Erin and the MTW Disaster Response team are doing well. The team is healthy and sleeping well. They are all excited and in good spirits and working hard. Saturday morning 11 of the 14-team members will pack up and attempt to find a flight back to the U.S. Erin and two others will stay in Haiti. There are no guaranteed flights, but several options – military, relief flights and private chartered flights are coming and going.
MTW team and Haitians working together.
Erin, and the two others who are staying behind, will attempt to relocate back to their original site, the Quisqueya School, and prepare for the second MTW team arriving on Monday.
Erin’s work yesterday was chaotic and fast paced, but without major incident. Their nightly rounds consisted of 50 general patients, 10 pediatric patients and four postoperative orthopedic patients. On top of this they function as the regional emergency room and are seeing varying levels of emergencies. Last night alone they had several stitches, kidney stones, an ectopic pregnancy, a heart attack, a suicidal mother of three and more. Erin treated a man who was on the loosing end of a dispute over the ownership of a tent. The man took a baseball bat to the head and Erin stapled his head shut with medical staples.
Erin and Dr. Andrew saving a patient with tuberculosis.
Three weeks after the earthquake they are still receiving major orthopedic injuries caused from the earthquake. In the past few days the surgeons have worked on amputations, a fractured pelvis, a shattered femur and more. There just aren’t enough medical teams around that can address the complexity and volume of these major cases.
Still a war zone.
Erin has elevated spirits and a great outlook on their work. Little things are making her happy, like the kiss on the cheek from an appreciative mother, playing games with local kids and “that really yummy vegetable soup” she got for breakfast this morning. She is so proud of the first MTW team, “They have all done an absolutely incredible job.”
Prayer needs: 1) Pray that the 11 members of the team attempting to leave on Saturday will find a flight. 2) Pray for the health and safety of the three remaining behind. 3) Pray for God to reveal a clear plan and direction for the second team.
1 comment:
WHEW!! Mike's caption on FB said things about you "gettin' it done" along side "bat to the head." I thought you took a bat to someone's head. I'm relieved to find out that you fixed someone's head. (Although, I have a not-so-pretty picture of you stapling a head together).
I dreamed last night I got to talk to you on the phone. I woke up remembering your voice. :) Miss you, friend. Love your guts!!!!
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