Bringing It All Together

They say, “It takes a village to raise a child.” Over the last few weeks I have been fortunate to be part of a worldwide village of committed volunteers that has focused on getting Tania the advanced care she needs to have a chance at a full and rich life. I first told you her story when I was in Milot last month. She is a 23 year old, vibrant woman, who has had multiple recurrences of a benign but locally aggressive chest wall tumor. I knew we were working to get her treatment in the states. Many of the hospitals that had taken the brunt of Haitian patients after the quake were no longer able to provide the levels of care needed. I did an evaluation and medical summary while in Milot and made some calls. So did other volunteers throughout the world. Several weeks ago, she was accepted for treatment at Johns Hopkins. Needless to say, this was very meaningful to me, although I had little to do with the actual application.

The work then truly began. We needed visas and clearance from both the Haitian and the American authorities, transportation, and support when they arrived in Baltimore. Emails and scanned documents traversed the web 24/7. At last count, more than 20 volunteers, many who have never met, were focused on getting her care. The plan was for a private flight from Cap to Fort Lauderdale this past Saturday, followed by a commercial flight today. As of Thursday, the papers had still not been completed in Port au Prince. We were concerned that things would fall apart. But we all had faith, and it worked. Visas were flown from Port au Prince to Cap Haitian. Tania and her mother left yesterday and were flown by Ed and his son to the States. Currently, aboard a Southwest flight to Baltimore, are Tania and her Mom, assisted by the crew who have been briefed and were very happy to help. Tania and her mother will be met by other volunteers and members of the Baltimore Haitian community. She begins her evaluation at JHH Monday morning.


In another confluence of fate, I have just returned from Baltimore, where I have just joined the Hopkins alumni council, as well as continued my work as my medical school class agent. During that time, I saw the commitment of the organization to not only provide world class care and research, but also never forget their mission of increasing access to those in need. Tania’s care will cost Hopkins substantial resources, but it was clearly something they wanted to do. I also had the privilege of meeting many medical students in a career networking symposium, and was able to share perspectives. Not surprisingly, most were committed to volunteer work as part of their careers.



In the lobby of the Dome at Hopkins stands a statue of Jesus. Hopkins is not a faith based institution, and the story of the statue reflects the times of the hospital's opening. Although I am Jewish, I have always felt a sense of spirit when entering the dome. I can only imagine how Tania will feel, 1500 miles away from her home, when she enters this healing place and sees the figure.

I have been doing a lot of self reflection over the last year, as my life and career are taking some new directions. At times I was cynical about peoples’ motivations, but have been refocused by participating in experiences like Tania, and the support of great educational institutions and the next generation.

Not only does it take a village to raise a child, but it takes continued human connection and support to help that child reach full potential at every age.

It's Been a Good Week

It has been a tumultuous and exciting week both on the world scene and within the workings of CRUDEM and Hospital Sacre Coeur. In a previous blogs I spoke of both the trapped Chilean miners as well as a young woman with a recurrent phylloides tumor who I was trying to get transferred to the States for care. Over the last few days, successes have come on both fronts with a combination of teamwork, ingenuity, and self determination.


As I watched the rescue of the miners, I recalled Apollo 13 and the can do attitude that brought those men home from certain death. “Failure is not an option.” And watching a multinational team work together, improvise, and never give up, reinforced my optimism for the future. If there was ever a rebirth, this was it.
At the same time, a smaller miracle was unfolding in Milot. Working with physicians, nurses, the state department, and innumerable volunteers, it appears the Tania will have a chance for a normal life. She isn’t here yet, but a major academic medical center has accepted her for care, Southwest airlines helped coordinate travel for her mother and her, and Ed Constantine, a longtime CRUDEM supporter and pilot will be transporting her out of Haiti after delivering supplies from Florida. Churches, and the local Haitian community will provide support while she is stateside.



As you look on these pictures, see behind the smiles to the joy of new hope and a chance to embrace the future. And hopefully, reenergize yourself to reach your full potential.

Have a great week.

A New Priority

As current reality settles in at HSC, it is clear that the old ways of maintaining inventory and supplies will not jibe with the growing demand and complexity of services provided. I wrote of our difficulties during the immediate post quake period, when truckloads of supplies and equipment would arrive unannounced and a scramble to prioritize and store what we needed ensued. We also found that in many cases, hospitals, despite best intentions, had sent broken, outdated, and inoperative equipment. We also relied on an open barter system with surrounding facilities, without any documentation, but with an eye toward meeting the needs of the patients.



During my most recent visit, I was pleased to see a large concrete slab had been poured next to the mission house. I remember the local men clearing the land by hand and I learned that the pouring itself took place by the wheel barrel well into the night. The results will be the start of a large, computerized and climate controlled warehouse. And as fate would have it, my professional and humanitarian goals would again cross.
As part of my second year at HSPH, I will be working through a practicum - generation a business plan, optimizing an operation, or launching a service line. Given my current career transition, I did not have a home institution, but was welcomed by my colleagues at CRUDEM to join the effort and contribute to the process. Much had been done and a contract developed with Steve Bardos and the Humanitarian Software Foundation, to bring bar coding and inventory control to both the hospital and pharmacy. I am currently coordinating with my advisor an appropriate role in this complex process and will be bringing you new stories of how we will meet the needs of our patients and support the mission of the organization.



So the enclosed pictures may not be as heartwarming as the children I have cared for, but I am thrilled that we will be able to provide an oasis of functioning infrastructure in a country that has so little.