Goshen News Video

This video highlights the team's return to South Bend, IN and Rick, Doug, and Donna recount our experiences.

Hank Chambers Video

This video was produced by Hank Chambers, a Pediatric Orthopedic Surgeon who dedicated his time there OUT of the operating room to ensure everyone's wounds were appropriately attended to. He was a role model for us and because of him, we made sure we gave the patients the attention to detail that they deserved, even if it meant rounding until after midnight!

Sinead Cooney's Slide show (CLICK HERE)

Made by Sinead Cooney, nurse extraordinaire, whom we met during our week in Haiti.

South Bend team video

CRUDEM Blog

I encourage all of you who were following this blog during our team's stay in Milot to connect with CRUDEM's blog (site listed here and on the left of the page with the site links). For our team, KDSK is a St. Louis news affiliate and we all met and interacted with reporter Casey Nolen while we were down there. There are also stories and updates on some of the Shriner's kids. All in all, a nice repository that CRUDEM updates. I for one don't want to forget the good we started and seeing that people are still working hard down there keeps it in the forefront of my memories with hopes to return soon!

Michiana Docs arrive in Milot, KDSK.COM St. Louis (Casey Nolen)

Check out this video feed...you may catch a glimpse of someone you know!

South Bend Team video recap... (CLICK HERE)

Check out this youtube video I made to chronicle our experiences...

How Long...

How Long YOUTUBE Video

Check out this video prepared by Dr. Robin Evans, a surgeon from Canada who was in Milot with us...very moving.  Thanks, Robin.

The PARADE!

The kids were such troopers and despite a lot of pain going over the uneven gravel, walkers, crutches, wheelchairs, hopping, or being carried, they were determined to sing and show everyone what they could do.  Now the adults SURELY had no excuse to stay in bed.

An experience of a lifetime...

For those of you who have never done anything like this before, it is an experience you will never forget. We all made friends and developed relationships that will last forever I am sure.  We are forever changed by the lives that we have affected, and those that have affected us.  From the Brooklyn and Bermuda nurses, to the Caritas group, to the random "angels" that appeared out of nowhere unexpectedly or earlier than expected.  These are the friends, experiences and memories we will have for the rest of our lives knowing that we were able to provide some assistance to this disaster ridden country.

The icing on the cake

So the icing on the cake today was after weeks of hard work, multiple telephone calls and hours of paperwork and contacting of the UN and government, we were able to send 8 children to US hospitals.  Remember these kids from a previous post with her having 30% burns on her back, and he having 60% burns on his body? These two cuties were in the ICU the entire week. While they had been improving, being in the less sanitary conditions there may not be the best suited for them and, with this and prior teams' efforts, today they are moving on to more definiive care at a location that is suitable to their needs.

The creative will propser...

So the improvisations never cease..

The weather and work and the work take its toll

The weather and the work weren't always the most cooperative but we made do with what we had...even sleeping after a long day in the hot sun or walking in the rain and mud, Fred has a smile on his face. This was one of the longer OR days of about 33 operations/procedures in one day and rounds for the Ward teams went on until 5-6pm.  Definitely a well deserved break.

Our various roles...

As you can see, we all had to multi-task and that was the strength of this group.  All were able to flex up or down. Whether it was working in preop, as a CRNA, ICU nurse, ortho tech, transporters, sedation, ward staff, wound care team, housekeeper, engineer, there was no shortage of work to be passed around that's for sure!

The long-awaited PARADE!

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The 50+children in the peds ward rehearsed long and long and hard and were excited to motivate their adult counterparts get up and do their physical therapy. Morale was surely boosted both for the patients as well as the staff. It brought tears to many eyes who have for the first time seen the fruits of their arduous labor and see that we truly are doing good

Our crew and the trip

 Sorry there were no posts for the past couple of days...I think rain or something slowed the internet to a crawl.  Finally I'm in a hotel in FL and can fill you in on more details.

Let's start with the Surgery Crew:

Mike, Fred, Henry, Randy, George and Dana along with Dr. Bernard, the local Haitian surgeon performed over 120 procedures including skin grafts, amputations, ORIFs, dressing changes, and washouts in addition to roaming the tents filled with the 420+ patients here. This eval allowed them to identify patients that urgently needed attention to.  Jeff and Rick had to keep up with the anesthesia, but with such a volume, they recruited Doug to assist with procedural sedation.  There were probably more patients with external fixators here in one location than most US physicians would see in their lifetime. 

All this was done without the use of fluoro/C-arm, so you can truly see they have to be experts at their jobs!