Jake's Life

New Home for TR

2010-02-16T06:48:00.001-08:00

Team Rubicon now has its own home at teamrubiconusa.org. This site will revert back to its original use as Jake's Life blog.

Please visit teamrubiconusa.org for everything Haiti and Team Rubicon related, including the new documentary trailer.

Commenting Temporarily Disabled

2010-02-15T12:22:00.000-08:00

We've temporarily disabled commenting on the Team Rubicon blog while we move to a new content management platform on a new host. We hope to have this process completed today. Thank you for your patience.

Rubicon Reunion

2010-02-13T23:04:00.001-08:00

Dr. Eduardo Dolhun reunites with Jeff Lang and Craig Parello while travelling to Milwaukee, WI on business.

Bathelmy and Sterlande

2010-02-13T21:04:00.001-08:00

100213 Bathelmy and Sterlande

Wow.

The name of the young man from Manresa is Bathelmy, or Bartholemew, and I commend him to you for your prayers and good thoughts. We found him at last, at the refugee camp this morning. His family name is Silencieux, he is eighteen years old, and he is left-handed. He used to be a construction worker. On January 12th, he was at work when the earthquake struck Haiti. The building he was in collapsed, partially burying him under cinderblocks and trapping his right hand under the corner of a heavy table. He was pulled from the rubble with his hand crushed, and learned that his mother was dead. The next few days were like a bad dream for him. His hand was bandaged by a Haitian doctor the next day, but the doctor had no medicines, no anesthetics, and no way to properly treat the injury. Bathelmy’s sister Sterlande took care of him, but they had very little water and less food. Bathelmy stayed at a place a short distance from the Manresa camp, but he came to the camp each day because Sterlande told him that the Catholic priests would send doctors to the camp as soon as anyone came to help. When our team arrived, he was the first patient we saw. Bathelmy remembered me, and Brother Jim, and Jake, and he remembered our efforts taking care of him and getting him to a hospital. The pain and swelling in his crushed hand eased soon after we treated him, but the surgeons were unable to operate on him for another two days because of the number of patients and the shortage of doctors. When they were finally able to operate on him, they amputated his hand. He survived the operation and the wound is healing appropriately. He no longer has pain in his arm and he will see a doctor again in five days. He was very, very grateful for everything Rubicon was able to do for him. “That [the first day Rubicon came to Manresa] was the first day I felt like I was alive again. I wish you would be here every day.”

Bathelmy’s sister, Sterlande, was at church when we arrived at the camp this morning. After we had talked to Bathelmy, he went with one of our interpreters to find her so that we could meet with both of them at the family’s shelter in the camp. While he was away, Brother Jim and I had a brief and very prayerful discussion of how we should proceed. We both wanted to help as best we could, but I was and am convinced that a simple gift of money would cause as many problems as it solved. Furthermore, both of us felt that Bathelmy still had not come to terms with the extent of his injury and its likely impact on his employment. So we developed a rapid and simple blueprint for a scholarship program. When we had asked him what he intended to do next, Bathelmy had said that he wanted to get more education, including foreign language schooling. Well, the most useful foreign languages in Haiti are English and Spanish. And, he clearly needed new job skills. The teachers at Brother Jim’s school make four US dollars a day, or $20 per week. So, it is possible to live a reasonable existence in Haiti with an income of $80 a month. Jim and I consulted together, prayed together, and settled on a proposal. If Bathelmy wanted to do it, I would provide him with eighty dollars a month as an educational stipend, so that he could continue to survive while finding an education. The curriculum would have to include English and Spanish language training, and a marketable trade or skill that didn’t require the use of two hands. Brother Jim would look in on Bathelmy occasionally, probably once a week. I would return in six weeks to review Bathelmy’s goals and discuss his progress in relation to those goals. I would contribute $240 (3 months’ educational stipend) and do a formal accountability review every 3 months plus additional visits as time permitted. If he made progress relative to an objective standard, I would continue to fund his education for another three months. If he failed to do so, we would at least have helped him survive through the rainy season.

Jim and I knelt together, prayed together, and got up, looked at each other, and shook hands. We were both agreed that this was a plan that could work, that was appropriate to the situation, and that could be scaled up or down appropriately as the situation developed. We then settled in to playing with the local kids, comparing foreign language training (speaking fluent cat, goat, rooster, and lizard with them) while Jim made tiny paper airplanes out of pages from his notebook, and showed the amazed kids how tiny sticks could dance on his fingertips. Frankly it was really cool. If you can’t get a magician for your six-year-old’s birthday party, call a Jesuit brother. Nobody will be disappointed.

We were winding down the lizard-and-stick show when Bathelmy got back. He introduced us to his sister Sterlande, and we went to their family shelter to talk. The shelter was simply a section of ground shielded by a tarp, which was held up by string and a few boards. It was perhaps ten feet wide and twelve feet long; the family’s worldly possessions were collected under a small sheet of plastic, and there was a section of used carpet on the floor, probably six by four feet. Sterlande offered us the only two chairs she had, which would have been good-sized for a fourth grader, but we declined and sat with her and Bathelmy around the carpet. We explained to Bathelmy what we were proposing. He was very surprised, but had no hesitation. He wanted to study accounting, he said, and he would start to study English and Spanish immediately. I promised to return in six weeks to see how his studies were progressing, and I gave him $240 in US currency. I emphasized repeatedly that this was NOT a gift, but an investment in his future, and in Haiti’s future. Frankly, Bathelmy seemed puzzled by the whole thing. It was as though his capacity for being surprised by anything had been shaken away by the earthquake. A building had fallen on him. Okay. His mother was dead. Okay. His hand was gone. Okay. A bearded white guy was giving him money to study English and accounting. Okay. We shook hands (left-handed), and he was ready to get to work.

Where Bathelmy was quietly stoic, Sterlande was quietly amazed. (We had already given her some money as a gift, for her and her family, as she was coordinating care for the needs of everybody including Bathelmy, and had essentially kept her brother alive through the days immediately following the earthquake.) We asked her what she needed, and whether we could do anything for her before we left. She looked like she had been granted one wish by a sweat-stained genie, and couldn’t figure out what to wish for. Jim joked with her a little bit (“He’s got a house in his backpack. Should he set it up for you here, or would you like it somewhere else?”) I swear, I could almost see the little flash of inspiration when Sterlande realized what she wanted to “wish” for. “I would like the same contract he is doing,” she said, indicating Bathelmy. “I went to school but had to stop at the ninth grade to take care of my family. I would like to study English, and Spanish.” What skill do you want to study, I asked her. She didn’t pause for an instant. “I want to become a lawyer.” Right, I said. I found her a blank notebook in my backpack, gave her my last “Dermafill” pen, and reviewed the details of the agreement. This is an investment in her future, and in Haiti’s future. Her studies begin today, and the money she is given is to take care of her personal needs so that she can devote the majority of her attention to her education. I counted out another $240 US (which tapped me out completely; I couldn’t have planned this better if I’d done it on purpose), and shook hands on the deal. Sterlande was quiet and intense in her gratitude. We thanked her for her hospitality, said our goodbyes to her and Bathelmy, and departed.

