Trauma Queen

Learning to Hold a Burger

2012-08-21T09:15:00.000-07:00

7-21-12 I wrote this one month ago on my way home from Haiti:

Juanita Joy and I are in Ft Lauderdale between flights home. Finally a charging station. It is a record that we had no power our entire visit to Haiti. A bit of an inconvenience, but who cares. The graduation party was inspiring, hope for the future, beautiful, poised, the girls were transformed. Their brains are developing, being stimulated to stretch, thanks to Mama Gina, their life in the closed compound is expanding. We felt the promise of their future. Our Graduates from left to right: Marceline, Fritzchina, Rocheline, Kentyna, Belove

It was an opportunity for all of the girls to show what they are capable of, the possibility of being ambassadors for their country is phenomenal. They will have the opportunity to give back, bless the world, they could not have done that before they were safe, healthy, loved, and educated.

A visitor at the graduation complimented on how confident and well educated the girls appeared, they looked like they were from a "wealthy family". That richness is seen for who the child is on the inside, vibrant, inspiring, from a happy family.

We had "Puberty class" focused on the precise knowledge needed to be a confident, clean and comfortable menstruating woman. Wow was that fun, they were so cute and had so many questions. Once again I love having Jean Wesley for our interpreter because they learn they can discuss these important personal maters with a caring and sensitive man. Thank you so much to Kathy Davidson for making the 6 sets of reusable well designed kits of cloth pads, right for our budget and the environment. Now we must brace ourselves for a house full of beautiful young girls as their bodies make the transition to womanhood. Can you imagine the household in 3 years? Pray for us!!

Our girls speak English, no kidding. They talk to us, they understand us, they are growing in their ability by leaps and bounds. They are trilingual French, Creole and English. Spanish is next at the private school the 5 graduates will attend this fall. Jean Wesley is teaching his way out of a translating job, (that's ok he can direct our vocational school of the future).

After searching for over a year, we are hopeful that we have found a piece of land to build our permanent children's home in Haiti. There is plenty of room for garden, house, school, and playground. It is in a safe place near the US embassy. With a little help from our friends we will be able to pay for it! It will take time and lot's of work to get through the paperwork and details to purchase the land, just know we are working on it one step at a time.

We decided that our graduation present for our 5 graduates was to "take the girls out to eat". It was the first time in their lives to go to a nice restaurant. Days in advance we began making napkin rings for the cloth napkins. Then we had manners class with details on use of the napkin, proper conversation, what is a menu, bring your food to your mouth not your mouth to the plate and shovel it in as they have done in the past. We planned the graduation to inspire the younger girls to desire what the graduates had, so the 5 privileged girls went off with us to a beautiful museum and park next to the embassy. A nice outdoor restaurant with tablecloths and live Haitian music! Shyness almost got in the way of making a menu choice, Juanita Joy took over with all the confidence of a teacher, and they all ended up ordering burgers. Sounds pretty simple, but surprise surprise when the burgers come, all tall with bun and lettuce, they had no idea what to do with it. They started to take it apart piece by piece then good ol' Juanita Joy did a demo with her sandwich of the "two hand hold", and bring to the mouth, they started off slow but soon got the hang of it. The portion was so much more than they were used to, some asked Mama Lucie if they could wrap their food up to take home to share with their sisters, (warms my heart).

Juanita Joy brought the makings for pajamas and spent the whole trip measuring, cutting and never got to sew!!! No power, so much for our hopes of teaching the girls to sew. It will happen. Lily introduced the hacky sacks and set up the Internet!!!!!!! Yes we have a stick thing to plug into the computers and get on line, wow it works off the cell tower so no need for power, just a charge (entering the modern age).

Love to all of you our loyal supporters. How amazing that we can feel the joy that our girls are safe, healthy and happy. Thank you so much. More to come. Lynn

Pictures: Cake cutting ceremony for the Graduates, Family portrait at birthday ceremony for staff Eddie and Mama Gina, Girls presenting a song at the graduation, Juanita Joy surrounded, Lily and Belove out to eat, Our incredibly beautiful and fabulous graduates, Kentyna, Marceline, Rocheline, Fritzchina, Belove.

We Have Turned the Corner!

2012-07-19T20:11:00.000-07:00

Lily Juanita Joy and I arrived in Haiti on Monday July 15. There was terrential rain in Miami that followed us to Port au Prince. At first I was thinking, this road looks a little better, maybe some repair has been going on. Still the traffic was death defying, then we come to a standstill and our driver starts honking, we finally make it up to the corner to see these big trucks struggling through the new torrent of mud and trash running accross the road and taking the left hand side of the road with it. I am relieved to say the our driver won my respect by turning around. We lived to tell the story!

The storm took out the electricity, so we have none to this day. So much for our sewing projects, JJ's cpap machine, charging our computers and ice! Thank Niv for the fabulous solar lights from Ikea, we can still do something in the dark. So I must make this blog very short before this computers gives up on me.

We have turned the corner!!! Our girls are safe, healthy, and our home here is a happy family. We have accomplished so much in two years it feels like a miracle. Thanks to Niv our master teacher and her "teaching the teachers", bringing french books, computers, and evaluating each girls progress. Thanks to Dr. Macias for doing physicals on the girls and getting reading glasses for the 2 who needed them. Thanks to all of the volunteers who come each month. Special loving appreciation to Mama Gina who is our Director par excellance who lives here with the girls and has raised the standards so high that the sky is the limit.

We have come for a graduation party. Five of our girls have completed elementary school and passed their exams. They will go to a private school this fall, with uniforms and a new life. There is so much joy here we are coming apart at the seams! More later, Love Lynn

Pictures: Lily likes to sleep on the balcony under the mosquito net (she is actually alive and well), the Mamas making the graduation feast, our 5 graduates at the rehearsal for the ceremony at Marie's orphange down the street, we gave a birthday party and Lily brought capsules that melt to produce a sponge animal the girls were in a frenzy over the big pan of water.

Thank You Thank You Thank You

2012-01-23T14:04:00.000-08:00

Thank you to every person who has thrown their love and support in this direction, we are “changing the world". Where to begin?

October 29, 2011: El Cardonal, BCS, Mexico. Gran Inaguracion de la Casa Communitaria y Clinica, Tu Hogar en El Cardonal. We realized our 7 year vision for a clinic, emergency shelter, and community building in our small Mexican Village on the Sea of Cortez. The whole community pulled together and we finished the clinic in one week. We had a team of more than 12 volunteers from Ukiah Valley Medical Center, painting, and helping create the parking lot. The Grand Opening Fiesta was a great party, with tons of local culinary delights including fresh fish! Three days later the government doctor came and saw more than 40 patients in one day. The building is so beautiful, it is beyond my wildest dreams. I cried.

November, 2011: Reveil Matinal Orphanage, Port Au Prince, Haiti. Niv spent days with the girls assessing everything and wrote a 17 page report that covers topics from staffing to individual reading and math skills. woo hoo!

December, 2011: Fort Worth, Texas. My loving sister Gail died suddenly of a stoke at age 68. She had depression and was a hoarder. Her mental illness caused her to chose her stuff over family. She did not take care of her diabetes and high blood pressure. My niece Heidi is Gail’s only child. After Christmas we all flew back to Texas and bonded with Heidi’s three teenage girls whom we had never met. It was Wild and Crazy and now I have 4 more girls in my family (and Heidi’s husband Brian). Some tears here too.

December 25, 2011: Reveil Matinal Orphanage, Port Au Prince, Haiti. Our incredible 17 year old volunteer Lily gave 20 had made quilts to our girls for their Christmas. All of the quilts were lovingly made by 2 quilters, Sue and Kathy!

January 14/15, 2012: San Luis Obispo, California. Grand first meeting of the Building Team for the Reveil Matinal Orphanage in Haiti. Dr. Rich Macias, and his wife Yvonne hosted 7 of us from Ukiah and New York. We were introduced to their Seventh Day Adventist Church and met with friends who are interested in helping us build a home for our 20 girls. We have joined forces and Yvonne volunteered to be the project manager. I cried again.

