A Taste of Haiti in the City of "Chowdah"

It was grey, 60 degrees and a fine mist was falling over Boston last evening. Not at all like Milot, but Sacre Coeur was on my mind. I had finished my leadership course for the weekend, and stayed in town to support the CRUDEM foundation’s “Taste of Haiti,” being held at the site of “Cheers” on Beacon Street. It would be good to see many others that had volunteered, and perhaps a few familiar faces. Use of the 2nd floor had been donated by the owners, and waiters circulated with plantain appetizers, chicken and coconut, and meatballs, that I was assured were not goat. Corporate donors, many of whom had provided hundreds of thousands of dollars of equipment were acknowledged, and seemed honored to have been given the opportunity to help. I did have a chance to speak with Dr. Peter Kelly, the ophthalmologist who has driven this effort, and had the faith to make me Chief Medical Officer my second day in country. We spoke about the new mission and how to continue the momentum in growth of services. I thanked him again for the experience.

The program was brief and included this video.

http://vimeo.com/14338219

In it, you’ll see many of the patients whose stories I’ve shared with you, including remarkable young people who are regaining their independence thanks to the prosthetics lab. Even though I wasn’t there at the time of filming, every scene reignited emotions, sights, and smells. Around the room were framed paintings from some of the artists that hawked their wares along the street. A photographer who had studied with Ansel Adams had completed hauntingly beautiful black and white prints and a book of the patients, and their families. And we heard that the plans were to continue to support Haitian self sufficiency. The prostheses are now being made by men from Milot, and monthly CME courses have been created for the staff to bring them all up to date on treatment of diabetes, heart disease, and other public health issues. They will be cotaught with local nurses and physicians, and the knowledge base solidified.

As I left into the dark of the Boston night, there were sirens, noise, and restless activity. I got into my car, closed the door and sat for a moment. We are all drawn in different directions, and sometimes fate places you into opportunities that you would not have planned. The last year has been one of new experiences, a recalibration of my priorities, and a great deal of uncertainty. But it has also restored my faith in the inherent goodness of man, that we should lead from the heart, and that each of us has the capacity to transform the world, even as we find ourselves.