As we walked down the road from the camp, I felt like a thousand-pound weight was finally off my shoulders. Ever since arriving in Haiti after the earthquake, I have been so frustrated by my inability to do anything more than repair damage. There is so much potential in this country, so much good in the people here, and I have been powerless to do more than put a bandage on their suffering. Today, I feel as though I have finally been able to do something that may prove to be truly constructive. I do not know what Bathelmy or Sterlande will do with this opportunity. I do know that this is the best $480 I have ever spent. I’m not rich, but I can set aside $80 (er, $160) a month, to provide a temporary boost so that two young Haitians can attempt to lay the foundations of a better life for themselves and their country. They may, or may not, continue with this program. If they don’t, that is their choice, but at least they will have had the opportunity. If they do, it has the potential to make a genuinely positive difference in their lives and their future. We’ll see what happens. In the meantime, it’s time for me to go home, spend time with my own family, and get back to work in the emergency room. But now I feel that I can do so with a clear conscience. I’ll take a nap, say goodbye to my friends, and drive back across the border. Assuming that nothing goes awry, I will be in Santo Domingo by morning, catch the JetBlue flight at 5:30 AM, and be home by tomorrow night (the good Lord willing).

As I finish this visit, I no longer feel overwhelmed by the amount of support that has been brought to bear on this situation. I feel lifted up by it, as though a wave is rising up under my feet. I don’t know what the next weeks and months have in store for my brothers and sisters here. But today I feel as though I have been able to put my fingertips on a possible solution for many of the young Haitians who have been most affected by the earthquake. I will pray, and work, and see what I find when I come back.

--Mark Hayward

Searching

2010-02-13T11:01:00.001-08:00

100212 Searching

The earthquake happened thirty days ago today.

Haiti's president declared that today is the first of three days'
mourning and remembrance. The US Embassy, most UN offices, and every
official building (of those that are still standing) was closed today.
And as far as I could tell, the vast majority of Haitian citizens did
NOT stay home. They dressed in the best clothing they could assemble,
and walked to church. And there they stayed for the better part of
the day, preaching, listening, mourning, singing, and remembering.

During the morning, Brother Jim and I drove through the city and
southwest along the coast to Leogane. We were officially providing
transport to the Haitian deputy director of the Foi et Joie (Faith and
Joy) school system. Unofficially, at least in my case, I was still
trying to wrap my head around the sheer magnitude of the earthquake.
And, in the drive, I finally "got" it. When we drove in to
Port-au-Prince three weeks ago, we came in from the northeast. We saw
very little damage until about eight miles from the airport, and even
that was relatively mild. The southern portion of the city, where we
conducted our triage, treatment, and transport operations, was much
harder hit, but we still got to go back to our base camp and get out
of the "flat zone" on a daily basis. By contrast, on the drive to
Leogane, everywhere I looked I saw earthquake damage. Even the road,
which used to be one of the best roads in Haiti, was an oddly artistic
slalom course of cracks and mini-chasms. But what struck me most was
the people gathered amidst all this chaos today. White dresses and
headscarves were the uniform of the day for most of the women. To a
guy living comfortably in a tent with a knapsack of clean scrub tops,
it was frankly humbling to realize the amount of effort that had gone
into finding and cleaning Sunday-go-to-meeting clothes. And the
churches were not full; they were overflowing. Tarps were hung as
awnings for overflow congregations at every gathering place we passed.
Where the churches themselves were damaged beyond use, the people
simply gathered outside. They were there when we left in the morning,
and they were just starting to go home when we made our way back into
the city at mid-afternoon. And they will do the same thing tomorrow
and on Sunday.

The other thing that struck me was the difference in the recovery
operations going on in Leogane and Port-au-Prince. Port-au-Prince
looks like a war zone. It looked that way when I got there a week
after the quake, and it looked pretty much the same today. By
contrast, Leogane looks like there had been a war there, but the war
was over. Some buildings had clearly been identified as
non-salvageable and were now being used as combination rubble piles
and cement-block quarries. Other buildings were actively being
repaired, and in a serious way. The fallen debris had been pushed to
the edges of things -- the edges of the roads, the edges of the
property lines, the borders and margins of the cleanup areas, so that
the rebuilding could take place in a mostly cleared space. The city
was being rebuilt. It wasn't very far along, but it was clearly
moving intentionally and directly toward that goal.

This was what surprised me most about Port-au-Prince when I was
finally able to look at it in context. The city is being cleaned up.
The streets are being cleared, at least enough to get vehicles
through. Crushed buildings are being dug through to recover bodies,
and salvage materials. But the city is not being rebuilt. The
refugee camps are being made progressively more solid, even if the
short time that I have seen them, making the transition from bedsheets
to tarps and tents to wood and cement blocks. But the actual process
of rebuilding the city of Port-au-Prince appears to be stymied by two
factors. First off, the city is like an overstuffed and utterly
disorganized coat closet. In order to get it back into some semblance
of order, the closet has to be emptied out. Port-au-Prince was so
built up before the quake that it is very hard to find empty spaces in
which to pile the rubble while rebuilding. This leads into the second
problem with rebuilding Port-au-Prince. I perceive a lack of decisive
local leadership in the rebuilding process. In other words, I don't
see any concrete signs that the Haitian "government" has any clear
plan for putting this city back together. There may well be a number
of legal issues that further complicate this process (unambiguous and
legally protected property rights would top that list). But everybody
in Port-au-Prince still seems to be waiting to see what's going to
happen in terms of actually rebuilding. Those are just my overall
impressions, for whatever they're worth. I don't know what else to
say about it, other than that's what occurred to me after making the
trip to and back from Leogane today.

So anyway. After we returned from Leogane, I sat down with Jim, and
we discussed what we were going to do for the rest of the day. We
both agreed that we couldn't really move forward any further on the
schools project today. So we resolved to do something that has been
gnawing at me since our first hellish days here: we went looking for
some of our former patients.

Emergency medicine is a somewhat impersonal business, even moreso in
mass casualty situations. You work as fast as you can to properly
identify and treat life-threatening injuries, you stabilize your
patient to the point where they will live until they receive
definitive medical care, and you move on to the next patient.
Psychologically also this approach keeps me, at least, from being
overwhelmed by the seemingly never-ending masses of patients. I do
the best I can, and then I commend that patient into the Lord's care.
If a patient has a chronic or long-standing medical condition,
however, it complicates things. To what extent can an emergency
medical provider devote additional resources to managing chronic
conditions? To further complicate the issue, to what extent can an
emergency medical provider address chronic NON-medical conditions --
which in the case of all my patients in Haiti, included the fact that
they live in one of the poorest countries in the world, and are likely
to be crushed to death by poverty even if they survive the earthquake.

This is a touchy subject for me. I came to Haiti as an emergency
medical responder, hoping to care for patients who had been injured in
the earthquake. But the more time I spend here, the more I perceive
the real problem as being the Haitian government. The rulers of Haiti
have crippled the Haitian economy, raped a beautiful country, and
condemned the vast majority of Haitians to live and raise families in
a continuing cycle of menial labor, odd jobs, and grinding poverty.
The CIA estimates that the average per capita income in Haiti is about
$550 per year and the country was an economic wasteland even before
the quake. Government officials somehow have enough money to buy
Land-Rovers despite modest official salaries, but the foreign aid
money to build roads and schools and hospitals just vanishes away. So
when I treated earthquake victims with crushed hands or rotting flesh
or broken bones, I also had to consider what to do about the
life-threatening pre-existing condition of being an ordinary citizen
in Haiti.