January 23, 2012: Ukiah, California. Today I harvested carrots, broccoli, lettuce, artichokes and eggs between rain showers. Finally we have rain. Finally I have had 2 days in a row on our ranch. Trying to stay calm, I have to make my life ready to devote to our vision for a safe, sustainable home for our soon to be 40 girls in Haiti.

Not to mention my full time job as a Hospitalist PA, my passion for the Palliative Care Team, my 4 grandchildren, my true love Bob.................... Thank You. Lynn

Pictures: Ribbon Cutting at the Clinic/Casa Comunitaria, Patients waiting to be seen by the doctor on first day of the clinic, My Garden Harvest today, Our joyous team in San Luis Obispo.

We are going to Build!!!

2011-09-14T09:46:00.000-07:00

The first day I was back at work I cruised through the ER and one of my nurse friends said, “Thank God you are here, we had no idea if you were caught in a hurricane and could not get out of Haiti”. Little did I know that my blog is like a soap opera and I left my followers hanging. The storm lasted about 4 hours and that was it. The next day we drove to the airport before the traffic, the streets were so clean I was amazed. I thought someone finally came and picked up the trash, then Asha pointed out that the rain had just washed it down hill to who knows where.

The night before we left Haiti there was no power so we were packing in the dark. At one point the curious girls are crammed into a ball at our door watching everything we do. Wanting to help in any way they could. At one point they burst into song and I snapped their picture.

There has been a shift in the group attitude of our girls. It is so typical for 12 year old children to change and begin to see themselves as individuals separate from their parents, (teen age angst). Well it can become a mob rule kind of attitude if you have 20 girls living together. The girls sometimes refuse to participate in singing, dancing and group activities. The younger ones follow their example. Our work is going to get harder, we have come just in time to help our lovely children through their transformation to womanhood (HELP!).

Santania and her sister Pierrelande have only been with us for a few months. They have had a very hard life. We had a birthday celebration for Santania, the first time in her 9 years that she has been honored. She sat there in frozen awe. She could not speak or move, a slight grin and otherwise a statue. Wislande broke the ice by getting up to sing her heart out for Santania and the girls joined in.

We are buying the land. The most beautiful land in Haiti, at least to me. We now have an official building fund and I am reaching out to raise $30,000 as soon as possible so we can finalize the purchase. We have to come up with the down payment of $10,000 this week. God help us pace ourselves and see this village built for the girls. Sustainable, affordable, safe, with housing for the staff and a place for our future boys. We are hoping for 30 people (or groups) to donate $1000 each. Of course any amount will be great. The checks will be written to RMOF (Reveil Matinal Orphanage Foundation) and be placed in the separate building fund account. Thank you, Thank you for your support and for reaching out to your communities to find new supporters. Please help us make a lasting difference for children in Haiti. Mail Checks to: RMOF Building Fund c/o Charlucie Jaboin, 131-15 241 St., Rosedale NY 11422.

Remember that we also have teams going to Haiti every month. If you go, brace yourself for an experience that will, “change your life forever... for the better”, a quote from Laura Wedderburn after her first trip to volunteer in Haiti. We need teachers, construction workers, health and social workers, musicians, gardeners, artists, cooks............ we are going to build!!!!!

We have our biggest benefit of the year coming up on October 2. Come celebrate!

Pictures: Girls serenading us as we pack, Santania's first birthday party, Our land!, Asha at the entrance to our land, Taste of Autumn

Colors that Heal the Soul

2011-09-07T08:06:00.001-07:00

9-4-11

Could not make it to the internet cafe today. First there was deafening thunder and lightening, then the girls started pulling the washed underwear off the line, then the deluge. Heavy wind, then dark sky, then light moisture, then fire hose. I was standing next to my open window loving the cool breeze, so happy and for the fresh air and respite from the heat, thinking: la la la this is fabulous.

It just so happened we were between translators so we were clueless. Eddy and one of the Mommies come streaming into our room, grabbing towels, plastic, mops, and buckets. We are kind of impressed that they are so active all of a sudden, then the water starts pouring under our door and we get it. We threw all or our beds and stuff into a corner and they took over while we were plastered against the wall. Then the power went out.

With no translator or knowledge of the news (such as hurricane warnings), we started to wonder if we were going to make to the airport the next morning at 5 am. It was getting dark and Jean was already 3 hours late. Do the Tap Taps run during hurricanes? Do they close the airport? No one to ask.

Bob decided to put on his bathing suit and go outside and take his shower, soap and all. The girls found this very entertaining, Bob said it was, “refreshing”.

Since we buy all of the water, Eddy and the Mommies put out every container they had to catch the rain, enough to do several days of laundry.

Luckily Niv bought us solar lights and Randy Tollefson donated a set of battery powered tools which included a great light so we spent the evening around the lights, meeting with the girls. Asha gave a talk outlining the proper disposal of trash, (not out the window of the bus) and how our girls are the hope for Haiti in the example they set. I talked about the new bookshelf Bob made for them to have free access to the most beautiful books in Haiti, but they must love and take care of them. Up until now they have been known to tear, throw and write in them.

Before the storm we had quite the productive day: thank you notes, organizing the medications in to the safe lockable cabinet, journal writing wearing the new RMOF School Uniform T-shirts, oragami.

My favorite activity was another dream come true, water color painting. I gave the girls a lesson in wet on wet painting and mixing those beautiful healing colors on their paper. It was a real workout teaching 6 girls at a time, but we did it. Woo hoo

Pictures: Kevly's first water color painting, Painting Class, Underwear washing day, New uniforms, New Book Shelf

I hope this will be our new home.

2011-09-06T14:09:00.000-07:00

TQ 9-3-11

Today we looked at property for sale in the “country”, 30 minutes from the airport. Haiti is a land of walled compounds, each is a world of it’s own. That is one way people stay safe here. Outside the walls is a chaotic public mess, inside orderly and private.

Driving anywhere is exhausting, the roads are horrendous and the traffic is unrelenting. We went down one dirt road with a power pole leaning across it with wires dangling here and there, we made it under without touching a wire by a few inches.

As we wound further away from the crowd the land became lush, the walled compounds bigger. We passed the huge “Food For the Poor” orphanage for disabled children, with its armed guard studded tower. Eventually we made into a cul de sac on a grassy road where no one has driven for a long time. At the end we came to an over grown 10,000 square meter walled property that is for sale. For the Pollyanna in me it was love at first sight. The water table permits you to have your own water from a well. There are no close neighbors, just empty walled lots in various levels of decay with palm trees and that lush jungle feeling. I so hope it will be our new home.

We could grow food there and it would be quiet with clean air and open space. But... the first thing that Wisler and Eddy pointed out is that we would need a guard at night to protect us since there is no one around to help us if there is a problem. We would need a car because there is no tap tap service in the “country”.

We looked at a giant fancy mansion that is for sale, closer to civilization so we would not need a guard at night, but no land to grow food, just a huge house on a small lot. I was wondering who built that house and could I trust them to use the right amount of cement and rebar. I decided that I would rather build our own home for the girls and be able to sleep at night feeling the girls would be safe in an earthquake.

I have to talk to Lucie and see what she says. If it is a go we will buy the land as soon as possible and then you will be hearing all about it!!!

Today was Saturday the Sabbath, the girls were dressed in their best by 8 am for a special picture and off they went on foot to the Adventist Church. Mama Gina and her baby ducklings. After church she leaves for her days off and by this evening I could feel her loss with the lack of grounding. The girls were running wild and making so much noise tonight I felt overwhelmed. We brought them back to center with singing and a celebration of 2 more birthdays, Wisler and Rolanta, it was a crack up.

The water truck came and delivered water to the cistern for all of our showers, remember there is no infrastructure in Haiti. It is every man, woman, and child for themselves..

Pictures: Dressed for Church with dental kits from Dr.Powell, Bob built a new bunk bed, Guard tower entrance to Food For the Poor Orphanage, Celebration to Honor Rolanta and Wisler. Sorry the pictures of the land failed, I am hoping for a video, and sorry if you got the accidental posting of this blog without the pictures. Love Lynn

Not for the Faint of Heart

2011-09-03T14:54:00.000-07:00

9-2-11

THANK YOU GOD, (the name of our trusty bus) took us to the beach again today. This time Jean Wesley was our guide and was excited to take us to a “really nice beach” he heard about. We had to wind through the non streets of Haiti for almost 2 hours, in the last 20 minutes 3 girls got car sick, I have been trying to decide what word to use to describe it, puke, barf, vomit... Asha says use them all it was “so disgusting”.

