Haiti’s newest tragedy. We need God’s help.

Dear Friends

I have been home with my dying mother, as a son and as a doctor and as a priest. Daily mass, managing her pain medicines, helping in any way I can. I was determined to stay with her to the end, especially since my whole adult life I have been far from home in the foreign missions.

I have to tell you, every day at mass, when I ask mom if she has any special intentions, she says, “for you, for God to keep you strong, and for your mission in Haiti.”

Now we have this huge sadness in Haiti. I told her I have to leave for a while. She said to me, “you have to go. The  problems there are worse than mine.”

Tonight I will drive to Kennedy Airport in New York with Conan Conaboy. We cannot fly to Haiti tomorrow, so we will fly to Santo Domingo. Kieran and Vern Conaway will meet us there, and Robin from Chicago. We will drive to Haiti together to see how we can help.

I know there is extensive damage at our new hospital, that the perimeter walls of all three of our Tabarre programs have fallen. I know there is damage to the hospital walls.

I also know there is severe damage at the old hospital in Petionville.

Lets pray everyone is alright.

I have heard that everyone at the orphanage in Kenscoff is OK.

I will not arrive until Thursday morning, since the border between Domican Republic and Haiti will be closed when we arrive tomorrow. We will find the best way to keep you informed and let you know how you can help.

Let’s stay bound together in friendship and prayer.

God bless us all. especially the suffering people of Haiti, and my dear mother, Gerri Frechette.

Fr Rick Frechette

Joyeux Noel

“Joyeux Noël”, exclaimed Papa Noel as he entered each ward at St. Damien Hospital on Christmas Eve. Thanks to a group of Haitian and American volunteers, each child in the hospital received a Christmas gift bag with toys and clothing. The children were very excited to see Papa Noel as he visited each crib and bed to personally say “Joyeux Noël” and hello to every child while handing them their own Christmas gift bag. One little girl immediately pulled a baby doll out of her bag and put it on her shoulder to burp and comfort it. Some just held onto their bag and didn’t let go! After the gifts were distributed, Papa Noel handed out stuffed animals and a candy canes to all of the children waiting to be seen in the outpatient clinic. The hospital staff who worked both the day and night shifts received a special Christmas snack to thank them for their hard work all year.

After Papa Noel delivered all the Christmas bags on Christmas Eve, activities were provided for the children who were ambulatory. The playroom quickly filled up with eager children, some in their new clothes, making necklaces and bracelets out of colorful pipe cleaners and foam beads, coloring and making pictures with stickers and playing games like bowling and tossing balls.

On Christmas day, the volunteers returned again to the hospital and rounded up the children for movie time. The outpatient clinic waiting room was turned into a movie theater with Frosty the Snowman and The Grinch along with popcorn and popsicles!

“It was a wonderful experience to be able to give a little piece of joy to these children, some of whom did not have visitors on Christmas Eve and Christmas day,” said one volunteer.

This entire event was realized through donations and volunteers. In total over 200 children received gifts.

Tonton Nwel delivers a gift to a St. Damien patient

prepared gifts ready and waiting

Baby Doll

So happy!

Annabell with Tantan Nwel

Kay au Bois – The tree house

Recovering malnutrition baby

The building was named after Boise, Idaho, because the Saint Alphonsus Hospital in Boise sponsored a large part of its construction through Project Haiti. Its 18 rooms over two levels were originally intended to house volunteers and visitors. After a year and a half of being as such, the lower half of the building was converted from its original use to meet a growing demand, a common occurrence in Haiti.

Unlike in developing countries where children can be discharged from the hospital after their condition is no longer critical, many of the patients at St. Damien must remain on site through the entire duration of their recovery. We cannot be certain that the patients will receive proper nutrition, correctly follow the prescribed medical treatment, and/or be able to return for follow-up care if they are released from our care before they are 100% healthy. Thus, the average stay at St. Damien hospital is two months and those who are not always in need of a doctor’s constant supervision are occupying beds that could be used by more severely ill children. In order to alleviate some of this strain, malnutrition and tuberculosis patients, whose stay can be as long as six months, are moved to the bottom half of Kay au Bois for the final phase of their recovery. There, not only are they freeing up expensive hospital beds for more children, but they are also in an environment that is much less clinical. Surrounded by beautiful flowering plants and many toys to stimulate their minds and hasten their recovery, the house is much more hospitable to the children and their parents.

The program was started in July of 2008 and by the same time in 2009, the hospital was admitting an average of 15 more children each month as compared to the year previous. Also, during the day, the nursing staff are able to use their time most efficiently by providing educational lectures to the parents on how to better care for children from proper nutrition to the warning signs of when to bring a sick child to the hospital.

Lunch time!

In Haiti, clean, beautiful facilities have never before been for the poor, those who live on the scraps and the trash discarded by the rich. For this reason specifically, St. Damien hospital is expertly landscaped with beautiful tropical blooms, the hospital is bright, sunny and breezy, and the maintenance staff work tirelessly to keep it clean. For our patrons, those who are used to receiving the scraps, there is a remarkable pride evident on their faces and in their posture when they step onto the grounds of St. Damien. Our mission is to not only treat the clinical ailments, but the spiritual condition as well. This is especially important for our malnutrition patients. It has been clinically proven the bright colors and positive stimulation will speed up their recovery both physically and mentally. For this reason in particular, it is such a joy to visit the children at Kay au Bois; to watch they progression toward health and to experience the positive energy their childlike attitudes provide.

