Saturday, September 25, 2010

ve been really bad about writing lately. I keep meaning to write about Stefanie's amazing eye surgery, my birthday in Haiti, and about being shot by two film crews. (MOM - not shot with bullets, shot with cameras.) But there are never enough hours in the day, and those of you who know me well know that I am always spreading myself too thin.

So here's the important stuff for tonight:

I'm safe, my staff and volunteers are safe.

Tropical storm Matthew hit us unexpectedly... We were in the car when it hit - dodging falling trees and pieces of metal roofing - and for the first time since June, I am grateful to NOT be in the field hospital. I can't even begin to imagine what would have happened if the tents of the field hospital would have come down on 150+ patients. Our hospital is okay, but many of our partner NGOs sustained damage, most notably J/P HRO... Whose medical facilities and volunteer living area was destroyed. Beth (their CMO) called me on her way down to transfer a child with an acute abdominal injury. The big tree fell on the x-ray tent, no idea if the machine is functional. Their hospital literally blew away. The tent their volunteers sleep in is destroyed, and she has no idea where her stuff is. Sitting on the back of the truck bed, she told me "I grabbed my passport, but I don't know where anything is. Not even my bible."

I made them an emergency kit for tonight (emergency meds, bandages, IV fluids and start kits, basically an ambulance in a box), and sent up all of the clean, dry scrubs that I've had donated over the past few months (as well as my birthday cake... Beth looked like she could use a little something sweet.)

At 6am, Ryan and I will be taking up a crew to assess their supply needs and assist with triaging and the rebuilding of their hospital. I'll keep ya'all up to date on what's going on.

(photos attached were taken during our wild car ride back to the hospital - thanks for keeping us safe Jenkins!)