One of the common statements from all the teams has been the fact that the days seem very long, but the week is done in a blink. Our last day started like all others; breakfast and watching the sunrise over the fields while drinking hot coffee from a pan on the stove. Rounds went smoothly, and as usual, radiant smiles from people who you would think have no reason to do so, were the rule rather than the exception.
We successfully completed an open reduction internal fixation (ORIF) of a 5-week-old distal tibia fracture in a young man injured in the earthquake by a falling cinder block.
We made our third trip to the university hospital in Port-au-Prince in the afternoon. We were under the impression (based on our contacts) that the orthopaedic volume was declining. Once we arrived we passed the Emergency room tent and were immediately confronted by staff showing x-rays and asking us to see patients.
We triaged a dozen patients and took 5 back to Double Harvest. Among them was a 10-year-old girl who suffered an open fracture of her femur on 1/12. She was treated with a spica cast which was stained and soiled beyond repair. She was dehydrated and full of pain as she lay in her cot among other injured and ailing. Her family was around her and the pain of watching them suffer with her was palpable. We put her and her family along with the other patients and our team into our “transport truck” and returned to Double Harvest. As the network has improved in Haiti our mobile email service has improved to the point where we can communicate essentially in real time. The OR was ready to go as we pulled up to DH. The child was anesthetized and the spica cast removed. Closed reduction and external fixation were successful.
On our evening rounds we witnessed a transformation of the little girl and her family. She was clean and comfortable with a smile on her face and a sucker in her mouth. Can you imagine how fortunate we were to impact this child’s life and that of her family. We are grateful for the opportunity and the rewards that have come tenfold to what we have given. We will soon be on the road home changed in our own way; profoundly for some and more subtle for others. We remain humbled, grateful, and forever thankful for our experience.
Don
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Dr. Bohay,
I am so thankful that there are doctors like you, willing to give of their time and talent to help the helpless. I would be interested in hearing how this experience impacted you. As one of your patients, I have experienced your care, empathy and expertise. I can’t imagine what you went through. But the story of the little girl was very touching. Thank you once again and we give thanks to God for doctors like you.
Donna Hulick