Yum! Sospwa and mais!

Alan sleeping with his cherished game

Valencia and Jessica, two original KOB babies, share a laugh

Employee Profile: Dr. Jacqueline Gautier

At NPFS Hospital St. Damien we are forever indebted to our dedicated, accomplished doctors especially those who have part of our family for many years. One such physician is Dr. Jacqueline Gautier our public heath, HIV specialist.

Much of her dedication and work ethic is evident from her previous career as a star athlete. For eight years, Dr. Gautier alongside her three sisters, one of whom is Dr. Marie Antoinette Gautier and works in the St. Luc clinics, played for an elite soccer club and was selected to play on the Haitian national team at times.

Following school, Dr. Gautier began her medical career at Albert Schweitzer Hospital and made her first connection with NPFS. At that time, the hospice center functioned as a gateway to the St. Helene. New children coming to the orphanage would be treated for any medical conditions and Dr. Gautier was a member of the medical team who treated the children. She became a full-time staff member at NPFS in 1993 as the first medical director when the hospice was transformed into a hospital expanding its treatment to outside members of the community. She left in 2001 to go back to Albert Schweitzer Hospital but came back to us in 2003 as a consultant and then as a full time staff member in 2005.

As for any population, public health is critically important in Haiti. Unlike in developed countries where parents actively vaccinate their children, however, the medical team at St. Damien must campaign in the neighborhood and actively bring the vaccinations to the children in order to ensure that the community is properly protected from the spread of preventable diseases. In 2005 only 58% of children under the age of one received diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccinations respectively compared to 93% in the United States. In addition, while the estimated 2.3% prevalence of HIV in adults ages 15 and older in Haiti is a relatively small percent compared to other undeveloped countries (16% in South Africa, 1.3% in Honduras and 0.5% in the United States), only 20% of pregnant HIV-positive women are receiving anti-retroviral treatment compared to 50% in South Africa¹.

For this reason, Dr. Gautier and her staff are working tirelessly to expand treatment to all children and pregnant HIV-positive mothers at Saint Damien hospital. In order to help families afflicted with HIV, the public health center at St. Damien employs a multidisciplinary team with a psychologist, a social worker, two counselors, two pediatricians, two pharmacists, and five health agents. This effort is not without its challenges though. One particular problem they face is that many citizens of Haiti do not understand how the virus is contracted; many still blame curses for their disease. As a result, HIV-positive mothers who have HIV-negative children may not believe that they in fact have the disease. For a second pregnancy they are less likely to comply with the anti-retroviral regimen and thus put their newborn at risk. Education and treatment are vitally important in combating this disease. Dr Gautier directly reports that she is blessed to work with such a dedicated team in order to achieve this goal.

In addition to their local work and with the financial support of the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), Dr. Gautier and her staff are training other medical personnel to treat HIV patients in other areas of the country. Also, in 2006, she was a member of the team that prepared the first Haitian national guidelines of management of children exposed and infected with HIV.

Aside from her Hollywood-smile, we at NPFS Haiti are blessed for so many reasons that Dr. Gautier is part of our family and that she will continue her good work with us for years to come. Thank you, Jacqueline Gautier for all your dedication to the children of this country!

¹http://www.who.int/whosis/en/index.html

International Day for Disabled Persons – Kay Germaine

December 3rd is internationally recognized as the Day for Disabled Persons and NPFS Haiti special needs programs, Kay Germaine and Kay Eliane celebrated in style!

Emanuel shows off his gift!

After weeks of preparation, all 65 children and their families were invited to a prayer service and talent show put on by some of the students. Dressed in their Sunday best, all in attendance filed into the Kay Germaine school which was festively decorated with crate paper, balloons, and flowers. After a lovely introduction by Gena Heraty, the director of the programs, and principle Yolene Etienne, Phadoul Amisial, St. Damien human resources representative lead the group in a prayer service honoring the children and all disabled people of Haiti. Then teacher by day, master of ceremony by night Marie Carmel Dezil, kept the crowd’s attention as she introduced the acts.

The children wowed the crowd with poetry, dancing, singing, and educational skits then all joined together for a dance party. Afterward, much to the children’s delight, the teaching staff handed out Christmas presents then everyone joined together for mid-day feast.

Cindy and Namie dancing for their fans

Many children in Haiti who are born with physical or mental disabilities are either abandoned or spend their days locked in a room because their families simply do not have the resources to care for them. Alternatively, some of the children are also subject to harmful physical “treatments” meant to cure them of their disorders. Kay Germaine and Kay Eliane offer the children and their families education, physical therapy, and a hot meal in addition to a sense of dignity. This pride was evident on every child’s and every parent’s face throughout the program on Thursday morning. We are so happy at NPFS Haiti that with the expansion of our programs in 2008, we have been able to reach so many more children in 2009 to help them find their place in a productive society!

