Babies getting chunky!

Today Paula and Carlitos (two cleft-lip emergency babies) came in to the clinic. Paula for her weekly weight check and Carlitos to see the doctor about an ear infection. They are both getting so big!

Carlitos is such a happy little guy and is always laughing and smiling - when he's not sleeping, which he does quite a lot of as well.

I can't believe that these are the same babies that were barely alive when I first saw them. It fills my heart with joy that PID was able to help them recover. They are both scheduled for surgery in May of this year.

PID's Trip Coordinator, Hard at Work!

Martha, PID's fearless & dedicated Trip Coordinator, using two phones to re-book a flight for a trip participant! 

A good weekend and goodbye to a great team

The team in Haiti enjoyed a day at the beach on Saturday before they left. Some of the team left on Sunday, and the rest left this morning. They were a great, hard-working team. Mr. Genois came by and thanked the group Saturday evening. Although they leave and go home, they stay here because all their hard work stays here. A family living in a tent will move into a new house. A new sponsorship and small business office is being built. Local children, orphanage children, and Cite Soleil children were given the opportunity to have a week's worth of relief from the stresses of life where they could relax and just be a kid, and enjoy a hot meal, which they may not get at home. Sick people from all over the area were able to recieve quality free care thanks to the dedicated volunteer doctors and nurses. Brad, whose nickname in Haiti is "ti bout fè", or "little piece of iron" tackled a massive list of plumbing repairs, kitchen modifacations, and a new septic system for our office. We say a huge thank you with all our hearts for the team's valuable work.
On Saturday, Chris and Henry returned to fix a few problems with the solar panels and generator, and install electricity in the new education center. They haven't stopped working since they got here and are leaving tomorrow, having completed their work and resolved all the issues, and put in some new security lights as well. Jack and another man named Chris came by for the weekend as well and helped out with the plumbing and electricity. We are so blessed to have so many people coming and working so hard making sure that everything works well for us here at PID Haiti.

Last few days filled with cement, smiles, sutures and sunshine!

Saturday was the team's last day in the village. We worked half a day and then visited some Mayan ruins called Tak-alik Ab'aj. Once again there were many patients who wanted to be seen and some that had to be turned away because there wasn't any space. Luckily there is another team coming down in two weeks.

The children's program concluded yesterday with a FIESTA for the kids. Complete with a clown show and hotdogs. Each kid went home with a bag filled with clothes, shoes, toys, toothbrush and toothpaste. The kids go CrAzY for those bags! Just ask the ladies trying to hand them out yesterday in an orderly fashion.

The construction crew continued work on the house for Blanca Estela's family. Although from what I've heard I don't know who did more work this week - the team members or the local children. But I am sure that all had a great time.

Today we are off to visit the city of Antigua Guatemala. We hope to be attending a church service there and then eat lunch and have some time to explore the city. Then we are on our way to Guatemala City where the team will stay overnight in a hotel before getting up bright and early to fly back home.

This has truly been a wonderful team. They are so easy to work with and each and every one has a servant's heart. I hope to see some of them back here real soon.

Team's last work day and a trip downtown

Today was the team's last day of work. Everyone continued to work hard until the last minute, and after work the team was able to go on a tour downtown and a dinner out at Epidor.

A great work day and a home visit

Today was another great day for the team here in Haiti. The team members working on construction are passing lots of rocks and buckets of cement, making great progress on the new office building. The kids program continues to be a success for the kids from Cite Soleil and the orphanage. The doctors and nurses had another long day in the clinic, working an hour and a half later than we typically close.

After work, Dr. Terry, Carrie, Mr. Genois and I did a home visit for the man that Carrie sponsors. He is an older man who has been severely handicapped due to a stroke. His wife and children were so thankful for the visit. They really appreciate the sponsorship and were so glad to meet his sponsor. Dr. Terry checked his blood pressure, asked the family a few questions, and wrote a plan of care out for him. His wife was very appreciative for the Doctor's care, and was ready to do whatever it takes to give her husband the best care. While his situation saddened us, we were glad that he is surrounded by people who care about him: his wife, children, and grandchildren. Through the clinic and the sponsorship, we are able to help this family take better care of him.

Sponsor and Child Meet

It is always great to see a sponsor be able to meet their child. The children love getting to see their sponsor and know that it is actually a real person that is helping them out. The parents are also very grateful.