Actually I had to keep looking forward so I just passed the baby wipes from my purse back to Mama Gina who remained cool, calm, and in charge. In the most loving way she held the girls, gave them a bag and started cleaning everyone, (including herself) and everything up. Wow I love that woman she really proved herself today.

We paid the guy at the gate and were allowed in. Bob says, “It was the first beach I have been to that there is no sandy part, but a wall holding the water back and you enter down stairs”. The water was a clear translucent green, calm, shallow and warm. We were doing great until this group of 30 guys came in being bossed around by a kid with a blaring megaphone. They were dressed like “gangstas” and I was shocked when I noticed their style was to wear their pants below their butt cheeks, with underwear above with some crack action above that. They think that is attractive?????

By that time we were getting pretty laid back, the girls were jumping like fish, and some us adults were spread out under the trees and palapa. All at the same time, Eddie, Mama Gina, the Mammies, Jean and I moved in to surround our girls. I decided to stand at the top of the stairs and express some mama bear body language, I put my hands on my hips and stared them down. They did not know what to do. After about 20 minutes they slowly made their way into the water and had their own fun away from our babies.

Our girls had a great time. They want to learn to swim and were putting their faces in the water, floating on their backs for hours. Thanks to Juanita Joy hitting all of the thrift stores for girls bathing suits, they were the most colorful group of swimmers you ever saw. We played cards, ate popcorn and home made cookies sent by Sandra. Oh yea and in this beach paradise the management had giant speakers blasting the loudest rappy music you ever heard, the gangstas were having a blast playing air instruments, dancing and singing along. A real cultural experience.

No problems making the trek back, just a bus full of sleeping angels. I would like all of our potential volunteers to read this story so they can think long and hard if they have the stomach (ha ha) for this service, you have to be able keep the faith and remain positive when you are tired, hot and wondering how you got yourself into this.

PS We found the most beautiful land today and I think we can afford it. More tomorrow, pray for this to be the home we have been searching for.

Pictures: Girls saying Grace for their morning meal, On the steps at the beach, Birthday celebration for Doriane and Momma Michiella, Santania sleeping on THANK YOU GOD

Taking Care of Each Other

2011-09-02T16:15:00.000-07:00

9-1-11

We had a staff meeting tonight and heard about the pressure Eddy feels administering scant money to provide for 27 people every day (20 girls and seven staff). Sometimes he has to choose between food and drinking water. Asha and I know that we come from a different world and struggle to find the middle ground that is sustainable and correct. I am going to promise to find the funding to guarantee drinking water. It is hot and humid here we drink all day and are always thirsty.

We talked about our common love of the girls and focus of caring for them, they made the point that we have to care for our staff too. They work hard, they have dreams and hopes, but how can they move forward in Haiti?

Today I played crazy eights and Asha played crazy with pipe cleaners. Jean arranged the bus for 7:30 am tomorrow when we will go off the beach. Eddy and Wisler made the arrangements for us to look at 2 properties on Saturday. A piece of land and a house, both possibilities for our permanent home.

Bob is building a bunk bed and he put up a medicine cabinet. As you can see in the pictures he has plenty of workers on his crew and the social services had reason to complain that the existing medicine storage is unsafe (no kidding). Asha and I took to organizing the first aid supplies and medication.

Two of our three air mattresses deflated during the night and Bob ended up on the cement floor. We have to come up with a new system.

Last night Asha said she was so glad to be here and not working at the hospital. Now that we have worked and sweated all day she may be missing our nice air-conditioned hospital,

But then again we will be aching to feel those smooth little fingers that are constantly surprising us as they slip into our hands from behind.

Pictures: Bob and he medicine cabinet, Fritzchina and Kerwine aprentice carpenters, Mommy Gina teaching Marceline to crochet, Doriane, Mamma Lynn and Kentyna goofing around

Trauma Queen Returns

2011-09-01T10:50:00.000-07:00

August 31, 2011

Sitting here enjoying the breeze and the lightening. I am back on my balcony overlooking the night sky in Haiti. The house has just been transformed from a buzzing bee hive to a slumbering giant. My husband Bob the contractor, and Asha the non doctor (no medical only kids this trip) are crashed on our air mattresses inside. I feel like a new woman after my bucket shower.

Today is Fritzchinas real birthday and we had our traditional cape and crown ceremony this evening. We started this tradition to honor the girls birthdays and of course it has spread to the staff who are equally hungry and deserving to be honored and doted on one day per year. Everyone saves up their birthdays for the times our teams come so we will be doing a celebration every night. The very special guest today was Fritzchina’s mother who had made a promise to come on her birthday, she brought a cake. It is very rare for our girls to be visited, most have never seen one relative in the seven years they have lived here.

We have 2 new beautiful girls, sisters ages 4 and 8 who have adjusted very well to their new home. They have never been to school and cannot read and write. Today we were making name tags to help us get everybody straight. Santania did not know how to write her name, I wrote it for her to copy. She made a beautiful name tag, and another and another. She was thrilled to be writing her name. That is my idea of fun.

For party favors we passed out the sparkling fragrant lavender wands made by a group of loving friends in mendocino county. There was enough for everyone. I told them how lavender is aroma therapy and can help you find peace when you are anxious or worried. They listened and then started using them for weapons.

Bob went right to work repairing the girls beds and already ran out of the screws and nails he brought. He had lots of helpers with the hammer and he said they could not get enough of the electric screwdriver.

Our new director is Mama Gina. She is a real mother type, My soul is at peace watching her and knowing that she is living here holding her wings around our girls. So many things have improved in the the last year, it is incredible.

Thank you and love to all of our supporters, these girls are thriving because of you.

More tomorrow

Lynn, Asha, and Bob

Pictures: Fritzchina"s Special Day, Asha and the girls with the new books, Lavender Wands.

Saved by a Ball

2011-04-11T13:29:00.000-07:00

April 11, 2011

Emily Frey is a board member of Hearthstone Village. She bought our girls a “One World Futbol”. In March we brought the “all-terrain, ultra-durable” blue ball to Haiti and the rest is history.

Our 18 girls live in a small compound, which is 99% cement. There is no car and they rarely leave. They home school in the morning and run around stir crazy in the afternoon. Every month our team takes new soccer balls to Haiti. Every month we return and there are no balls. I finally figured out why. The balls last a day or two and then they are flat, dead, gone to the trash.

I thought air was the ball problem so I bought a solid ball to take along with the One World Futbol. We took the girls to the beach for the first time in their lives. We took the two balls and the girls had a wonderful time. Unfortunately the solid ball disintegrated from the salt water. The blue Futbol was not phased.

Every day the girls play with the ball, they sit on it, and abuse it. When we went to Marie’s Village for our first play date we brought jump ropes and the blue ball. Marie’s 17 children have only lived at her orphanage for 3 months. Some look at the ground when you introduce yourself. Shy, withdrawn, not able to read because they have never been to school. They are adjusting to a new life where there is food every day, and a new family.

Marie’s boys ended up kicking that ball the whole time we were there. A joy to behold.

Haiti needs more One World Futbols. You can help by joining our Hearthstone Ball Drive!

Our non profit Hearthstone Village has received an offer from our friends at the One World Futbol Project, the organization that produces the world’s most durable ball. These balls cannot pop or deflate, even when punctured by glass, barbed wire, or other sharp objects, and they never need a pump. The One World Futbol was designed to perform for years in all kinds of environments, from beaches and backyards to places like refugee camps, urban neighborhoods, and war zones.

From now until May 15th, please go to the One World Futbol web-site (www.oneworldfutbol.com) and purchase under any of the “Give One Get One”, donation of ball options. When you check out, under the order summary, respond to the question “Have a Coupon Code?” by entering HEARTHSTONE in the box, and clicking “apply code,” and the number of balls for which you selected a “give” option will be allocated for donation to Hearthstone Village. For every sale, One World Futbol will also donate $5.00 to Hearthstone! You will know that the code has been accepted because there will be a $1 discount applied to each order.

You will love your ball and we promise to distribute the donated balls to orphanages in Haiti. Trust me, with these balls we can save children, bring them hope, and joy.