The video above was lovingly compiled by Molly Hightower, a volunteer from Port Orchard Washington who works with the children in Kay Germaine and Kay Eliane and shows just a small piece of the joy felt by all children at the party.

A mother tends to her child

Yonel in his new Christmas shades

Atyel and Emanuel looking very GQ

St. Damien Success Story – Duvert

Duvert December 2007

At Hospital St. Damien, and in Haiti in general, it is easy to feel as though we are fighting an uphill battle; that there are many more defeats than victories.  Which is why for us to be able to continue, and believe in our work, we must focus on the individual success stories. For one, I remember Duvert.

Duvert came to St. Damien in early 2007 and was diagnosed with scleroderma. His health degraded rapidly and he was eventually confined to a wheelchair as the pain was too unbearable to walk or even been held. Every caretaker around him did not believe he would make it past Christmas of that year. Miraculously, however, the physicians discovered that the child was actually suffering from an autoimmune disorder. After a change in treatment in the beginning of 2008, Duvert came back to life.

And what a beautiful life to have saved! The child is small for his 5 years, but his personality more than makes up for his physical stature. He is quick to hug, smile, and will make up song and dance routines to praise such treats as chocolate cake with icing. He lives with the sort of inhibition that only children who have been so close to death can and charms any person he meets. Most importantly, however, his mother is still able to hug and kiss goodnight at the end of every day.

After spending a year of his short life in a hospital bed, Duvert is now attending school and spending summer weeks visiting his relatives in the south of Haiti. Luckily for us, Jolene, his mother now works for the hospital as a nurse’s aid so we get weekly updates on his progress and the occasional visit from our old friend. I am so happy that this little boy will be able to live a healthy life and continue to bring joy to every person he meets.

Duvert in March 2008 with aforementioned chocolate cake

Duvert after discharge in June 2008

Duvert's handsome smile November 2009

The poorest children of Haiti, those who live in Warf Jeremie and Cite Solei, are the ones who we treat our hospital and who go to our schools. There are many more people living in the slums than we can provide for, of course, but if we can help just a few of these children, then our work here is justified.

Italian Neurosurgery Team Descends upon St. Damien

Dr. Pellis and Dr. Faggin before the operation

Yesterday I had the privilege to be witness as a team of Italian physicians, Dr. Roberto Faggin (neurosurgeon) and Dr. Tommaso Pellis (anesthesiologist/emergency medicine cardiac specialist), worked in concert with Haitian surgeon Dr. Harry Jeudi to repair the spinal cord of a 10-day old girl suffering from spina bifida. The surgery was likely only the second of its kind ever performed in Haiti, the first being performed by the same team of doctors on Tuesday.

Intubation

Dr. Faggin and Dr. Pellis, through NPH Italy and the coordination of Dr. Roberto Del’Amico St. Damien medical director and Ida Venier NPH Italy volunteer, have both donated their time to come to Haiti and will perform 12 pediatric neurosurgeries over their ten day stay. Because of the severe lack of prenatal care and lack of proper nutrition for pregnant mothers, there is an exceptionally high rate of encephalitis and spina bifida in this country. Aside from our visiting doctors, there are few treatment options for these sick children.

Our mission at St. Damien hospital is not just to provide health care for the impoverished people of Haiti, but to provide the best and most advanced medical treatments. For this reason, we are so grateful to all our supporters in Haiti and abroad who make our work possible. Not only are Dr. Faggin and Dr. Pellis giving us their time and skills, but their respective Italian hospitals in Padova and Pordenone have also donated some of the supplies necessary for the operations. In addition, NPH Italy has raised the money necessary to fund the operating costs of the surgery program.

Our surgery program in Haiti is just getting started and we are wrought with excitement about its future! We foresee many more children, like the little girl below, having life changing operations that will let them live long, healthy lives.

Darlene Wins!

Darlene Milord Nominated in Denmark!

Darlene riding in Haiti

At NPFS Haiti we are very proud to announce that our very own Darlene Milord left Haiti today to travel to Coopenhagen, Denmark. She has been nominated in the Against All Odds category for her achievements in equestrianism at the FEI Awards. The award is given to “a disabled rider of any age who has demonstrated that disability is no hindrance to sporting proficiency.”

“Clare Balding, one of the world’s most respected sports broadcasters, will present the new FEI Awards in Copenhagen…A former champion amateur jockey herself, Clare also evented and show jumped in her youth and has a wide experience and knowledge of equestrian sport.”

“The judges, who represent the global reach of the FEI, are chaired by FEI President HRH Princess Haya, who herself show jumped at Olympic level.”

Darlene grew up in our orphanage in Kenscoff in the special needs home Kay Christine which is run by Gena Heraty of Ireland. She, along with other children in the Kay Germaine physical therapy program for children with mental and physical disabilities, have been learning to ride horses as a form of therapy for years. In addition to this award, Darlene was also invited to Miami and to Germany this year for equestrian competitions. We e are on the edge of our seat waiting to hear who wins on November 19^th and will be sure to keep you updated as well!