My Dad with Kevin and some of his family

My Dad with his sponsored daughter Ligia

Angel with the present that his sponsor Sarah sent him

 In the clinic the nurses continued to see many patients. Denise and I were in the lab doing fecal samples and hemoglobin. I even helped out preparing the microscope slides.

The construction crew continued work on the house and installing water filters.

Denise taking blood from little Kristel

Two kids graduate from Medika Mamba con't

Lizzy sent me this picture of the proud group of parents and kids that she wrote about in her previous post. The internet can be tricky in Haiti so it's not always easy for them to upload photos to the blog.

I saw the little boy in the middle wearing yellow, Wislain, this past summer and he was so skinny when he first came to PID. He is looking so much better!

Back to the USA

Today I leave for home, having left a great team in Guatemala and knowing there is a great team in Haiti. I have to get ready
for Annual Celebration on March 3. It is a wonderful thing to celebrate one more successful year of working with the extreme poor in Haiti and Guatemala.

We hope you will join us to hear about
What we have done with your donations, or bring a new person who might want to work with us. Come and visit team members. It is fun, information and free!
A true celebration of all we have been able to accomplish because of you.

Many Patients and Many Kids

Today was the first official day of the children's program. They started off the day with 25 kids ages 11-15 in back of the clinic doing crafts and games. In the afternoon they did the same program at the school for 75 kids.

Our Guatemalan doctor Angelica was in today so between her and the two nurses Elane and Courtney we saw over 100 patients! Sarah did an awesome job in triage and was able to help the flow of patients move much quicker than yesterday.

At the construction site the team continued entering materials. Hopefully tomorrow they'll have enough at the site to start mixing cement and laying blocks.

After a good team meeting Sergio came to pick Gale up from the hotel to take her to Guatemala City where she will stay the night and then leave early tomorrow to fly back home. It's always great having her around when teams are here. 

Two kids graduate from Medika Mamba

Today was another busy and productive day for the team here in Haiti. The doctor and nurses started early wtih 3 patients in the ER before breakfast was served. Later on in the day, they had a very strange case come in, a woman screaming and crying and hyperventilating, saying she has severe belly pain. We ended up sending her to the hospital, never able to figure out what was wrong with her, although she may very well have psychological issues as well. The construction crew continues to work hard here at PID on the office, and the yoga ladies continued to run a successful children's program for the Cite Soleil kids and orphanage kids.

Today almost all of the malnourished kids in our medika mamba program were here at the same time. Samuel weighed and measured all of them and determined that through the program, two of these kids have moved from the "red", severely malnourished, to the "yellow", moderately malnourished, and are now in the "green", healthy, according to WHO standards. He met with each of these children's parents, telling them their child has graduated from medika mamba. He congratulated them on their patience and persistance, coming in three times a week to recieve nutritious peanut butter cookies and milk, even when they had no hope for their child's life. They expressed gratitude to PID for dramatically changing the situation of their child. Many of the other children have moved from the red into the yellow, and Samuel encouraged those parents as well. Everyone was really happy for those who'd graduated and we all took pictures together. The parents have been a sort of support group for each other, encouraging one another and giving advice for their children. The parents whose children who are severely malnourished are encouraged by parents who've been through the same struggles with their children, who are now fat and healthy, knowing that one day with the help of God and PID, their child will be brought back to health as well.

A great first day!

Today was an awesome first day to the team here in Guatemala. They jumped right in to work and things went very smoothly. The nurses saw around 70 patients! We are still at the clinic seeing the last few patients. (It's 5:30 and the clinic usually closes at 4) It's nice to work with such dedicated people that don't mind staying late to see every last patient. Gale and I have some research to do about a patient that we can't figure out.

My dad and Phil painted the first clinic room and it looks awesome! Outside the team worked on building some water filters with Miguel and Sergio. Across the road some people helped bring supplies in from the road where they were dropped off into the construction site where they will be building a house.

The children's program team lead by Ruth and Shelby made a ton of bags filled with clothes and toys to be given out in the clinic and at the children's program. Tomorrow is the first official day of the program.

Gale and I spent some time organizing many donated school supplies. A big THANK YOU to those of you who donated. Students here in Guatemala will be very happy to use them!

Team's second day

Today was a great day for the team. The construction crew worked digging a septic tank for the new administration building and doing lots of sifting. The doctors and nurses had a busy day in the clinic, staying until 5:00 to finish seeing all the patients. The ladies doing the children's yoga program had two classes today. They spent the morning with kids from Cite Soliel and the afternoon with kids from a local orphanage.
It was an exciting day in the sponsorship office as several sponsors were able to see their sponsored children today and spend some quality time together. Estiven, the extremely malnourished little boy, continues to come in every day for food. He is starting to perk up a little bit. He loves hot dogs!