In Haiti there is a profound temptation just to give money away to
people. After all, if a beggar at a stoplight asks for a dollar, I
can certainly afford that, can't I? The problem is, if every foreign
visitor gives a dollar to a beggar at a stoplight in a country where a
teacher only makes twenty dollars a week, then even the teachers will
start begging on the street corner. So, during my time here with Team
Rubicon, I did my level best to provide medical help to people who
needed medical care. We did the best we could with what we had
available, we treated our brothers and sisters as we would want to be
treated if the tables were turned, and we commended them to the Lord
and prayed that they would be OK. And generally I can sleep at night
also. But sometimes I wonder if I've really done enough, and
sometimes, that keeps me up. On a brighter note, sometimes I just
like a particular patient and I want to make sure that he or she is
OK. So today, on this day of remembrance, Brother Jim and I went
looking for the young man with the crushed and infected right hand who
we had cared for on January 18th. We wanted to find out if he was OK.
We wanted to make sure his physical injuries were healing. If we
could do something to improve his current living situation or increase
his odds of making a full recovery, we wanted to find out how we could
help. And I wanted to write down his name, so that I can tell it to
you, so that all of us can can keep him in our prayers. And so, we
went looking for him.

But we couldn't find him.

The camp at Manresa is now a neat collection of well-framed tarps and
individual living areas. The picnic table where we set up our triage
area is now under a giant tarp with a USAID logo. There are many
children, playing with simple but wonderfully designed homemade toys
made out of empty water bottles, twigs, plastic sheeting, and thread.
It was a world away from the grotesque injuries of January 18th. It
felt good to be there, as though we had earned the right to visit.
But the young man was not there.

We will try again tomorrow. However, unlike my last trip to Haiti,
this time I actually have return plane tickets. I fly from the
Dominican Republic Sunday morning, which means that I can stay in
Port-au-Prince no later than 5PM on Saturday. This has become
something very personal to me, but I feel as though I am running out
of time.

--Mark Hayward

Reflections from Brother Jim

2010-02-12T11:39:00.000-08:00

After the last of Team Rubicon left the country my focus has changed from medical to educational. There are now over 40 camps of refugees in Port au Prince with population estimates ranging from 240,000 to 600,000. Each of these camps are filled with children who have been away from school for about a month and wonder aimlessly with little to keep them occupied. Last week some of us were talking about the possibility of setting up refugee schools for these kids, and two days later the Jesuit Province was behind the idea. Foi et Joie, the school system I work for, will be setting up camp schools in three of the largest areas of displaced people in the city. Our estimates are that we will be educating around 7,000 students, something that even raised the eyebrows of our friends over at UNICEF.

As you can imagine, the planning going into this is enormous, and includes recruiting teachers, requesting funding, meeting with other NGO’s, securing tents, classroom materials, and everything else that any school would have. At times it seems overwhelming, but I do have confidence in our team and the products of Fe y Alegria around the world. One walk through the camps lets me see firsthand the tremendous need in the educational area, and rekindles the hope that some of these emergency schools might grow into something permanent.

One last comment… it has been very interesting for me this past month to work with every religious denomination under the sun. I have been with Scientologists, Mennonites, Evangelicals, Jews, Lutherans, and the list goes on. Today in talking with the local leadership of the Mormon Church it was mentioned to me that 85% of the quality education in Port au Prince before the quake was run by the Catholic Church. The man who said this is currently working on getting us school supplies for our refugee schools. I love my Catholic faith tremendously, and that is no secret to anyone who knows me. That said, ours schools in English are called “Faith and Joy,” and that faith is purposely left open-ended. With enough of this faith we can get these schools up and going so the children of Port au Prince do not lose a purpose and a focus for their future.

Following the Water Trail

2010-02-12T11:36:00.001-08:00

100211 Following the water trail

Today was simply delightful! I got to give away presents, hung out
with Brother Jim, got a hug and a kiss from Gary Cagle's nine-year-old
daughter Rachel (via a small pillow pre-loaded with 1000@ hugs and
kisses), and generally did a bunch of miscellaneous and hopefully
useful stuff. The day's focus was on proceeding forward with the
refugee schools, but mostly what Jim and I did was hang out and drive
around, which was just fine with me. He's been doing sustained
disaster relief ops for 30 days, so getting stuck in traffic for most
of the day might have been a welcome change of pace. (Of course, he
was stuck in traffic with ME, so by tomorrow he will probably be
begging to get back to gangrenous wounds and mortuary transport.)

First thing this morning we cracked open the hundred and fifty pounds
of school supplies donated by my Dad, prior to the Jesuit school
coordinating team's morning meeting. Dad's hundred and twenty five
composition books, fifty pairs of scissors, rulers, pencil sharpeners,
erasers, plain and colored pencils, plus the portable whiteboards,
"miniature school" kit, and numerous other supplies for teachers and
students were met with the kind of enthusiasm usually reserved for
Godiva chocolates or a new video game. Jim and I, and the coordinating
team, also discussed a very interesting idea. The schools will feature
English-language instruction, which is one of the most marketable
skills in the world outside the US. However, learning to SPEAK good
English is based just as much on HEARING English spoken clearly by
MULTIPLE English-language speakers. Any idea where we might be able to
rustle up a series of native English-language speakers who would be
willing to sign up (with plenty of advance notice) to come down here
for three or four days of speaking good English to students in refugee
schools in Port-au-Prince? More to follow on this idea as it is
developed...

Anyway, after our early Christmas and morning meetings, our first
field activity of the day was chasing Mormons. Jim's comment on the
matter was that "It's the first time in my life I've ever tried to
catch a Mormon," and needless to say my species proved appropriately
difficult to track down. It was all in a good cause, however. The
Jesuit goal is to set up camp schools for seven THOUSAND kids in
Port-au-Prince. Obviously, we were going to need some serious
firepower on this mission. So, figuring that my fellow Mormons would
have a lot of good ideas on how to organize this sort of thing, we
went looking for them. Jim had seen some LDS Emergency Services
representatives at some of the UN meetings he attends, but we didn't
know where their base was. I figured that we should start at the local
meetinghouses, whose info I had scribbled in my little notebook a few
hours before leaving home. We had gotten as far as the US Embassy when
Jim yelled, "Look! There they go!" A vehicle with a magnetic <<LDS
Emergency Services>> placard had passed us going the other way in
traffic. Like any good driver, I reacted instinctively: flipping a
combat U-turn, running up alongside the marked vehicle, and leaping
out to engage my target. I tapped on the window, which the startled
front-seat passenger unrolled. "Pardon me," I said to him, "...do you
have any gray poupon?" He confirmed that he did not, but I admitted
that we actually wanted to talk schooling issues, and he invited us to
follow him to the LDS Emergency Services HQ, which we did. There, we
met with Brother J. Patrick Reese, who is supervising the LDS
Emergency Services educational activities here. We explained that we
were looking for guidance on how to assemble and equip three schools
for seven thousand students. Brother Reese was obviously interested by
the unscripted meeting with Brother Jim, and as an interesting note,
Brother Reese himself pointed out something that even I wouldn't have
had the chutzpah to ask: that the local model of a good education in
Haiti for all able citizens, including good Mormons, has always been a
Catholic education, and that he and the LDS Emergency Services were
glad to have this linkup with Brother Jim as an on-the-ground
representative of that educational system. While Brother Reese and
Brother Jim both seemed completely familiar with this pre-existing
fact, it was not something that I had thought it politic to ask, and I
am glad that Brother Reese had brought it up, even if only for my
benefit. Brother Reese also informed us that LDS Emergency Service
ALREADY has a container full of unassembled school kits here on the
ground in Haiti. He explained that he couldn't promise anything, but
said that he would look into whether those supplies could be made
available to Brother Jim's refugee schools. Brother Reese finally
mentioned one more item for consideration: that eventually, LDS
Emergency Services may be able to assist in rebuilding some portion of
the schools that were destroyed or damaged in the quake, regardless of
their religious affiliation. When we left the meeting, Brother Jim
looked very thoughtful. "I've never run after a Mormon before today,"
he told me, "but if something good comes of this, I will chase Mormons
MUCH more often!"

