Monday, April 18, 2011 

Medical Team Leaves at 5:30 AM for Haiti

The bags are packed and loaded on the bus. Just waiting for 2 AM when everyone should be here to leave for the airport. A team of 15 doctors, nurses, computer engineers, FIH executive director, and faculty from The Winchendon School comprise the latest medical team to help the people of Haiti.
About this time I always feel a combination of anxiousness and excitement. This team is a bit different in that the majority of the team is made up of "newbies", first timers to Haiti. It is rejuvenating to see Haiti through their eyes as they experience all that makes up the experience in Haiti. There will be a mix of initially giddy excitement as we fly into the country. By the time we are part of the way out of Port-au-Prince the clicking of cameras will likely die down as the poverty that does not end starts to sink in.
Hal Seifert is returning to Haiti with us. He has committed to seeing the completion of phase 1 of the clinic, the first 1/3 of the eventual project. This will get us up and running seeing patients by this time next year.
We plan on treating approximately 800 people on the trip and never quite know what we will find. What I do know is that we will follow the teaching of Mother Teresa, "Do small things with great love." Wish us luck, John Mulqueen

9:40 PM | |

Sunday, April 17, 2011 

Thanks to Spirit of Hope

Today members of Forward in Health attended a concert, "From Broadway to the Met", a fund raiser for Spirit of Hope. Spirit of Hope, located in Worcester, Ma., has already helped Forward in Health by paying all of the expenses of 2 doctors who traveled to Haiti over a long weekend with the sole purpose of pinning the fractured leg of a young man injured in the earthquake. The concert featured 3 outstanding vocalists, Rochelle Bard, Nicole Bard Lian, and Jacqueline Noparsak. Over 2 hours the 3 talented singers, backed by a large choir, took the audience on a journey mixing together well known songs from Broadway and the opera.
At the conclusion Forward in Health received $10,000 from Spirit of Hope to pay all of Hal Seifert's expenses while he is in Haiti overseeing construction of the first 1/3 of our medical clinic. A 15 member medical team travels with Hal to Haiti Tuesday April 19th. We will conduct 4 days of clinics while in Haiti.
Thanks to Rochelle, Nicole, and Jacqueline for sharing their impressive talents, and to Spirit of Hope for recognizing the work of Forward in Health and sponsoring Hal Seifert.

10:02 PM | |

Wednesday, April 13, 2011 

First FIH Building is up




FIH is pleased to announce that our first usable building is up. While Hal Seifert has been home in the US until April 19th the construction crew built a large depot. This is where building material will be safely secured during construction. As a bonus the FIH medial team traveling to Haiti from Aprl 19-26 will use the building as a makeshift pharmacy. Although only a small step, seeing the building up and using it is exciting for those of us who have been working for 5 years to get to this point.




4:03 PM | |

Saturday, April 02, 2011 

Hal in Haiti Back Home

Hal Seifert has returned home for 3 weeks. He will be returning to Haiti with the next FIH medical team April 19th.


Back

We left Les Cayes yesterday morning at 7, arrived about 40 minutes later in Port au Prince. Two props, two pilots (Latin), probably 20 passengers. Beautiful mountains and farmland. Farms that are so isolated, no roads, just trails, a long way to market, fertile, verdant land. Listening to Adele, her beautiful voice wrapping around deep sentiments. After landing we tried to rush to the airport in time to catch an 8:50 to Fort Lauderdale, fat chance, so we waited for the 3:45, which was late of course. A group of people sat with us from Atlanta. They were part of a tech school in Les Cayes, which is exactly what the boys at Espwa need when they finish school, to learn a trade and be able to make a decent living with dignity, which is what we all want, no? Turns out flying was a lucky move because manifestations (demonstrations) were starting, not for the anticipated announcement of the election results, but the sharp increases in gas prices. Whew, made it.

It's only about a two hour flight from PAP to FLL , but we were in the air a long time, turns out we had to land in Miami, take a bus to FLL. All said and done the day ended at midnight. Fort Lauderdale is humid and humbling, seen better days. Now I feel silly for writing all this, heck I'm in Haiti anymore, kind of in the hinterland. Ok, bye, bye

3:11 PM | |