The FOTCOH Surgery Program is a huge part of our work in Haiti. Since its inception, Garron Lukas, FOTCOH’s sole volunteer surgeon, has performed an estimated 1400 surgeries during the regularly scheduled FOTCOH clinics at the nearby Dr. Martinez Hospital in Jacmel. Four times a year, Dr. Lukas travels to Haiti to provide life-saving and […]
Helping an abandoned baby
The FOTCOH clinic not only cares for patients acutely, but it also serves the patients throughout their struggles with hypertension, diabetes, asthma, among other things. The medical volunteers working at the clinic in Haiti also do well-child checks for newborns through toddlers – sometimes, these children have been abandoned by their mothers and are being […]
Getting Kids Healthy
The January 2018 Medical Team is at the clinic treating patients for the next two weeks, and we are receiving stories and pictures throughout the day back in the U.S. as they work hard to bring healthcare and hope to the Haitian people. Our Medika Mamba Program at work Today, we heard from long-time volunteer […]
The House of Life: Chapter 12
Hi, my name is Richard Hammond. My wife, Barbara, and I founded Friends of the Children of Haiti. With the help of many Haitians, we built a clinic in Haiti for our medical program and living quarters for our volunteers. During the years since the completion of the building, I have missed four clinics. Barb […]
The House of Life: Chapter 11
Geographically, Haiti is very diverse. Here at the clinic the view from the upper balcony is 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 an entire family. We see […]
The House of Life: Chapter 10
Measuring the success of global health programs and medical relief efforts is multi-faceted and complex to say the least. However, FOTCOH boasts several features, which have certainly contributed to the success of the organization in providing medical care here in Haiti. First and foremost is trust. It is easy to see that patients here believe […]
The House of Life: Chapter 9
As I come to Haiti this May, I come with a little different perspective. My daughter is pregnant, so I am expecting my first grandchild in September. One of the women I saw today at the clinic is also pregnant and due this September. It made me think of the trials of having children in […]
The House of Life: Chapter 8
I was born on a Monday in the city of Kumasi on what I’m sure was a sweltering evening in one of Ghana’s most populated cities. My life story, however, has played out in the comfort and privilege of Canada’s peaceful borders, yet I was always painfully aware of the people, the language, the food, […]
The House of Life: Chapter 7
This is my fifth mission with FOTCOH. I continue to be impressed by the beauty of the country and of the people of Haiti. I am not a small person who can easily be lost in a crowd and often I see the recognition in the eyes of patients as they approach me. This trip I am working […]
The House of Life: Chapter 6
The question, “What brings you to Haiti?” is often used as part of the team’s first day at the clinic. Many tell stories of being invited by a friend who served on a previous team. Some speak of always wanting to serve in a foreign country. Others tell of wanting to give back, as they […]