Since I was driving, we of course got lost heading home from the LDS
Emergency Services HQ. We found ourselves wandering through a warrenof
twisty little streets (no two alike) in the hilly and rubble-strewn
neighborhood of Peguy-Ville. We probably would have been there still
had we not been passed by a water tanker straining its way uphill to a
refugee camp. After we got back on the road, Jim made a simple
observation. "The truck had to come uphill by the most direct route,
and it was leaking water. Why don't we just follow the drops of water
DOWNHILL, to get back to the main road?" In no time we were back on
track and headed back to the novitiate.

We had been asked to locate some pediatric anti-seizure and other
medications which the doctors from LDS Emergency Services badly needed
to care for some of their patients. Finding the meds at the novitiate
was fairly simple. Finding the mobile Mormon medical teams in the
shaken city was quite another story. As we texted back and forth with
the moving doctors, getting hung up in traffic and barely missing them
repeatedly as they moved (Rubicon-like) from location to location. We
were grinding our way uphill through traffic yet again when Jim said,
"Hey! There they are again!" A different LDS-placarded truck was also
stuck in traffic, inching its way DOWNHILL in the opposite direction.
Again I sprang into action: I drove up onto the curb, set the brake,
and leapt out, shoebox of meds in hand, to dart through three lanes of
traffic and tap on the window of a very startled local LDS driver. I
have no idea what he thought of the sweat-stained, bearded Caucasian
popping out of the median like a jack-in-the-box. I attempted to say
"these medicines are for your doctors", but it probably came out as
"medicate -- doctor -- you -- eggplant!" Needless to say traffic
rolled onward at that critical moment, but as I jogged alongside the
truck, the driver plucked the box of meds neatly from my hand, and we
had made our delivery.

When I got back to our van and back into traffic, it was clearly time
to celebrate with some yummy MREs. So, as we made our way downhill, I
broke open a packet of spaghetti with meat sauce (my all-time favorite
entree). We pulled up at a stoplight, and as I prepared to chow down
on this treasure, I sensed movement out my driver-side window. To my
horror, I saw that we were being approached by the one street-beggar
combo I really can't refuse: a young boy, about eight or nine, holding
out his hand beseechingly as he led an older man, perhaps fifty or
sixty and obviously blind, through traffic towards our vehicle. I gave
up, rolled down the window, and handed the boy the spaghetti and a
spoon. I looked over at Brother Jim, and said, "I just can't eat when
a hungry blind guy is watching me." He sprayed water out of his nose
and laughed uproariously as he passed his own unopened lunch to the
startled pair standing by the van. The light turned green and we
rolled off into traffic. It took us over an hour to cover two miles
back to the novitiate. We laughed the whole way there.

It felt good to see the city bustling with life again after
thismorning's 2AM quiet. It also felt good (though a little bit odd)
to make contact with real aid workers from my own church, although I
certainly feel like a country cousin in comparison with these
well-organized, well-resourced, and quietly competent
professionals.But for me, the best thing was being reunited with my
brother Jim. I hope that I am doing good things for our brothers and
sisters here in Port-au-Prince. I know that this return trip is doing
good things for me. I'm glad that I'm here, and I'm SO grateful for
all of the support from back home, that allows me to come here at all,
and that enables me not to come empty-handed. But I still very much
feel that by being here, I am receiving far more than anything I have
been asked to give. It's humbling, and it encourages me to do my best,
to be of use while I am here, and to be a good representative of my
family, my church, my country, my co-workers, and my friends. Thank
you all for giving me this opportunity to make a second effort so soon
after the first. I will keep you posted on how it all continues to
unfold.

Team Rubicon member Mark Hayward returns to Haiti

2010-02-11T06:14:00.000-08:00

Mark Hayward, a former Army Special Forces medic, returned to Haiti today to provide follow-on medical care to the patients he cared for over two weeks ago. While this is neither an official Team Rubicon mission, nor funded by Team Rubicon, Hayward returned to Port-au-Prince through his own fund-raising effort. "Mark's personal mission wasn't complete without ensuring his patients received follow-on wound care to prevent gangrene and sepsis. I've seen doctors come to Mark for medical advice. When Team Rubicon deploys to the next disaster, this is the guy you immediately call upon, if he hasn't already beat you to the punch by volunteering first." says Team Rubicon co-founder William McNulty. His most recent update is below:

0210 Rue de miracles

Written from the novitiate house at 3AM on Thursday morning.

I set out to reach here, 24 hours ago. It is miraculous that I have arrived, and I do not use the term lightly. It is also a testament to the inspired teamwork of SO many people! The experience also makes me hopeful, and humbles me. Nothing "I" am doing is being done by me alone -- and that gives me great comfort.

For starters, just getting me to the airport needs to be credited to my lovely bride. When the snow started falling, and she saw that I was torn between staying with her, and going forward, she said, "Get out of here; go do what you need to do." And, thereafter, buoyed up by Zak (working alternate flights), Graeme (ditto), Cammie (suggesting I try the Richmond airport), Cheryl (covering my shift), Jeremy (authorizing the swap), Cammie giving me en-route flight updates as I slushed down 95 towards Richmond), my dad (floating me the cash I needed to fund the whole massive mutating operation), and, oh yeah, Cammie (backing me up and staying positive as I traveled), I made it to Richmond.

Similarly, being able to get my bags aboard is directly attributable to a JetBlue customer service rep named Becky. The details are listed elsewhere, but the bottom line is that she CHOSE to help me -- and in that choice, she was backed up by her entire chain of command, including her manager, the JetBlue administration, and the airline policies that empowered Becky to act on her desire to help out. (Go JetBlue!)