Thanks and Love Lynn

P.S. We have a team in Haiti this week Linda and Adrienne, two RNs from our hospital. They had a successful “continental breakfast” at Marie’s Village, the second play date of the girl's lives. Marie is going to take Linda to look at land, as RMOF searches for the place to build their permanent home. Linda says she is so exhausted by 3 pm she has not had time to write for the blog.

Rivers of Tears

2011-03-27T16:21:00.001-07:00

3-25-11 Written on the plane to San Francisco

Up until 1 in the morning organizing, then up at 5:30 to get ready to leave for the airport.

Nancy went to social services for 6 hours. They never made it inside the building and did all of their business outside in the courtyard and on a side street. It was interesting to watch the process of negotiation, it resembled bargaining for prices in the market. They talked, gestured, and got emotional working out a problem. All this done in the presence of our lawyer to make it legally binding, even though no papers were signed.

We did a photo project with the girls. Each girl made her own pages. Now they have a family album to spend hours pouring over.

I started physical exams and got through 3, before we took the girls off to the first play date of their lives. The kids were shy for 2 minutes and then they were a family. As Nancy says, Marie and Yves have the “little fellas” (boys!). Marie has asked us to join forces with her.

Everyone (Deborah, Hearthstone Board, my husband Bob, Charlucie, etc........) are going to react when they find out that we have fallen in love with 17 new little boys and girls who need our love and support. Brace yourselves, and blame Hadley and Nancy too, because all three of us are cooking up something (we can’t help it). I am trying to stay calm and thoughtful, but try meeting those beautiful children and their loving new Mother and Father and say no when they tell you they need help. They are a block away from our girls and both Marie and Lucie had a vision to start with 35 children. We have 18 and Marie has 17 and that equals 35. You have to be careful what you pray for. Lucie is the Queen Mother of RMOF, I shared this with her and she is going to go in to deep prayer about this so stay tuned, and please pray too.

We had the most incredible puberty talk of my life with 10 of our older girls. Hadley lead the class with Jean Wesley as the interpreter. Teaching them that their bodies belong to them, that they have the choice do anything they want with their lives (they came up with the example of Obama!), that education, marriage, sex and babies come in that order. I committed to them for as long as I live and promised if they work hard we will help them go to university. Jean is a gifted teacher, kind and gentle man. I wish I would have had a man like him to tell me about such personal matters. At the end of the class he had the girls stand up and sing to us; Lord, I give you my Heart. It was an emotional moment as we guided our daughters toward womanhood in a most beautiful manner.

Saying goodbye was heart wrenching. A sea of little girls in my arms with so many tears. Wisland sobbing with her hand over her face and two gushing rivers of tears running down her cheeks. I had them sing to me, "I give you my heart", as I blew them kisses and backed away. I love you, I love you, I love you.

Help us for we are changed. Love Lynn, Hadley, and Nancy

First Picture: Yves and Marie with their babies, Nancy to the right. Second Picture: New friends playing at Marie's Village, their first play date. Third Picture: Nancy and I voted Hadley the most photogenic, at the beach with her babies. Fourth Picture: Finally there are some new houses built for people living in tents!

Nirvana at the Beach

2011-03-24T07:55:00.000-07:00

2-24-11

Imagine taking 18 beautiful girls to the beach for the first time in their life. We hired a bus and as we rode their eyes were glued to the windows seeing their country bustle through the ruins. We passed the crumbled Presidential Palace and they began to know their history.

We bounced along for 2 hours and finally made our way down a country road (loudly scraping the bottom of the bus) to our sandy protected beach. Shallow and calm, they made their way into the water with apprehension and a tight hold on our hands. Gradually they gained their sea legs and took off. Oh my goodness it was a churning, jumping, splashing, pod of dolphins in their element. They sang to us as they swam. Joy Joy Joy. I was smiling so much my face hurt.

It does not get better than that. Once again I could feel my heart vibrating and expanding in my chest. Thank you, Thank you for the priveledge of serving you.

We visited Marie at the orphanage next to the internet cafe, she has been there 2 months and has 17 boys and girls. Her dream was to start an orphanage, another soul mate for us. Today we have a play date there, another first for our girls to have friends. We will walk down to their house after the midday meal and bring our balls and jump ropes.

Rome was not built in a day. Today I will give all of the girls a physical exam, do watercolor painting with them, look at land to build on, do a photo project, have a staff meeting, and send you this blog. Some projects will have to wait as we return to the United States tomorrow.

Sometimes it is hard to explain what it is about Haiti. Why we have so much love for this country and all want to come back. It is dirty, stinky, crumbled and poor. I know the answer. It is the people. The gratitude, the singing, the smiles. It has been said that anyone who lives to adulthood in Haiti has good genes. That would explain why Haitian people are so handsome (especially the men!).

It looks like Ms. Jackson has let us down as she does not call us or meet with us. We have already moved on to look for land to buy. We must build our own orphanage where the girls have some soil to grow food and run free.

Love Love Love Lynn

First Picture: The hungry birdies chowing down after a long day at the beach.

Trauma Queen learns to say please.

2011-03-24T07:21:00.000-07:00

3-23-11

Yesterday I clicked on the wrong button and lost the blog. I am so busy that I had to control my emotions and let it go.

For the last 40 years Bob has tried to teach me to say please. Yesterday I decided to brave it and go play with the girls by myself. I took sidewalk chalk and sat down in the shade. I wanted to model a drawing for them and had to work hard to get them to move back and give me some space. I looked up and there was a tree full of coconuts so I dove into capturing the coco. When it was their turn I made it into a game of colors, manners, English.

“Green please"
"Thank you”
“You’re welcome”

Try saying that 200 times and it sinks in. The girls smiled each time and even gave a little bow. They created butterflies and flowers all over the place. Success!

We have staff meetings at night and talk about the ten commandments of discipline (no hitting), health, bedtime rituals, nutrition. The staff has been through so much stress, and now they are gelling as a loving team. They are thankful for the guidance. The Mommies each told us that they love their jobs, love the girls and they are grateful for the opportunity to learn how to love and care for their own future children. The beauty trickles down, trickles up, trickles out and Haiti will have healing.

Love Lynn, Hadley, Jay and Nancy

The future of Haiti is in our girls' hands.

2011-03-22T07:16:00.000-07:00

3-21-11

Sitting on my private balcony again, refreshed from my bucket shower. Not quite so cool this night. Smokey air, I guess it is the coal fires they use for cooking. We are in a tight neighborhood, all homes are gated with high walls enclosing the compounds. Somebody near by has dogs that fight real bad once or twice a day and it is blood curdling.

We walked to the internet cafe with three of our girls. It is our plan to take small groups of girls with us as much as we can. The girls need to get out to the world to learn how to operate. Tomorrow the Mamies will take 2 girls shopping for food, then we are renting a bus to carry us all to the beach!

It is challenging to have 18 daughters between the ages of 7 and 11. They out number us and get so excited when we present a project; it is like a stampede. We played ball jump rope, bubbles, journaling, painting, cards, singing.......... We retire to our room to take a breather and plan the next activity.

We are trying every learning trick to call them by their names. The Mamies redid their hairdoos today and changed the styles. I was counting top notches for identification and now I am back to the start.

Their personalities are coming through, Fritzchina the translator who understands our English, Yvertha, the shy one who stays to herself, Guerlande who ran to get me the first aid supplies and wants to be a nurse, Dorianne and Kevly who love to write, on and on. They write us love letters and kiss and hug us all day long.

They ask me if I know Jutta, Laura, Marilynn, Leanna, Becky, Chris, Shauna, Jack. Yes these are all my wonderful friends who have come to serve the girls and work to keep them safe and healthy. We are showering them with our love but I wonder today what it must be like to love someone so deeply for a week or two and then loose them.

Will they be resilient, will they thrive and be able to save Haiti? Will they be able to form deep bonds? How can we help them through puberty and beyond into adulthood????

We had time today to go on an outing to buy art. Hadley encountered an emaciated young boy who was begging for money. He lifted his shirt and showed her his chest, caved in with a big belly sticking out. She gave him a few dollars and is resting easier right now knowing that he had the money to buy some food.

