Thursday, January 28, 2010
Bicol Clinic Foundation and Green Children's House Fundraiser Event
Green Children's House Foundation in partnership with Bicol Foundation will build educational institutions and wellness clinics with 100% of the proceeds raised.
-Fundraising event for Green Children's House International
- An Award winning Montessori School
- Will enable teacher training and social workers
- Open-air classroom
-Create a model for multiple sustainable schools in Haiti
- Create Wellness Center next to each School
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
In Response to the After Shock
...just when the relief aid had a working system, this tragedy happens...today everyone in the hospital was moved outside in the blaring heat and direct sunlight. So many deaths because we weren't allowed in the buildings as they had to be checked. Many buildings look safe and then with a little push, collapse killing or crushing everyone inside...an american reporter had to jump from his window or balcony to avoid being killed. When we arrived at the hospital, he had a neck brace on and was laying on a stretcher.
Day 1-2
On day 1, we flew into Santo Domingo and as we were leaving the airport, my dad, Dr. Schuster, met another doctor and a nurse and invited them to fly on our charter plane...along with three photo journalists (two from America, one from Sweden)...then two Hatian-Americans and invited them along as well. They offered to work with us as translators and also provided us a place to stay at one of their aunt's guest homes. We all sleep outside in a tent as no one is safe to stay indoors.
We started clinic on day two--waking at 4:30am. We work until approx. 5:00pm--we leave before dark for safety reasons. We do not eat a real breakfast or lunch...only a Power bar. We then have dinner at the guest house.
We went to the University General Hospital of Haiti and met with many other organizations. President Clinton and Chelsea came and spoke to Dr. Schuster about a patient needing urgent care. Later, CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta also came and spoke to Dr. Schuster about the same patient. We have limited supplies, but all of the organizations are sharing their supplies.
Yesterday evening, Dr. Schuster bought meals for all of the starving patients. Yesterday, we met up with Dianne from the CMMB and today she is scouting another area that is in great need. The hospital we're working at has been claimed as the central focus of the entire disaster relief effort.
There is no way to give a number to the patients we have seen, but it is surely in the hundreds range I would imagine. There have been many who have died and up the road from the hospital, bodies and body parts were piled up. We have had many die in the hospital as well. So many amputations of limbs as well because the wounds are so deep and infected for far too long. The doctors just do not have the proper resources to save the body parts and do follow up care. THere will be a LARGE number of people missing limbs...hopefully, prosthetic specialists will provide a solution in the future. Many have lost everyone in their family. As you drive to the hospital, you pass by huge areas where EVERYONE is living on blankets or makeshift tents. Everyone is starving and clean water is VERY difficult to find. They are STILL finding people buried under buildings and buildings are still collapsing. People are waiting in long lines for the supermarket and many find that they have done so in vain as there would be no food or supplies left. A small baby was brought in yesterday that they had found buried under the rubble...she came in smelling of rotten flesh...we tended to her all day and she survived. All day long, all I hear are the tormented screams of pain from the patients in the hospital...they cry and scream from physical pain and the terrible reality that if they live, they have no family left, no home to return to, and no food or water...
At night, I lay in my tent and I hear someone crying. The sound is so long and so mournful, so pleading and desperate ...is it from an insufferable injury? O is it the lost of their family? I feel, it is a cry for the loss of almost everything they had... All I know for certain is that the sound fills my days and haunts my dreams.
We started clinic on day two--waking at 4:30am. We work until approx. 5:00pm--we leave before dark for safety reasons. We do not eat a real breakfast or lunch...only a Power bar. We then have dinner at the guest house.
We went to the University General Hospital of Haiti and met with many other organizations. President Clinton and Chelsea came and spoke to Dr. Schuster about a patient needing urgent care. Later, CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta also came and spoke to Dr. Schuster about the same patient. We have limited supplies, but all of the organizations are sharing their supplies.
Yesterday evening, Dr. Schuster bought meals for all of the starving patients. Yesterday, we met up with Dianne from the CMMB and today she is scouting another area that is in great need. The hospital we're working at has been claimed as the central focus of the entire disaster relief effort.
There is no way to give a number to the patients we have seen, but it is surely in the hundreds range I would imagine. There have been many who have died and up the road from the hospital, bodies and body parts were piled up. We have had many die in the hospital as well. So many amputations of limbs as well because the wounds are so deep and infected for far too long. The doctors just do not have the proper resources to save the body parts and do follow up care. THere will be a LARGE number of people missing limbs...hopefully, prosthetic specialists will provide a solution in the future. Many have lost everyone in their family. As you drive to the hospital, you pass by huge areas where EVERYONE is living on blankets or makeshift tents. Everyone is starving and clean water is VERY difficult to find. They are STILL finding people buried under buildings and buildings are still collapsing. People are waiting in long lines for the supermarket and many find that they have done so in vain as there would be no food or supplies left. A small baby was brought in yesterday that they had found buried under the rubble...she came in smelling of rotten flesh...we tended to her all day and she survived. All day long, all I hear are the tormented screams of pain from the patients in the hospital...they cry and scream from physical pain and the terrible reality that if they live, they have no family left, no home to return to, and no food or water...
At night, I lay in my tent and I hear someone crying. The sound is so long and so mournful, so pleading and desperate ...is it from an insufferable injury? O is it the lost of their family? I feel, it is a cry for the loss of almost everything they had... All I know for certain is that the sound fills my days and haunts my dreams.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
The Bicol Clinic Leaves for Haiti
Thousands of dead, hundreds of thousands homeless, no communication, no food, no water, no basic medical supplies; Haiti is ravaged by a massive earthquake that has shocked the consciousness of the World. Over the last few days we have heard horrible stories from Port-Au-Prince, the proud yet poor capital of Haiti. We have read stories about families split apart, infrastructure destroyed, and even the struggles to bury the dead. Through the generosity of our remarkable donors we are able to send a team of doctors and an airplane loaded with supplies to Haiti. Without the support of our donors we would not be able to send the doctors and the basic supplies that the country of Haiti needs. Our team of doctors will embark from Fort Lauderdale early Saturday morning to arrive in Haiti to help treat and save the thousands affected by the dramatic earthquake. Despite the overwhelming response from our donors, we are still looking for support and any charitable contributions to bring more aid to the country of Haiti. We thank you for your generous donations and we will keep you informed of the progress that we make in Haiti.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