Just getting off the ground in Richmond was another masterpiece of teamwork. The runway, plane, and sky were socked with snow. The pilot assessed the situation and decided that he could still direct his team of personnel to get the plane to its destination despite the obstacles. He explained the process to the passengers, got the de-icing crew into position, sent plow teams to clear the runway, had the plane de-iced before the tarmac re-iced, and piloted his aircraft up to where the sun was already shining. Frankly, when that cylinder of aluminum and avionics and applied physics and materials science broke through the clouds, and I felt sunlight on my face for the first time in days, *I* felt as though I had succeeded at something magnificent -- even though all I had done was kept faith in the pilot and kept out of the way so he could demonstrate good planning, good training, and good reflexes. Somebody needs to buy that man a cold (root) beer.

If getting TO Santo Domingo was a masterpiece of "intentional" teamwork, then getting into Port-au-Prince FROM Santo Domingo was "unintentional" teamwork so ridiculously perfect that it proved (like the platypus) that the Lord is both a master planner and a master of improvisational comedy. Arriving alone in the DR with only a rental-car reservation and a big wad of resources, I was acutely aware of my need for SAFETY IN NUMBERS. As I scanned the crowd, a gentleman named Kirk struck up a conversation with me. He was an Emergency Medicine physician from Seattle, and he and four others were trying to get to Haiti. Could I give them any suggestions? So, we crammed six people and a WHOLE lot of supplies into a five-passenger toaster-shaped minivan, and set off overland with only a vague idea of how to even get out of the airport. The team had every skill imaginable, and each surfaced at exactly the right time. Kirk (the doc) spoke Spanish -- very useful in Santo Domingo. Steeve (a professional ballroom dancer) had a Dominican girlfriend -- thus he had Dominican pesos -- very useful if you want to, say, pay a toll, or stop for a bite at a Burger King and order your customary number 3 combo. The team proved to be ever more resourceful and improbable -- to the point where we were chatting about families, and I said (jokingly) to one of the EMTs" seven kids? What are you, a Mormon?" -- and he said "Yes!" -- and ANOTHER guy said "Hey, so am I!" (Anybody want to do the math on the odds of an impromptu six-man medical team, assembling in the DR from DC, Florida, and Seattle, including three MORMONS?!?) Nor should I really be SURPRISED that our trusty iPhones NAVIGATED US WITHOUT A HITCH FROM SANTO DOMINGO TO THE BORDER, over terrain only I had traveled before (while asleep on a pile of luggage), in the middle of the night, OVER FASTER ROADS THAN WE HAD TRAVELLED WITH NATIVE GUIDES ON OUR PREVIOUS TRIP. Now of course the border was closed (it being past midnight... So Kirk explained (in flawless Spanish) for the DR border guards what we were doing, and Steeve did the same (in native Creole) for the Haitian PNH border guards, and they OPENED THE CLOSED BORDER and waved us through... At which point a passing two-vehicle convoy of Haitian businessmen, upon learning that we were going to a specific place to link up with the 82nd Airborne, LED US THERE, all the way from the border. Anybody want to calculate the odds of ANY of this happening, let alone ALL of it happening, all at once?...

So after delivering the doctor, paramedics, and ballroom instructor to their appointed linkup with the Soldiers of the 82nd, I thoughtfully drove back to the novitiate through the sleeping city (guided by my iPhone). The city felt like a ghost town as I drove, but as I look back on it now, I think it would be more accurate to characterize it as a city that is WAITING. For what?

Well, when we were stopped for dinner, Steeve made an excellent point. He said, "If the world acted this way all the time -- the way you guys are doing, coming here to help out -- if we did this all the time, think what kind of a world we would live in!" Later on he mused, "There was so much that has been wrong for so long. I don't say I wanted this earthquake. But maybe all of this, you know, maybe it will be a door, for something better in Haiti."

A learned scriptorian could probably find many passages that discuss the role played by the Holy Spirit in forming and guiding teams of men and women who open themselves up to be led by that Spirit, and thereby make the world better, brighter, kinder, and simply more entertaining. With the Lord's help, I know that we can climb above the snow and the cold and the broken cement, to where the sun shines warm on our faces. I know that there is a Guide more reliable even than the blinking blue dot on a cellphone, that can lead us to link up with brothers and sisters whom we've never met before, and work together towards a world we only occasionally realize that we are missing. As I reviewed very intensely, when the rain began to pour down as we approached Port-au-Prince, many things will still and always be OUTSIDE our control. But we can pray fervently for the Lord's intervention on our behalf, and on the behalf of our brothers and sisters in need; and then, we can get up, and act on the promptings we receive. Maybe the rain will stop (as it did tonight, suddenly as a spigot being turned off); maybe it won't. But we can do our best to make shelter from the rain, for each other.

Retracing my steps

2010-02-11T05:59:00.001-08:00

It's 3AM on Thursday and I am back at the Jesuit novitiate in Port-au-Prince. I arrived here after a short drive from Petion-Ville, down Avenue John Brown, and across Boulevard Jean-Jacques Dessalines. The only living things I saw afoot in the city were wild dogs, and there are plenty of them, looking sleek and well-fed. I also saw a fire burning in a dumpster, three enormous arc lights illuminating rows of dump trucks and earthmovers parked at three intersections, and occasional PNH vehicles. Other than that, nothing is moving. It's like being in a ghost town. Frankly, unsettling.

My trip from Virginia to Petion-Ville was more hectic, but no less surreal. At three o'clock Tuesday afternoon, when Delta cancelled my Wednesday morning flight into Port-au-Prince, things went into full chaos mode. Cheryl was kind enough to cover my Tuesday night work shift so that I could get on the road, but the question of where to go wasn't entirely clear. I'd been asked to safeguard a shipment of medications via private jet out of south Florida, but the meds got stuck in Ohio in the same storm that cancelled my flight. So, I bought tickets on JetBlue, flying from Richmond to Santo Domingo by way of Fort Lauderdale. The only problem was, the same snow that shut down Reagan and grounded the meds in Cleveland was between me and Richmond. My wife and I asked for the Lord's blessing, and I drove off into the snow.

The hour-long drive to the Richmond airport took three hours. More troubling was the fact that JetBlue had cancelled their 7:30 flight on the exact same route as my 9:30 tickets. When I pulled in to the airport parking garage, the snow was so heavy that I couldn't see across the roadway to the terminal building. But, my lovely bride confirmed that the flight was still scheduled to go. Furthermore, she was able to confirm that my travel insurance policy didn't cover me if I got cold feet and decided to drive south for another shot at a private jet ride out of Florida, no matter how much snow was falling on my departure airport. So I took a deep breath and got in line with my bags, steeling myself for a two-day ordeal of flight delays, excess weight fees, and generally NOT getting to Haiti.

The baggage was the very first problem. I had packed two Wal-Mart suitcases with medications and school supplies that I knew were needed in Port-au-Prince. Brother Jim is starting a network of schools in the refugee camps, and he has plenty of students, but no supplies. I was able to put together a good first batch of materials, thanks to an all-night Wal-Mart, a template for school kits from providentliving.org, and a very generous donation from my dad. The problem, as I realized while standing in line reading the baggage policy, was that only one fifty-pound bag is authorized as check baggage when you fly JetBlue to the Dominican Republic. Even my smaller bag (full of pencils, erasers, rulers, colored pencils, sharpeners and so forth) weighed more than fifty pounds. The other bag was closer to 100 pounds. I prayed. The customer service representative, a lovely young lady named Becky, waved me forward. I smiled as brightly as I could and put my smaller bag on the scale. 57 pounds. Becky looked closely at me, at my MEP scrub top, at the caduceus on my hat and my generally shopworn appearance. Where are you going, she asked. Back to Haiti, said I. Are you a doctor, she asked. Physician assistant, I corrected, compelled by uncharacteristic honesty. Close enough, said Becky, let me see if I can waive all of your baggage fees and let you take both bags. She stepped away, spoke briefly to a manager, gave me a thumbs-up.