Lucie is the president of the Reveil Matinal Orphanage Foundation and the Queen mother of this orphanage. She sent her husband Jay to be our man and he is doing a great job!

I have yet to meet the allusive Ms. Jackson, maybe tomorrow.
Love to all Lynn

First picture: Yvertha, Hadley, Chineca, Fritzchina in the light of God. Second picture: the city is still in ruins and the tent cities abound. Third picture: the Mamies love their scrubs: Daphne, Jay, Michaella, Daniella, and Cassandra.

Trauma Queen is with her Girls!

2011-03-21T10:10:00.000-07:00

Trauma Queen is with her Girls! 3-20-11

Today is election day in Haiti. Jean sent me an email and said don’t come no one is going out on Sunday it is too dangerous. The airport was open so Hadley, Nancy, and I went for it and here we are in Port au Prince. Jay Jaboin was brave enough to meet us at the airport and we made it to our girls. Home at last.

I expected the regular throng of people bombarding us as we exited the airport with our ton of luggage, instead it was a few guys and Jay calling our names. Wow. Then we drove through the narrow streets and there was no traffic. It was incredible. Try to come to Haiti on a day everyone is afraid to go out. It is great!

Our orphanage is located in a large house on a hill over looking the sea, the city, and the mountains. The full moon is now up, the girls sang and said their prayers, calm is settling in on our first day. We purged all the junk and set up our room with air mattresses. Hadley says it feels like a college dorm. I am sitting on our private little balcony with a cool breeze blowing over the lights and sky, it feels great.

My heart has been warmed to the core many times today. Reading the piggy toes book together and playing with their brown and my pink piggy toes. All mommas love their babies piggy toes!

Cramming my chubby 60 year old body into their low lying childrens table to share dinner time. They were so careful and quiet with me there. Wondering and then opening up, then carefully spoonful by spoonful sharing my extra food so all girls got a bite, it was the fishes and loaves all over again.

Reading together the new books we brought. Some from Asha in Creole French, some in English that Fritzchina was reading like a native speaker. We went over Goodnight moon and they learned the words so fast.

They hang on us, I love the feel of their smooth warm skin, holding hands, resting their heads in our laps. They write us love letters.

I know you are not going to believe this but I am sitting on this balcony getting cold. It is a chilly night in Haiti. It is not humid. It is perfect weather. I have to go inside and get under the covers. We met with the Lawyer today who is going to help us make a contract with Ms. Jackson. The kind sweet woman who has offered us land to build a permanant home for the girls (and future boys). Perhaps tomorrow will be the day we meet. Let us hope that she follows through on her promise.

Love to you all. Thank you to everyone who loves and supports our girls. Stay tuned.

Love Lynn, Hadley, Nancy and Jay Jaboin

First picture is of Eddy a houseparent. He voted in the election and they marked his thumb with indelible ink. Second our beautiful girls. Third Hadley, Nancy and Lynn drinking sweet coconut milk out of the coconuts they wacked out of the tree in our yard.

Tasting Autumn

2010-09-11T12:54:00.000-07:00

9-11-10

It is 9/11. I remember that day. So so sad.

We had our Hearts Helping Haiti benefit and it was one of the most beautiful days of my life. The setting was pristine on the hillside lawn under the old oak trees looking out over the Nelson's vineyard and valley (see the picture of "Breath" singing for us). People came and set up their chairs. The music was beautiful and we made $15,000! That will pay the rent for our orphanage for 1 year and help us get food and medicine to them. Thank you to all of the loving souls who are helping us.

Lucie is the president of the Reveil Matinal Orphanage Foundation, she came from New York with her son Jason. It was a love fest. Soul Mates united to help our 20 daughters in Haiti. Lucie brought home made Haitian African outfits for the auction, above is a picture of us winners with our friends. (Kirsten, Tifanny, Lynn, Lucie, Christina, Serena)

Breathing and relaxing. I have sworn to several important people that I am going to truly slow down now. We have our yearly "Taste of Autumn" benefit coming up on October 3, then I leave for Mexico for 3 weeks where I officially turn over a new leaf. Having 20 new daughters has taken my stress level to a height that is unsurpassed from past experience. This is my biggest challenge, to save the world and not freak out from stress.

I tried to attach the poster from our "Taste of Autumn" event but failed, you can go to our website hearthstone-tuhogar.org and check it out, please come if you can, it is a wonderful fall day with the family. Apple Pressing, hay rides, lots of food and music. We are auctioning off a mansion in our Baja paradise, El Cardonal for 12 people for a week it includes a fishing excursion (see the poster above). I am going to Olivino on Monday to get an official training in my new passion "Olive Oil Tasting". Come to the event to see what I learn.

I taught a Versant class this week at the hospital. These are 16 new nurses that are joining our team at UVMC. I read them the following story that I wrote one year ago. I share it here with you, it is a glimpse into my work as a PA hospitalist at UVMC.

8-31-09

Fall is coming, thank you God. The chickens are clucking, other birds are calling all around me. No wind. Perfect cool temperature. The ground is holding water longer. The plants have almost stopped growing. Eggs, tomatoes, Asian pears, yesterday. Beans, basil, apples, cucumbers, summer squash for the family outing to Leonard Lake.

I keep remembering the light on the clean white sheets. Natural light coming in through the window. Praying, breathing, resting, letting go. He was a thin homeless man. With long kinky gray hair and beard. He was seen on our streets for years. They moved him from ICU, on high flow oxygen, his lungs were done. Marvin assigned him to me.

He was struggling to breath, very hard work, and not getting him anywhere. Letting go was the order of the day. There are wonderful medications to help with air hunger. It was a pleasure to help him relax.

The staff had him perfectly clean. Hair combed and flowing. The bed was immaculate. We called for spiritual care, the pastor sat and prayed with him. May you be pain free, at peace and know you are loved. He was breathing away.

We wandered in and out, checked him often. When the time came we stayed by his side. I called for Marvin. He was surrounded by love as he faded peacefully away. So clean, and comfortable in the light, on those clean white sheets.

So proud and moved I was that he died with such perfect dignity. In my thoughts I thanked the housekeepers and nurses for their labor of love, honored to have a place on this team.

I woke up the next few mornings with tears of grief for this man. I knew that I was the only person crying for him, his wailing woman. Thankful that I cared, it would be even more sad if no one cried.

Hearts Helping Haiti

2010-08-10T10:57:00.000-07:00

8-10-10

The planet is spinning and some times I have to hang on for dear life.

In May we went to Haiti as a team of medical volunteers with an additional mission to find our orphanage. Before we left a committee of community members set the date of August 21, 2010 for a fund raiser for these unknown children. Chris from the Nelson Family Vineyards gave his beautiful venue. “Hearts Helping Haiti” was born, an outdoor music festival to feed hungry children in Haiti.

In Port au Prince our interpreter Gregory recommended the Reveil Matinal Orphanage. One month after he watched one of his children die he gave his two daughters to this Adventist orphanage of 20 girls. These are now "our 20 girls".

Lucie is the president who runs the orphanage. She is Haitian and lives in New York. She is deeply thankful that we found them and are organizing our community as a sponsor.

Haiti is corrupt, I am sorry to say this but it is true. To be honest there is a lot of stress at our orphanage. Our task right now is to insure the over all well being of the girls by moving them to a safer place, hiring qualified staff, and supporting their nutrition.

Patti has been making trips Haiti to adopt Gregory’s girls. In July she took Leanna’s sewing machine, sewing notions and fabric to our orphanage. She taught the four oldest girls to sew.

It is going to take a village to support these girls into adulthood. Please join me at our fabulous Outdoor Music Festival on August 21, buy an auction item, make a donation, or just let us know that you support us with your love. This is a chance for your money to go straight to help a hungry child in Haiti.

If you want to join a team to Haiti we are looking for people who love children and want to help feed, teach, play, garden, build, and hug them. Lucie is coming to the benefit, so you can meet her if you are interested. I hope to see you on Aug 21.

Reveil Matinal Orphanage Foundation (rmof.org)
Benefit information: heartshelpinghaiti.org

Love and Thank you Lynn Meadows

PS Trust the Trauma Queen I will return to sending out regular posts, when I have time to breath. Next week a German documentary team is coming to my house to make a film about our famous fire of 2008. Stay tuned for more trauma stories, they never stop.

