, it is because there are no doctors available. According to the World Bank, there is only 1 doctor for every 1,000 patients in Haiti. The countries weak health systems means that Haitians often suffer for long periods of time when they are injured.
Today we hear from volunteer Dale Wren, who is currently treating patients at the FOTCOH clinic along with the rest of the May 2018 Medical Team:
“During the clinic, your day is filled with patients that have many small problems that seem insurmountable due to their lack of resources. Occasionally, you meet some with catastrophic problems. One of those patients came into my life today. A beautiful 7-year-old girl came in with terrible 3rd-degree burns to her head, arm, chest, and knee. These wounds occurred 8 days ago when either a power line from Haiti’s rickety power grid fell onto her while she was playing or fell onto a metal clothesline near where she was playing. She has been suffering with these wounds with no medical care for 8 days and has long months of healing and potential infections ahead of her. Thankfully, FOTCOH was here to provide wound care and some pain control, if only briefly. The greater injury was that her twin sister was also hit by the wire and was killed.”
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How can I make a donation to support FOTCOH’s work in Haiti?
You can support FOTCOH’s work in a few different ways. Make a donation through our website, call our office at 815-310-5872 to make a donation, email us at info@fotcoh.org, or send a check to our office at: FOTCOH, P.O. BOX 789, Peoria, Illinois 61652.