I drove in to the city to deliver passengers (one doctor, three paramedics, and a professional ballroom dancer) to the 82nd Airborne.

-Mark Hayward

TR working in DC

2010-02-10T12:49:00.000-08:00

The show must go on

Despite blizzard conditions in Washington DC, Joylon Hoff of Third Story Films interviews Jake Wood, Clay Hunt, Dr David Griswell and William McNulty for an upcoming documentary. A film trailer will be released next week.

Clay and Jake Lobbying Congress for Veterans Rights

2010-02-10T09:47:00.000-08:00

Small Earthquake Hits Near Chicago

2010-02-10T07:03:00.000-08:00

A small earthquake in northern Illinois set off car alarms, knocked books off the shelves and jolted scores of people awake at 4 a.m. Wednesday, but otherwise caused no serious damage, officials said.

Wheels up for 2 more TR members

2010-02-10T06:55:00.001-08:00

Gunny and Dee, the last two members of TR2 (minus Gary Cagle) departed Haiti Monday, and are back home safe and sound in New York. The folks in the attached picture (L to R) are: Edmund Lo (Jesuit Novice, and first "local recruit" to TR), Mac McCormick (Gunnery Sgt, USMC (R)), Dee Spina (RN), and JJ Aerulus (Haitian translator and all around good guy).

The picture was shot as they were heading out to the airport in a tap-tap. The only original members of Team Rubicon still in country are Brother Jim and Gary. Jim is doing his typical SJ stuff (currently setting up schools in the refugee camps), and Gary is now working for the WHO (He has been hired to "fix" the problems with their medical logistics warehouse and system here in Haiti). The mission continues....

Milwaukee Bar Offers "Rubicon Shots"

2010-02-06T11:08:00.001-08:00

Team Rubicon Co-Founder Jeff Lang walked into a random local bar this past week and found that the bar owner was supporting Team Rubicon in his own way, with "Team Rubicon Shots" out of a bottle of Jim Beam.

God Bless Milwaukee.

Hayward on SoMdNews.com

2010-02-05T12:10:00.000-08:00

Acting on the urge to help victims in Haiti
Hayward offers treatment after quake

The devastating earthquake that hit Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on Jan. 12, was more than a news story for Mark Hayward. He saw the images on TV and immediately recognized places he had been, streets he has walked and thought of people he knew.

Hayward, an emergency medicine physician assistant at St. Mary's Hospital, worked in Haiti as a medical officer for a team of United States law enforcement personnel for three months in 2009.

"It was very personal," he said by phone this week from his home in King George, Va.

"I got a text message from a friend driving to work that night and got updates throughout my shift," he said. "It was evident very early on that it was a huge disaster."

Hayward was familiar with the poor infrastructure in the country and could only imagine the damage. The next day, he was in constant communication with as many friends as possible, and glued to the TV screen. At about 3 a.m., after not being able to sleep, he decided he had to do something.

He contacted major aid organizations, the American Red Cross and Doctors Without Borders, to offer his assistance. He explained his medical background, including time as a Special Forces medic with the U.S. Army. He told them he had worked in Haiti and was willing to deploy to help. The response was not encouraging.

"They said, ‘Thanks, but we have it under control, just send a donation,'" Hayward said. "At the same time I'm talking to guys on ground, and I asked them what they saw in terms of need. I was told it was total chaos."

Hayward even contacted his former employer from his work in Haiti, who welcomed his help, but told him to wait until they could figure out terms of a contract for their services.

Hayward couldn't wait anymore. With the support of Medical Emergency Professionals, his current employer which staffs St. Mary's Hospital's emergency room, and hospital Vice President Mark Boucot, he was preparing to leave for Haiti. He bought a ticket to Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic with his own funds and got the go-head to take off.

MEP completely supported his efforts and continued to pay his salary while co-workers covered his shifts.

"How could we not? I think our whole organization had been seeing what was going on and just feeling sick at the very thought. [Emergency room] departments are very team oriented and have to be staffed 24 hours a day, so if someone leaves someone else has to cover," said Dr. Thai McGreivy, a managing partner with MEP, which is based in Germantown. "All of us wanted to do something. So we all stood behind one, and he served as a representative down there for us."

Hayward loaded a large suitcase with wound and traumatic injury supplies donated by St. Mary's Hospital. He packed another bag with supplies donated by Harder and Harder Associates, a Virginia-based company which makes specialized combat medical kits. He took another bag of personal gear and left for Santo Domingo on Jan. 16.

He had no specific plans for what he would do when he got there. On a shuttle bus to a connecting flight in Philadelphia, Hayward met Will McNulty and realized they were both headed to Santo Domingo to provide disaster relief in Haiti. McNulty was part of Team Rubicon, a grassroots team of volunteers, which welcomed Hayward's assistance.

When they arrived in Santo Domingo, he met the rest of the team, which included a former Marine intelligence officer, a Marine sniper, two firefighters, two doctors and a Jesuit monk. Team Rubicon, founded by McNulty, fellow former Marine Jake Wood and Milwaukee firefighter Jeff Lang, was formed through social networking and casual meetings. They quickly raised more than $200,000 and traveled to Port-au-Prince to provide medical services.

Wood described the team to Catholic Online as "an incredible success story that began with two phone calls and a Facebook post. It has grown into a model for disaster relief that must be paid attention to. All but two of the original eight members had never met in person before, yet the team was able to cross into Haiti and save thousands of lives because they acted."

On Sunday morning, Jan. 17, the team made the long drive into Port-au-Prince. They set up shop at a Jesuit monastery Sunday night, and immediately started to see patients. The following day, they went into the southeast part of the city.

"It was kind of like going to hell," Hayward said. "We went to an impromptu refugee camp inside the city near a Jesuit school. All we knew was there were about 900 people in the camp who hadn't received any medical attention."

Hayward's first patient was an 18-year-old boy whose fingers were smashed by falling cinderblocks. Gangrene had set in. Their job was to clean it up as best they could, then find a hospital where the hand could be amputated.

"The whole day went like that," Hayward said. "We saw from 200 to 300 patients that Monday. Probably 100 had wounds like that one. Probably another 100 had significant fractures that hadn't been treated for close to a week. I had never seen anything like that in my entire life. The utter lack of the most basic medical care for these people blew me away."

As the days went on, the team provided first-response medical care to hundreds of patients at numerous locations. They also assisted with medical procedures at a general hospital with other volunteer medical teams. Some of the work involved providing first-aid care and prepping wounds for further treatment, but Hayward said there were some cases that he never expected to be involved in as a physician's assistant.