Pictures: Our girls having their daily meal of white rice and beans. Sewing class with Patti.

The Trauma Queen is Traumatized

2010-07-18T13:45:00.000-07:00

PA Midwife is one of my hats. You have not heard from me in a while for good reason: THE 2 CAESARS WERE BORN!

Here is my blog entry from 6-25-10

Otto meets Amazon Woman

A woman could lift a car off her baby if she had too. Faith proved it yesterday.

Who is to know what is really in there when you are pregnant for the first time? Intellectually you think there is a baby in there, but until you see it it is not real. Faith labored at home for 2 days, she stuck with it, believing that she must sacrifice for her unknown child. Taking walks in the starlight, breathing, relaxing. There came a time at the end of the second day when we knew that her baby was not moving down, so we made our way off our ranch to the hospital (they live on our land). Warmest of receptions and Pablo our OB/GYN tried his incredible tricks and through it all Faith stayed true, through her exhaustion, she gave it more than you think is humanly possible. Then a cesarean, to the joy of our 9 pound Otto taking his first breathes. Faith never once complained. I am in awe of this woman. Thank you Thank you for allowing me to witness your beauty, love and strength. Oh yes and Otto has our gentle loving soul Orion for his dad.

Back to 7-17-10

Okay so I was up for 2 days with Faith and trying to juggle my full time job which I ended up flaking out of on Otto’s Birthday. The process that we shared for Otto’s birth was beautiful and traumatic. There was much to process, the processing is very hard work. I was wasted.

Just when I was getting my feet on the ground my beloved daughter Robyn went into labor with her first child, 3 days before her due date. When it rains it pours. Robyn planned a natural birth in the hospital, so she came to me since I happened to be working. Things were going great until they discovered that the baby had changed position during the night to head up, and she stuck her foot through the cervix! 6-28-10 my fabulous squeaky little 7 lb. grand daughter was born by cesarean. Her parents are George and Robyn so therefore her name is Geordyn. We love her so much, but wonder, “What was she thinking?”

Of course we are so in love with our 2 Caesars. My life has been full to overflowing with helping Robyn and her new family, maintaining my job, garden, marriage, organizing our huge August 21 Music Festival for the orphanage and planning my return to Haiti. I confess, my life is insane!

I am proud to say that today I laid on my bed and read parts of a book called Sabbath, it is about “finding rest, renewal and delight in our busy lives”. Seeking quietness, slowing to rest, giving thanks, praying, lighting candles, making love.

Pictures: Faith hanging in there with a contraction, Otto and Pablo before the first breath, Geordyn

Trauma Queen Comes Out.

2010-06-21T12:20:00.000-07:00

We had some weddings at the Ranch House. Tanya and Tristan started it, and worked their behinds off to make it wonderful. The Ranch House is the community center of, "The Ranch", where Bob and I have lived since 1972.

Tanya and Tristan invited their wedding guests to be creative, wear their wedding gowns, renew vows etc.

So I get out my wedding dress from 40 years ago, luckily I figured out a way to fold the top down and I was able to get it on. My original veil was this giant white net that went down to the floor, with a hideous headdress with fake silk daisies. Several years ago I took a scissors to the veil and made it short for dress ups. The thing has gotten a lot of mileage.

Bob's and my 40th wedding anniversary just happened to be the next day (June 20). Bob put on the coat of his original 1970’s brown courderoy suit with bell bottoms. It still fits him!!! We got up front and declared what a miracle that he has put up with me for 40 years.

Erin and Jeramiah have a beautiful baby girl. The morning of the wedding I was picking flowers and found out that Erin bought a wedding dress and rings. She was having a wedding within a wedding.

I volunteered to make her a brides bouquet. We happened to have our three girls with identical flower girl dresses from a family wedding three weeks ago. I had a spice cake from our Haiti Slide show bake sale, so I picked some edible flowers to decorate it. The whole wedding took 5 minutes to plan. Worlds lowest stress wedding. Thank you Tristan and Tanya for a wonderful celebration of love, a great contribution to our community life. Deborah thinks we should do group weddings once a year.

Pictures: Lynn and Bob, Lynn and Bob, Tristan and Tanya, Erin and Jeramiah with girls

Haiti Update: We are still working night and day to put on our Music Festival on August 21. Next post will lay it out for you.

I have not felt so alive in years

2010-06-12T22:24:00.000-07:00

Ukiah Team 5 is in Haiti. She is our RN Alice, the last straggler on our first round of volunteer medical teams to the Hopital Adventiste d'Haiti. Every person is changed and wants to go back. As Leanna said, "I have not felt so alive in years".

I heard from Jean my interpreter. He has started his language school in a church. He checked on my baby Sara and says her family is OK and she is doing well. Patti our RN from Team 1 is back in Haiti to pick up her two new girls from the orphanage. She is coming back with Gregory their father to complete the adoption paper work in the United States. Kathy from materials management at our hospital is organizing a "shower" for them.

Words From Skip Ukiah Team 4

We are home, it has been four days and all I can think of is Haiti.
The beautiful people that we encountered, their warmth, their appreciation.
Like everyone else I will never take for granted our supply chain, or the length of lab turnaround.

From the moment we arrived with the group from Children’s Hospital Oakland (CHO) we worked well together and got done whatever was necessary. A wonderful group of people that I hope to keep in touch with.

On my third busy day in Haiti, I am on my way to start an IV on a baby when this very large man comes bursting in the ER saying, "Let me in I have an emergency". As if that did not get our attention, the two armed men bringing in a young, well-dressed woman in a wheelchair did indeed. I took one look at Tammy from CHO and said, "I got this".

It turned out the woman was being treated for malaria and typhoid and had been found down in her home. She presented to the ER with completely altered mental status. Several members of out team, Bryon, Tammy and one of the Haitian nurses helped gather supplies, while I started an IV, labs etc. It became apparent that this woman was suffering from a serious form of malaria and was not doing well. The Miami field hospital was contacted, they have a portable CT scanner along with a neurosurgeon and they accepted the transfer.

I will never forget that ride across town; lights and sirens over some of the roughest roads you could imagine, UN troops with their machine guns, the intense rain, flooding, total devastation all around us and all I could think was please do not start seizing now. I cannot express the relief we all felt upon arrival. The team at the Miami field hospital were awesome and we felt that she was in the best place possible considering her serious condition. I remember the look her husband gave me and mouthed, "thank you". That day was his 39th birthday. I wonder if she made it?

At the Hopital we began relationships with wonderful people that will stay with me the rest of my life. When asked if I would go back all I can say is "when do we leave"?

Pictures: Patti's new daughter, Skip with translators, Poster for our slide shows

Saving Haiti 20 Girls at a Time

2010-06-11T16:46:00.000-07:00

Charlucie Jaboin and I talked on the phone yesterday. She is a Haitian woman who lives in New York and is the president of the the Reveil Matinal Orphanage in Port au Prince. The 20 girls are hers. She and her group are thanking God that we found them. The orphanage was formed 4 years ago, sometimes they do not have enough food, right now they have not paid their staff in months. She is my new best friend and we are making plans. Here is an excerpt from my email to her.

We are so busy here with the benefit for the orphanage, it is making me a little crazy. We have 2 slide shows next week to inform the public about our work in Haiti and promote the music festival. We have teams going to the Sierra Nevada Music Festival at the same time to person a table to promote the event and sell tickets. I have never put on an event this big and I might explode in the process. If you are Adventist then you know about the Sabbath (I am not Adventist). I am on the Sacred Work Council at our hospital (an Adventist hospital). We have talked about the meaning of the Sabbath and I have been thinking about it a lot lately. I want to rest, reflect, rejuvenate, for 24 hours each week. I see the point.

PS. I am holding everyone of your girls in my heart and prayers, I love them and want to be part of helping them grow up to be beautiful women who have a good life.

Today I went to the website rmof.org and made a donation with pay pal.

Words from Becky

I wanted to share this email I got from Junior, one of the translators. It is so sweet. I thought you'd want to share it as words from a Haitian. I can't believe HE is thanking ME so much.

