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 […]
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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 […]
Her Need Matched My Knowledge and Experience
This Woman has lymphedema of her leg due to worms blocking her lymphatic system. Her swollen leg has not been wrapped in 2 years. It has deep crevices. I washed and dried her leg and foot. In the United States, I would have: used Curel or Eucerin lotion to rehydrate the skin on her leg […]
Clinic is Nearly Over
How can our clinic be nearly over? I have grown to love this clinic with the colorful and cheerful patients and staff. I was thinking about how comfortable I feel here this morning. This is my 11th trip. Some highlights of the week were seeing our translator friends and our team member friends again. It was a […]
Striking Contrasts Are Everywhere
As the evening draws to a close, and I listen to the waves and swat the bugs away from the computer screen, I am reflecting on the contrast all around me. There is so much personal contrast as this is my second trip to Haiti, the first being in 2013. The first time around, I […]