ABoverCs: The Blessings That Come From Listening

Monday, March 8, 2011- Ferrier, Haiti 6

"Today was day two of the clinic. I went back to the school with Sharon and Jim. We took pictures of Kids who that were replacing others and who do not have sponsors. There were 25 new kids we took pictures of who needed sponsors from Jackson's school, however he said there were more than 100 who still need sponsoring...

Mom and Jeveline

Joraldine- my sponsored child

I dont like homework either

Somebody sponsor Jimmy

After lunch we went to the market. There I met a man named Andre, who was trying to talk to us. I told him I did not speak creole, but I spoke some Spanish. So he started talking to me in Spanish. I tried to understand as much as I could. He said he saw us at Baraka on Sunday. He is from Ft. Liberte. He asked us where we were from and then told us about Haiti. "There is no clean water" he says to me "It is always hot and a lot of people are sick." He asked where we were staying and when we would be back. It made me feel so good to finally be able to communicate with someone one on one. I only wish my Spanish was better. By the end of the conversation there were a lot of people around us laughing at both of our communication misunderstandings and nodding when they understood some of our conversation. He said thank you to us so much when our conversation ended and repeatedly kissed my hand. He said he was so glad to have someone to help, some friends to help...."

Andre and Me

Thinking back on when I spoke with Andre, I realize how speaking with him humbled me in so many ways. When he spoke to me, he got a chance to talk about Haiti as he saw it. What he felt they needed and what he thought of us. That is something we always question while there- what do they think of us? Andre showed me that all he really wanted was someone to be there with him. He just wanted a voice. Someone who can hear their views, their problems, their ideas. Sometimes listening is the best way to help. I was able to listen to some of the people on the trip who worked in the clinic talk about some experiences they had and what effect it had on them. I really wanted to know how this trip affected someone other than myself, and I was interested in hearing what they had to say. I tried to write as fast a I could so that I could get down everything they said without interrupting them since I did not have a tape recorder. Mistee Spry allowed me to share her thoughts on my blog. What is to follow is what she said about her day at the clinic:

Mistee working with a patient

Mistee: "There was an older woman who was nearly blind. I took her to Dr. Johnnie. She was so sweet and beautiful and before I even started doing triage she started thanking me. She was so full of need, but she was still thanking me. She was dressed up with her hat and had come to the doctor. She was riddled with arthritis. She came with a younger person and they left her so Dasney found someone to take her home. She had vision problems, pain in her abdomen, and her knees were hurting. We couldn't do much but give her pain medicine and Ibuprofen. I will always remember the dignity of the old ladies here...

Another patient was the little girl was saw at the end of the day. She was five- years- old. I have never seen anything like that on anybody's foot, especially a child's. The girl came over because her mother was standing by the door after we were closing and told her to come go to me. She was so compliant and the only time she cried was when Georgine pulled the rocks out of her feet. She was a little nervous and heart was beating so fast. After we gave her some candy she calmed down..."

Future Dr. Ricky

"I enjoyed hearing other's stories and thoughts on things that they experienced. I was talking to Ricky yesterday and asked what he wanted to do when he graduated. He is 23 years old and in the 12th grade. He wants to become a doctor and said he would rather go to school in the Dominican Republic or the U.S. The Dominican Republic would be easier he told me, they have great schools there. Dr. Rob has been allowing him to work under him in the clinic. He said he Ricky is doing great, he just sits back and lets Ricky handle things. When speaking with Dr. Rafael, Ricky said he would love to be a doctor but did not want to live in the States. If he could he would rather come back to Ferrier and help his people. They say he is a good student and works really hard to understand things that he has trouble with. They have a full- time doctor here now, Dr. Johnnie. He went to school in the Dominican Republic. With a full-time doctor and a new clinic, they will be able to keep records of people and begin to have regular check ups.

I saw a man with a prosthetic leg today in the clinic. His left leg was amputated below the knee. He got hit by a truck on his motorcycle and had to get his leg amputated. It was interesting to see that he had a prosthetic, that is something that unfortunately seemed out of place to me. He was complaining of itching on his legs, I told Rob I thought it was phantom pains, and he agreed. His prosthetic looked like it was made specifically for him. It was the correct size and length, with all the socks that I have seen on my grabby's prosthetics. It made me wonder where he had to go to get it...

Hygiene is a serious problem here. That along with maintaining a clean water supply. If clean water is available 80% of sickness will be cut out. Most women seen in the clinic have vaginal infections. Such necessities such as water and good hygiene really need to be addressed...