----- Message transféré ----
De : Variant Augustin Junior

Hey Becky, how are you ? This is Variant Augustin Junior. It's a pleasure to me to write you in this time, for being able to know how are you doing and to say how much I was happy by reason of your help that you gave in Haiti. The main thing cause me to write you is because I wanted to say to you hello, to know how was your trip? How your family is doing, and to thank you the big thing that you did in Haiti. I didn't find any chance to thank you when you're in Haiti. You are very kind-full and a co-worker with the Haitian patients. I don't have any treasures to offer you to reimburse you but you're an angel. I believe that God knows anything that I wanted to give to you so that is gonna push me to pray for you. That God protects you in anything that your doing most of all when you're walking in the street and keep on blessing you with your family completely. Keep straight you in his way. This is Junior your loving translator which never forget you.
God bless you.

Words from Briana Ukiah Team 4

Things are going fine. A large group of volunteers 25 arrived last Friday. Most of them are from Children’s Hospital Oakland. We have a pediatric anesthesiologist, pediatric plastic surgeon, two pediatric intensivists, two adult orthopedic residents, a general surgeon, two family practice MDs, an ER doc, and two midwives. In addition to about 12 plus nurses, 2 PTs, and 1 OT. The hospital is well covered. So much so many people find themselves looking for something to do. I have moved from urgent care, to the lab, to surgery over the course of my stay.

I had the opportunity to steal a translator and spend some time in the lab. They have a tremendous amount of work on their hands. They do not have a hematology analyzer so everything is completed manually. In addition their chemistry analyzer is from the 60's and has a very limited capability. So much so that the lab techs manually separate a patient's sample into multiple test tubes, add a specific reagent (na, k, cl, etc) and wait for the reaction to complete. Then each tube is loaded on the analyzer one by one to be read. They are definitely held back by their lack of tools. They can’t do gram stains as requested because they don’t have grams iodine?? Seems to me that they need some attention, a point of care hematology and chemistry analyzer would help them tremendously and grams iodine shouldn’t be to hard to get. I am sure the practitioners would appreciate it as well. I enjoyed my time in the lab, they were a great group of people. I think they were happy to have someone take interest in what they were doing and hopefully they will benefit from it.

Its been raining a bunch. Makes the air extra humid but it tends to be a bit cooler, although not too much. The rain is worrisome though, more rain will bring more disease and less viable shelter. The streets have rushing water already, and its just the beginning.

The hospital is starting to charge for surgeries, urgent care visits, lab, xray, and a daily volunteer fee. I have heard from several translators that they aren’t being paid which is unfortunate. Seems like without translators most of this work would be impossible. Good thing they have gracious translators who
continue to help without pay out of the kindness of their hearts and deep dedication to help their people.

Pictures: Hands, Translators, Michelle the Pediatrician, Briana on the job.

Sean Penn Sighting in Haiti

2010-06-05T10:34:00.000-07:00

John Azzaro and I were crying at the same time yesterday. We were listening to KZYX and heard the voices of our 20 new daughters singing from Haiti.

When the Ukiah Team first visited the Reveil Matinal Orphanage in Port au Prince, the girls were running and playing happily in their secure compound. We sat together and made our way carefully through the group meeting each child one at a time. We repeated their unusual French names, and made eye contact. My personal goal was to show each child that I loved and respected her as a unique individual.

We have chosen to sponsor this orphanage, and our hearts are opening.

Words From Linda Ukiah Team 3

Today a group of us decided to go to the Reveil Matinal (Adventist) orphanage on the other side of Port au Prince. Emily had heard of this home for girls through Lynn and knew we had chosen to become sponsors. One of the nurses from the med/surg team is adopting two little girls from there, so we had to go and pick up paperwork. The orphanage was only 12.5 km away, but it ended up taking us 2 hours to get there due to rush hour traffic. The ride was a bit scary: we got lost a few times, were involved in some near accidents, and got stopped by the UN soldiers. We finally made it and quickly realized that the trouble getting there was worth it. The girls were adorable. They immediately attached themselves to us like glue. I had a hard time going up stairs because there were 5 of them that wanted to hold onto my arm, hand or leg. The orphanage was well kept and clean. We gave them presents, it was difficult to keep things fair. Each one got a coloring book, a handful of crayons, a stuffed animal and a toy. Melanie and Crystal led a few songs and then we asked the girls to sing. Their voices sounded so pure and innocent that it made tears well up in my eyes - I didn’t know what they were singing about as they sing in French. Maybe it was the voices or the tempo, but it evoked a strong emotion of sadness and helplessness as I imagined what it would be like to grow up without parents and the stories that led them to become orphans. At the end the translator told me they were singing about the hardships that they have endured, the resiliency of their people and how God will always be with them. Afterward we all sang a song together. They knew one English song and luckily we knew it too. The stay was short but the moments we spent with those little girls is something I will not forget.

Outside the sun had just set and it was dusk. The night life began in Port-au-prince. We passed many brightly colored Tap Taps blaring Haitian music, people out in the market selling their goods by candlelight, other street vendors packing up to go home. People on the move, others lingering about. It felt like everyone was out in the streets. The liveliness contrasted greatly to the images of rubble that we passed. There were fires burning endless piles of trash, and the palace which was somewhat of an eerie image as it sat there toppled over, abandoned and dark.

The trip home was shorter, thank goodness. We were hungry, tired, sweaty and covered in dust from the drive. We pulled up to the hospital to find kids and translators gathered to say good-bye. We took pictures gave hugs and exchanged emails. A few of us headed down the street to grab a bite to eat. We didn’t take a translator which made it difficult to order vegetarian food. The restaurant was owned by a family. They were in the room with us watching the TV and chatting. They introduced their grandmother to us, a tiny lady around 70 years old. She came and gave us all kisses and hugs. It is rare in Haiti to see someone as old as her. After our meal we said our goodbyes to the family like they were old friends.

Words from Brian RN Ukiah Team 4

Haiti is all you guys said it was. There is the destruction that is vast and all encompassing, the abject poverty that I have not dealt with before, the frustration of things not getting done in anything like a timely manner (ER labs that take 24 hrs to get back), and not being able to find routine things we are so used to working with. Even in all of this the Haitian people are so warm, welcoming, friendly and loving. It is just amazing! I was standing in the ER watching people walk through and it struck me how proud they carried themselves, back straight and chin up. It is very cool. We shared the plane with Sean Penn who has been here several times lending himself to Haiti. I didn't have the nerve to talk with him but it was nice to see someone of his stature doing his part. We are here right now with a large contingent from Children’s Hospital Oakland who are pediatric nurses and doctors. A good group to share our time with. Some of the people who are here long term are amazing. 19 yr old David who is handling all the supplies, 22 yr old Luke who seems to be the general administrator, etc. These guys are wonderful and have set the bar pretty high for the rest of us. The hospital has instituted a policy that people have to pay (a minimal amount) for the clinics and this has cut down on some of the patient flow. See you all in a few days. Love Brian

Pictures: Top, Don,t sit here by Michael Turner, Team 3 with the girls of Reveil Matinal Orphanage, Little ER patient, Coloring books from Ukiah to our Girls

The Poorest of the Poor Have Song

2010-05-31T22:05:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends

I do not have TV at my house. When the earthquake hit Haiti I only heard stories and my imagination made the pictures for me. I heard of incredible destruction and death, of a lost child finding his way to an orphanage and being turned away. The orphanage had fallen and they could not take care of the children they had. The image of a parent less child wandering the streets alone, that is when I decided I was going to Haiti. The rest is history. Laura and I joined together, she took on organizing the medical mission and I took on the children, we decided to find an orphanage to sponsor while working at the Hopital. Before we left for Haiti we began planning a benefit music festival for the children. We found our orphanage and chose it because it is a safe and loving home. Today I called Charlucie (Lucie) Jaboin the president of the Reveil Matinal Orphanage Foundation, she is Haitian and lives in New York City. This is the girls orphanage in Port au Prince we wrote about in a previous blog. It is the home of 20 girls age 3 to 12. Their dream is to move to a larger place that will be able to have boys, and will be located within walking distance of the Hopital Adventiste d'Haiti. Today I told Lucie that we want to help her realize this dream. Charlie MD and I are going to be interviewed on our local public radio station KZYX/KZYZ 91.5 and 90.7 on Wednesday June 2 from 9 to 10 am. For people out of Mendocino County you can stream the show on the web at kzyx.org. We are going to call the orphanage and the girls are going to sing for us.

