I have had a pretty busy first week. We currently have 2 babies on oxygen that are staying in a Hospital at Milot. I have been there a few times this week checking up on them. We took a particular little girl to the Hospital this week that has a heart condition. She was very reliant on oxygen as well. Shortly after we arrived we discovered that the oxygen machines at the hospital actually produce less oxygen than our machine at COTP. As things started potentially turning south I found myself watching intently as a Haitian Doctor and Nurse, Two Pediatrician Doctors from DC as well as a Peds Nurse from DC in an attempt to get an IV going to get some medicine in the baby. It worked and the baby immediately started feeling better. We had a good talk with the american Doctors and invited them to COTP which they were pretty excited about.
An hour or so later she started to go downhill pretty fast again. We needed more oxygen quickly. We sent a person to the ICU area to try and find more oxygen. I followed in hopes to speed up the process. I discovered that we were not after a machine, but literally a large oxygen tank with a regulator. We found a person with a wrench that was in charge of putting the regulators on as well as another person with a hand truck bringing an oxygen tank. When I arrived back we discovered that the tank had a leak and I set off for another. When I came back we had a the team of US pediatricians back working on our little one, and she was already doing so much better.
Yesterday I went to the hospital and she was stable and breathing better than she has in a very long time. Praise God! There is hopefully a Cardiologist Doctor coming next week that will be able to diagnose her and get the process of a medical visa started. I reminded the team of pediatricians, mostly from Washington DC that they were welcome to come and visit and they said how about right now! So we all piled back in my truck and we were able to give them a tour of COTP, while here they also checked in on our two premies as well as our hydrocephalous babies. I really enjoy showing off our little place in Haiti. COTP is somewhere to be very proud of. We sure impressed the doctors! After the tour I drove them back to the hospital so they can continue their work there.
When we were back in the states I showed some of you videos of some of the crazy roads. I have learned a new road since being back. It is called the 'surgacane shortcut' There are about 3 spots where it gets 'really' exciting. Words cant really describe the size of the ruts and mounds and bumps, but what I can say is Hang On! It does save a lot of time driving back and forth to the hospital!
Today we had mail day. We have tried really hard to teach people about the mail system. Fedex, UPS, USPS, and DHL all do not deliver in northern Haiti! That is why all packages to us need to be sent to Florida where they will be put on a plane and sent to us usually on Thursday. I took a picture today, even though its not that exciting to us, it shows us unloading our mail from Agape. Once we unload it we have to take it through Haitian Customs and then we take it back to COTP. We received all the stuff that we had originally shipped down today. Thank you everyone who donated blankets, toys, diapers, formula and the such. It is all here now! We will make sure it all goes to good use!
Yesterday was 1 week since we arrived and we are so happy to be here. We are building great relationships, learning our new routine and responsibilities and loving babies. The food has also been great, Waffles, omelets, french toast, as well as some amazing pasta for lunch today!! We have had 3 creole lessons so far, we should be at 6 lessons but I have been so busy during the day that we have had to cancel half of them. Tomorrow I am going to go the the hardware stores to get supplies to start on my long todo list. Hopefully there will be some pictures of some completed projects sometime next week!
Thank you every one for your unconditional support!
-Nick
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