"I was saying ‘What the hell has gone wrong that I'm taking care of this kind of wound?'" he said. "If I was back in the States, I wouldn't have touched any of this kind of stuff. Frequently down there, I would say ‘If we don't do this, it's not going to be done, so we're going to the best we can.'"

Hayward spent more than 10 days working in Haiti and said he would not hesitate to do it again. His only regret was that he couldn't get there sooner.

"One of the big reasons we're doing this interview is to make sure folks in Southern Maryland know of all the good stuff done behind the scenes by folks in Southern Maryland to help out," he said. "The other reason we're talking is because I believe very strongly that if something like this happens again probably what we'll see in the news and hear from big aid organizations is probably going to be the same … There's a critical gap between when something like this happens and when big aid organizations are able to get their teams together to make something happen. That's where the need is for small volunteer groups."

Hayward said it was hard to leave Port-au-Prince knowing there was more assistance needed. However, by that time additional medical response teams, many much larger than their team, had arrived.

"It was [hard], but it was time to go," he said. "It was time for us to get out of the way and let them do their work."

WKOW TV Interview with Jake Wood

2010-02-05T06:50:00.000-08:00

LINK HERE

TR Members Head to Congress

2010-02-04T22:00:00.000-08:00

In keeping with Team Rubicon's military heritage, TR members Clay Hunt and Jake Wood are heading to Washington DC this weekend for seven days of meetings with congressmen and senators. While this is not a Team Rubicon sanctioned mission, be rest assured that Jake and Clay will represent what today's veterans are capable of achieving off the battlefield, and will make every inroad possible to ensure that Team Rubicon's model for disaster relief reaches the ears of those with the ability to take it to the next level.

Here's a link to the veteran's representing the IAVA in Washington LINK

SPRINT NOT WAIVING CELL PHONE FEES

2010-02-04T21:36:00.000-08:00

Ladies and Gentlemem! It's time for the Team Rubicon army of supporters to unite once more!

Remember our little 'incident' with American Airlines? Where they initially charged me for extra bags full of medicine on my flight to Haiti? Well, because of your outcry they reversed those charges and wrote me (aka US!) a personal letter of apology.

Well, Big Business is at it again, and Sprint-Nextel does not want to waive the roaming charges incurred on my cell phone while in Haiti. I just got off the phone with a very nice lady named Jackie, tonight's floor supervisor, who said, "my hands are tied."

Well Jackie, that's okay, because you were kind enough to give the Team Rubicon masses the email address of your CEO, DAN@SPRINT.COM. Dan has an 'executive escalation team' that handles these sorts of things.

So here's what I need you to do- write Dan, and ask him kindly (emphasis on KINDLY) to remove the $188.26 in charges on my bill. Simply put "Team Rubicon Haiti Reimbursment" in the subject line, and then fire away. It might help to add that T-Mobile and ATT already reimbursed other members of the team.

Thanks, and don't say we don't pinch our pennies at Team Rubicon!

One of a Kind Auction Proceeds to TR

2010-02-04T08:06:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends,
I have exciting news from IDEX! Helen has decided to offer a one of a kind doll for auction. We wanted to give you the opportunity to have her for your very own. By bidding you'll be helping the relief efforts in Haiti as all proceeds from the winning bid will go to Team Rubicon. Read on to learn more. To take a peak at Baby Aisha click here: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/kishandcompany , or just visit the Photo Section and look for her name.

Baby Aisha
Is a new sculpt that was meant to debut at IDEX dressed as an angel. Instead, this first sample from the master mold is being offered for auction to the highest bidder. Aisha has been hand-painted by Helen in a pale teal dress accented in pink ribbon with shoes by Boneka. Her wig was hand-made by Helen and is tied with small pink bows. One hundred percent of the highest bid will be sent to Team Rubicon to aid in their relief work in Haiti.

Best Regards,
Katherine for Kish & Company

Jake Wood Interview

2010-02-04T06:23:00.000-08:00

Hugh Hewitt talks with Team Rubicon co-creator Jake Wood about their recent mission to Haiti, and what their plans are for the future.

Click here to listen

Triumphs in the midst of Tragedy, by Clay Hunt

2010-02-03T21:15:00.000-08:00

WOW. Now that I have decompressed a little bit from our recent work in PaP, it's time for me to reflect a little on what we did, and try and hold on to the compassion and dedication that bonded us all together as members of Team Rubicon 1.

In the midst of the worst devastation and suffering I have ever seen (and I've seen enough to last me quite a while), I saw many awe-inspiring actions and events take place every single day, and almost every minute we were there. While I saw sadness, grief and despair far flung and widespread, I saw other things that gave me comfort and hope. I saw the smiles of hundreds of children, the gratitude of their parents and siblings, and feelings of peace and reassurance expressed by all of our patients. These people are suffering horribly, but we were able to bring them assurance: that there are people in the world who care enough about them that we are willing to risk our own health and safety just to come help them, and treat them in their darkest hour. We were able to bring peace to so many: the people who we met know that they will not be forgotten by the outside world, and that we will be there again when and where they need us. That was truly amazing to be a part of, and was humbling and reassuring to us all.

Being able to come together with the other members of this team and accomplish a common goal, under the circumstances we were faced with is beyond comprehension to me. How I found the team on my own is a story in itself, I'll just say it was sketchy at best, but I found 'em and was able to get to work within 3 hours of landing at PaP airport, and I'll never forget the relief I felt when I found the Team and they needed another set of hands. Certain events that helped us continue our mission happened right when they needed to-We needed a vehicle we could use as an ambulance; poof, it was there and we were able to put it to use. We needed a place to set up, and all of a sudden we had a garage that was perfect to use as a triage/wound care/OR clinic. Whatever we needed pretty much just fell in our hands. What we needed most were experienced, smart, selfless people who were willing to accept certain personal risks in order to accomplish the goals of Team Rubicon. They quietly showed up and asked for no real recognition whatsoever, and were more than ready to help. I will hold these men and women in my heart forever.

On a personal level, I found more in Port Au Prince than I knew I was missing. I cannot tell you how good it feels to be able to go into a rubble strewn city in a third world country, and to be able to do good without wondering if everybody is about to start shooting at you. I found a renewed sense of purpose for myself that has been missing since I separated from the USMC, and I found myself in the company of a band of brothers once again- absolutely priceless. I was able to treat and to help provide reassurance to the many patients I saw- whether it was just dressing changes, wound cleaning and care, or setting a young man's broken arm so that It will heal correctly. I was constantly challenged, out of my element from a medical standpoint, and Doc Griz, Mark, Zak, Seth, Karem- you were always ready to teach me so that I could do it on my own the next time. Thank you for that.

Lastly, and I'm still mulling it over, were my experiences observing and talking with Brother Jim. Jim, you've inspired me with your wisdom, serenity, willingness to act, absolute absence of fear, and compassion towards everyone you meet. I feel very lucky to have gotten to know you. Thank you for all you did for us.

Team Rubicon 1, we did a magnificent job, with little resources, and their are thousands of lives that have been saved or made better because of our work. Don't let that memory slip away from you, and turn to it when doing the right thing seems impossible, or just inconvenient. I now count you all as family, and I can't wait to work together once again.