Team's first day of work in Haiti

This morning the team that arrived yesterday went on a tour of the clinic and met our staff before they began work. The construction team members headed out to the construction site for their first day of construction. The two doctors and nurse began work in the clinic. They had a busy day and saw lots of patients with all different complaints, ranging from the baby that was born at the clinic yesterday having trouble breastfeeding to a teenage boy who is growing breasts. The ladies who came to do the yoga program for the kids spent the morning planning with Showty, and held a yoga class for the kids in the Blanchard area in the afternoon. They were very impressed with Showty and said, "he doesn't even need us."
This afternoon, the rest of the team members arrived. They were able to get a clinic tour and meet/reunite with the staff. The construction team members started work right away, sifting and preparing to resume construction on the new Administration building by digging out the holes for the corners of the foundation. We are all so excited for this office to begin, as it is badly needed.
The team had a great first day and we look forward to an awesome week together.

The team has arrived

The whole team (28 people!) has arrived safely in Guatemala. They are in the vans and on the way from the airport to the hotel. Shelby is currently at the hotel awaiting their arrival. She will be staying with them throughout the week as their team leader.

Gale and I will join them for breakfast at 7:00 am tomorrow morning. I can't wait to meet the team and start the week.

Guatemala Day One

WE really got a lot done today. My first surprise was walking into the clinic and seeing a large group of people outback being trained so they could receive a water filter. Miquel, our new water supervisor was there teaching them .  More and more people continued to join the group. IN spite of all the teaching and training we have done we still are convinced that we need to update the training and continue checking the water filters until we are convinced that each person that has one knows how to use it correctly and is using it correctly.

After a great training with Shelby on being a team leader we set out to do many errands. Although Shelby had told her after school kids there would be no tutoring classes today, we received a call that they still showed up. I took that as a good sign that they like coming to her classes.  On returning from the errands , I looked out in back of the clinic and saw yet another group meeting. This was an adult literacy class and there were men and women alike studying letters. It is great to see all of this activity happening on the back patio of the clinic.

Inside Meli stocked the pharmacy shelves with the medicine that we brought back and got the rooms ready for the team coming tomorrow. The clinic looks really beautiful, inside and out but it will receive a new coat of paint inside this week. The dental room is ready and waiting for a light bulb!!

A baby is born and a team arrives

Today was an interesting day. When I got back from church, Alexandra called me over to find a woman having given birth to a baby by herself on the floor of the clinic. I called for a local midwife who'd taken our midwife class, who arrived after the placenta had been delivered and we'd cut the umbilical cord using the supplies in the safebirth kits we have here in the clinic. Ferlande helped me care for the mom and baby while we waited for the midwife to arrive. The midwife assured us that everything had gone well, and the baby girl, Dieumene, and mom were both healthy. She helped us clean up the clinic floor while the mom lied down in the emergency room with the baby. We thank God for a safe and healthy delivery.
Later on this afternoon, the team arrived. They got settled and unpacked the bags of medical supplies, medicine, kids crafts, and yoga mats. We had an introductory meeting and medical orientation after dinner and the team is in bed after a long day of travel. We are looking forward to a great week with this diverse group.

A baby at the Haiti clinic

As I turned on my phone after landing in Miami, two text messages popped up!
One message from Jack and one from Lizzy both reading , "baby born on the floor of the clinic. " I text Lizzy and she immediately called. A woman showed up on a moto, no one was there. She delivered on the floor of the clinic. Alahandra , Santilla's daughter found the woman and baby and ran to get Lizzy at church. Lizzy called one of the midwives who just took the birthing class. Using one of the sterile birthing kits, with the assistance of Lizzy and Ferlande, finished cutting the cord and the delivery. Mother and baby are doing well and now resting
In the emergency room.

Heading to Guatemala

Great trip to Haiti! Leaving Haiti as a team of 19 arrive today and tomorrow . Heading to Guatemala to meet a team of 28:-)
Thanks to all the great teams working with PID to help the extreme poor.

Tiny houses with a whole lot of people

MR Genois, Lizzy and I went to visit our new emergency child's family at home. They live in a stick and mud house
That is about 8 by 8ft with a dirt floor. There are 6 kids , the mom and grandfather.