While working at the Hopital I came to realize a deeper value of song. Groups of people would break out in song throughout the day. A person may have lost everything and they still sing. The singing is beautiful, healing and full of love. The music gave us a sense of peace and true beauty.

Please Save the date for our benefit: Hearts Helping Haiti, Saturday, August 21, 12 to 7 pm, family fun, music festival, at the Nelson Ranch, south of Ukiah. Please volunteer to help we will need 100 people that day. We are having 2 slide shows/receptions on June 17 and 18 as a kick off for the benefit.

The following story is about Adnise, the 22 year old woman who walked with David and Melanie for the first time in her life.

Pictures: The Girls of Reveil Matinal Orphanage, Ukaih Team at work in the ER at UVMC Skip in the middle is in Haiti now and our wonderful supportive Hospital President Terry Burns toward the right, David and the shoes for Adnise.

Words by David our Physical Therapist

I am not going to be so arrogant as to say that Adnise has never owned any shoes. While likely she hasn’t it is always possible. I can assure you that none of them have been adequate to actually fit her bilaterally clubbed feet. This is a project that we have been working on for the last week. Once I saw how good she was doing walking I enlisted the help of one of our great handymen. After I introduced him to this young woman, he wanted to make some good shoes for her as badly as I did. He took wooden reinforced shoes and cut them down to her size and rounded the edges. We then spent a good chunk of the afternoon sewing straps on. Once we had them all fixed up we took them down and gave them to her. She was experiencing some muscle cramps when we arrived which definitely dissipated some of the excitement of the moment. After a little soft tissue work on her feet she was smiling and ready to be up and trying out her new shoes. She was able to walk much better without the pressure of the hard tile floor on her little feet. She continues to complain of the weight of her braces which are actually very light, but when you haven’t walked in your entire life, everything seems heavy.

Everyday we try to make as much of a difference as we can, sometimes it is the little things that mean the most. Building relationships is as important as anything else that we are doing here. It is an opportunity for us to step back and realize that we
don’t have a list of things to accomplish, we are here to reach out to people in whatever way we can.

LOVE MORE, RISK MORE, DREAM MORE

2010-05-30T22:32:00.000-07:00

Words by Emily

Dr Nelson's morning talk included excerpts form a memoir of someone who worked with Mother Theresa, and he ended with the above quote.

Becky and I decided to go across town to visit Toby Salz, our UVMC ED physician who was volunteering at the General Hospital in Port au Prince for 5 weeks. We took Jimmy, our interpreter who had been raised in the US and speaks American English. Due to some unfortunate circumstances involving our legal system, he'd been deported back to Haiti after 26 years in the US. We took care of him when he showed up in the ER at the Hopital writhing in pain from a kidney stone. He was so happy to be around Americans again that he is volunteering and hoping to work his way to a hired position. We took a Tap Tap (small trucks with seats in the back, colorfully painted). The General Hospital is considerably larger then our Hopital Adventiste d’Haiti but similar, as both hospitals are under equipped, understaffed, and caring for seriously ill patients. Toby has been the acting medical director of the ER there, as he has been there the longest, and is coordinating the withdrawal of the international volunteers. The plan is resumption of exclusively Haitian staff, a process which was not going smoothly.

We drove by the palace, still a crumbled ruin, slated for rebuilding at some point, to be paid for by another country - Belgium?. We pushed our way onto a crowded Tap Tap to ride home after walking through the degraded and trash-lined streets. The people were friendly, I never felt frightened or threatened in any way, but was still relieved to see the white gates of the hospital grounds.

Our last day was a flurry of working in the urgent care clinic and helping the new family practice doctors get oriented. They hit the ground running. I went to the pediatric nursery one last time to say goodbye to the babies and spent some time trimming Sara's fingernails. We spent an hour on the steps of the hospital waiting for our driver, the interpreters couldn't get their fill of the beautiful nurses of the Ukiah team. I know for all of us, the Haiti experience will remain some of our most moving memories and hopefully will result in some long lasting friendships.

Words of Becky

Brianna and Oscar from our lab arrived. Their Thursday arrival was helpful as it allowed us to show them the ropes and share whatever knowledge we'd been able to scrape together.

Our last day at the Hopital was bittersweet. David, Melanie, Mike, Dale, and Brad left early in the day, we all got up early for a group photo. Talk about a great team building experience that our hospital will surely benefit from. Linda, Gurpreet, Becky, and Emily put in a few more hours of work as help was needed. We had a wonderful send-off from the remaining staff and the translators. What a great group of people. I will be forever changed by this trip to Haiti. A week is not enough time, I fear that I may have gotten more than I gave.

Last 2 photos:
Emily and Becky find Toby in Haiti
The Morrisons in their luxury digs

Everyone Here Has Chest Pain

2010-05-26T20:52:00.000-07:00

Words by Mike

Day two in the urgent care tent. I counted 97 patients seen by myself, Emily and Rick, our uber pediatrician from Los Angeles. A smaller crowd than yesterday. We have tried to apply some simple order to the tent, everything in place before the doors open to the throng waiting patiently outside at 7:30, a triage person taking vitals and simple history, a numbering system for the patients, etc. But the forces of disorder and disorganization are relentless. It began with no "papier" on which to write notes and minutes lost trying to make copies, then endless lack of various this and thats, people jumping the queue while dozens resignedly wait on the benches. Periodically something dramatic presents itself, an asthma attack or a head wound which is ushered through to the ER. Medicine is something of a spectator sport here, the bench people listen avidly to the clinical details related by the patient at the doctors "desk", a crooked tray table cum folding chair. I don't inquire about the comments and jests coming from the gallery.

Some of the patients problems are straightforward, but management never is. Doctors may have been seen before, but there is never a diagnosis by history. Medicines may have been given, but they are unknown. Patients always run out of medicines. But they have no money, and to get a medicine refilled for free requires a long trip to the hospital and a half days wait. Everyone over forty seems to have uncontrolled hypertension. Some tests may be ordered but generally require another visit for "results". Many simple tests are unavailable, even simple things like thyroid function. You can write prescriptions but the pharmacy may not have the medicine or you might have written "incorrectly" so virtually every RX generally requires me to walk down to the pharmacy to see what is there. Many problems result in consultations for nonexistent consultants. For example I've seen several large hernias. Supposedly a general surgeon is coming in two months, so all we can do is take the patient's phone number (or the number of the neighbor lady) and promise that they are being placed on a list to be seen. There are no urologists on the horizon. No ophthalmogist for my lady with the cloudy cornea and eye pain.

Everyone here has chest pain. They also have stomach pain, back pain, headache, palpitations, dizziness, and weakness. But they are worried about the chest pain. The EKG machine does not work. This had been the only available technology for assessing acute chest pain. If ischemia is likely we skip down to the end of the algorhythm and treat with the few medicines we have. But the majority of our chest pain patients have obvious and profound post traumatic stress disorder. You don't have to scratch too deep to encounter sadness, uncertainty, pain and deep anxiety. I think: what can be done for these people? So I walk down to the pharmacy and ask to see if there are any available psychiatric meds. There is a big bottle of diazepam. What else? A ha - I find a bottle of zoloft. Not much, but certainly enough to treat the unemployed school teacher aware enough to frankly write "depression" as his chief complaint. "Oh no no" said the pharmacist, "this (zoloft) is a very very strong and dangerous medicine and you should not give it to anyone."

Another universal complaint is epigastric pain. Haitians are an abstemious lot: few smoke or drink. Few can afford to buy NSAIDS (Ibuprofen). As they live in crowded conditions I suspect H. Pylori to be quite prevalent. But still, why so much epigastric pain? But today the pattern finally emerged. Most people describe a gnawing epigastric pain relieved by meals. Well then, I ask "how many meals a day do you eat?" The answer, in general, seems to be one. Some people eat two. I've yet to find a patient who eats three. And for some, the answer is "Sometimes one - sometimes none". Haiti is hungry. Very hungry.

Pictures: The super cute baby, Becky and Brad hard at work, the uber pediatrician Rich and the preemie.