Jake- your leadership, insight, and presence of mind continue to amaze me. Much love, brother.

- Clay Hunt
Team Rubicon

Dr. Fuchs Describes His Job at CDTI Hospital

2010-02-03T20:07:00.000-08:00

hey jake,

thx for all your help . recall we arrived late in your tour about 2 -3 days before change over. i know mike and mike did great work out in the field. the hospital team myself,shane and nadege were able to get oriented with dr michele and essentially coordinated the or for our stay. we completed and estimated 80-100 surgical cases during our time .we treated both peds and adult cases and did alot of stabilizations,ex fix,fx plating,washouts and amputations. we appreciate your leadership and assistance. we departed with the asst of the airforce on a c16 and arrived at homestead afb fri

Paul Fuchs DO
Surgical Treatment of Spinal Disorders
OSSWF
Fort Myers,Fl

Rocklin firefighter returns from Haiti after 10 days of volunteering

2010-02-03T10:05:00.000-08:00

ROCKLIN, CA — Zachary Smith, a Rocklin firefighter paramedic, returned Sunday from ten days of volunteer service in Haiti with Team Rubicon. Team Rubicon is a self-financed, all-volunteer, rapid response, medical rescue team. The former Marines, soldiers, firefighters/EMTs, medics, and nurses of Team Rubicon are all unpaid. The group of selfless volunteers from all over the country

Read Article here

View Slideshow from Zach

Dermafill: "This dressing is a life saver!"

2010-02-03T06:22:00.000-08:00

As you know, Chasing Lions LLC donated $208,000 worth of Dermafill to the Haitian rescue effort. In addition to Dermafill, Chasing Lions also donated the services of our chief medical officer, Dr. Mauricio Consalter, as well as myself to assist in treating patients during this disaster. We spent a little over 1 week seeing a variety of patients with a multitude of injuries caused by the initial earthquake, and countless injuries caused by the poor living conditions that the Haitian people were forced to live in. Our donation and aid were given to a small team, Team Rubicon, who went out to the refugee camps and surrounding areas to treat those who were unable to get to medical facilities and had not received any medical treatment. I worked alongside several volunteer doctors, physician assistants, nurses, and medics; treating over 2,000 injured and countless sick Haitians. The medical professionals I worked beside all had great things to say about Dermafill. The most common observations regarding the product were: the pain reducing abilities; ease of application; versatility of use; elimination of dressing changes; vast reduction in need of follow up appointments; and ability to assure a clean and infection free wound until the wound healed.

In the field, we found ourselves unable to carry enough pain medication to comfort our patients for the duration of their injuries. We were unable to prescribe pain-relieving medications. With Dermafill, all of the patients reported a significant reduction in pain after application; enough that a series of analgesics was no longer necessary to ease their recovery. This was a tremendous help in reducing the equipment carried into the field, and increasing patient satisfaction. The last thing we wanted to do was complicate the treatment of suffering patients with unnecessary medication.

Dermafill was simple to apply; utilizing nothing more than the membrane and saline. The rapid, and simple, application allowed doctors to see, assess, and treat the more critically injured patients. It took less time to treat the injuries than it did to have the assessment questions translated. This allowed our team to treat a greater number of patients more efficiently without any reduction in effectiveness. We saw and treated hundreds of patients every day; and team feedback pointed to Dermafill being responsible for easing the heavy workload.

Dermafill is a true skin substitute so we were able to apply it to most injuries that affected the skin - from major lacerations caused by falling bricks, to camp fire cooking burns. Dermafill certainly was not a cure-all, but it was effectively used to treat numerous types of injuries. Unfortunately, we saw almost all the injuries Dermafill is indicated for during our time in Haiti.

One of the significant problems when treating major wounds in the field is ensuring that the wound remains dressed correctly while the patient heals completely. Our team was faced with a difficult proposition: instruct an uneducated population on proper sanitation methods for cleaning and redressing wounds - all through translators - and supply the injured with enough sterile materials to conduct these dressing changes. This was not an option. Even if we successfully relayed how to change the dressings properly, we could not guarantee the supplies would remain sterile. This could do more harm than good. The other choice was to utilize a dressing that remained intact until the wound healed completely. The choice was simple: use a single application of Dermafill that required no dressing changes.

Most of the patients we saw were unable to get to the few medical facilities in Port Au Prince. And almost non of them had seen a medical professional when we arrived. That being the case, expecting patients to make their way to appropriate facilities for follow ups was unrealistic. Dermafill allowed us to treat wounds without having to follow up for dressing changes or wound inspections.

The conditions in Port Au Prince were unsanitary and the patients we saw all had infection present in the wounds we treated. Every wound needed extensive cleaning, some with field surgical debridement. After cleaning the wounds, we applied Dermafill and were relieved knowing the wound would remain free of infection and debris. Traditional dressings do not offer the same reassurance. In fact, any other dressing would require several dressing changes and a clean environment in which to perform them. This increases the risk of infection significantly. With Dermafill, we could rest easy knowing that our efforts were not futile, and that each patient we treated was quickly on the road to recovery.

I cannot begin to tell you how many times, and in how many ways, Dermafill helped us in our efforts in Haiti. I can only quote Dr. Griswell from the Virginia Medical Center, "This dressing is a life saver!" I am beamingly proud I was a part of this wonderful team, and that my medical services could be put to use in such a time of need. I am equally proud of Dermafill, and elated that I could bring this wonderful product to such a crisis and help thousands of suffering people.

Respectfully,
Zak Beck
President
Chasing Lions LLC
www.chasinglionsinc.com
Sales (773) 899-3079
Fax (877) 588-1076

TR2 Discovers Executed Haitian Bodies

2010-02-02T09:29:00.000-08:00

Warning: Graphic Photos
On January 28th, we were out searching for tent cities that were not receiving wound care. We were, thankfully, not having any luck. So we decided to stop by a Force Ten medical tent and offer assistance. We spoke with the Medical Director there, a delightful gentleman who happens to be a thoracic surgeon in Britain. They did not need our help and were planning to close early. They were seeing very few injuries and they weren't significant. He also stated that they had been hearing gunshots for several nights outside their headquarters. He thought that it reflected gang activities. He was of the opinion that his organization would stand down soon.

On the morning of January 29th, on the way to CDTI we noticed a body in the street. Brother Jim and I decided that we would go back that afternoon and have it properly disposed. When Brother Jim, Gunny and I went back that afternoon, the police were there and said they would take care of it. Closer inspection revealed that the hands were tied behind his back and it appeared to be an execution. We were more than happy to have the police handle this. As we were leaving, a policeman chased us down and told us that we could help by helping dispose of another body in another part of town. We agreed to go over there. When we got there we found TWO bodies that were decomposing and both of them had their hands tied behind their backs! These were not earthquake victims, these were crime (possibly gang) victims. It appeared to us that messages were being sent. We unanimously agreed that we wanted no part of this and gladly gave some gowns and gloves and masks to the police so that they could handle this. I continue to increase in respect for Brother Jim and Gunny's good judgment.
If this does reflect gang activity, this would be just about the last thing the Haitian people would need. Sorry to have to talk about this, but we need to be aware.
John Griswell, MD

Warning: Graphic Photos