Behind his house was a tarp house 10 by
10 but neat as a pin. In this house lived
6 adults and 8 kids.

Later we went shopping to buy groceries
For the families. These families are the heart and soul of PID. They are why we do what we do. Sometimes the families that are in Blanchard in our houses and programs are doing so well, I forget that they came from situations exactly like the ones we visited today.

Another happy and sad day for Haiti

We were so happy this morning. The clinic was busy and it looked so sparkly clean. We were nearing the end of construction for Michelda's family's house. Emily came to visit and thank us for helping to set up eye surgeries for two orphans. They are leaving tomorrow for the surgery . Our Emergency Child was sponsored. I saw a picture of Samuel 1 new baby boy and found out that Samuel 2 got married last week. It was not too dreadfully hot and everything seemed to be going smoothly.

Then in came a 5 day old baby weighing between 2 1/2 and 3 lbs. she had been in
Yesterday and seemed okay but today
Seemed almost lifeless. Dr Sem worked hard on her and we quickly sent her to St Damien, but she died en route. When
Pouchon came back he quietly said,
"She didn't make it. "There was quiet as
we never really know how to process
This sadness, A little life so fragile and so
Short. We will locate her mother tomorrow( she was not the one who brought the baby in) to see if she is okay. The mother is very young. We talk about what little we know about the mother's circumstances .
I cry because I still can't accept that this little One never had a chance because she was born in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Arrived safely in Haiti

Through an accident, more like a comedy of errors. I arrived safely in Haiti without my carry on and therefore only the clothes on my back. In the 35 min lay over in NY
I was able to purchase to purple t shirts that say I love NY. Fortunately a similar event happened to me after the earthquake ( arriving with out essential) so I am well trained:-). Life is very funny and gives us many opportunities to laugh - especially at ourselves!

La Reina Escolar

One of our sponsored children Vanessa Agustin was elected as the queen of her school. She will march in the parades this year in San Antonio for the fair and the independence day parade in September. We are proud of our pretty little reina.

Me and Shelby with the reina

New Sponsors

This month we had three new children enter into our Sponsorship Program. And they want to say "Gracias!"

Gracias Kincade and Elizabeth - Delmi Sarahi

Gracias Robert and Sharon - Sonia Elizabeth Juarez

Gracias Judy - Jackson

After School Tutoring with Shelby

Our intern Shelby has started after school tutoring for kids in our sponsorship program who failed school last year. She has a total of twenty students. Today the kids from North and Sector Saqui came to the clinic to do their homework and have a snack.

Shelby with her students - Ana Rebeca, Vanessa, Jasmin, Melissa, Angel, Lidia and Ruth

Shelby with Ruth and Lidia Paola

Food Delivery!

Here is my car all loaded up with rice, beans, sugar, incaparina and pasta for the kids in the Child Sponsorship program.

There are currently 194 children sponsored! Our sponsored kids are getting help with milk, school supplies, food, physical therapy, money for higher education and medicine.

There are currently over 50 children who are waiting to be sponsored. Please take a look at the PID website: Child Sponsorship Guatemala and read through the bios of kids who are just waiting for you to help them. Only $30 a month to change a life!

Update on Merlinda

Good News Today from the Dominican Republic. The hole in Merlinda's heart is closing so she will not need surgery. She will have to be rechecked next year to make sure everything continues to progress as expected. What a good day!

Then came the flood

One of my goals for 2013 was to cut back on traveling and catch up in the US office.
I have been traveling so much since the earthquake in 2010 and need to recover from constantly moving and let my body rest . But apparently that is not the plan.

The warehouse flooded on Sat or Sunday and yesterday I decided I couldn't put off dealing with it any longer( plus it was the warmest it had been since it happened).

Michele and I set off and discovered it was even worse that we thought. As Michele chipped away at the ice, A man named Scott showed up to see the damage and stayed to help get rid of the ice. Thank you Scott!
I moved boxes and threw away damaged items.

Later Jerica and two Gordon students Came to help. I think we have 50 more hours of work. We are hoping it stays on the warmer side. As people left to go home Melissa showed up with soup. Thank you Melissa !

It is great to be home:-) but I really miss the Guatemalan kids with their strength and man power.

Merlinda's on the bus to the DR

It is official. Merlinda , our little heart patient, is on the bus to the DR accompanied by her mom, the nursing baby and Pouchon. Will keep you updated as we have news. Thank you for your prayers.