On Tuesday, January 12th, a magnitude 7.0 earthquake hit Haiti and caused mass destruction and chaos in an already discombobulated and greatly impoverished nation. In the days that have followed, the world has watched in horror as the people of Haiti literally watch their world come crumbling down around them. Tens of thousands of bodies have been recovered, and that number grows by the hour. Thousands of people are injured, scared, without food and water. The country is in disarray and they need help.
I am actively trying to get down to Haiti to help with the medical treatment of the people injured by last week’s devastating earthquake. Last week, I was at work flipping through photos, reading news stories and watching footage of what was going on in the wake of the earthquake. I am sure you can all relate to the horror and dismay that I felt watching the suffering, chaos and frustration of the Haitian people. This isn’t the first environmental catastrophe that has occurred since I have become an RN and over the years I have watched, wanting to do something but always finding some reason why I couldn’t just jump into action. No More!!! There is a reason I became a nurse in the first place. I can do something to make a difference for these people. I don’t really know how to prepare for what I will see and what I will be doing, but hope that my 6 years as a Neurosurgery nurse and my 1 year in Obstetrics will at least have given me the tools I will need to expect the unexpected and the compassion and perseverance to remain calm in the midst of the suffering I will see.
My Sister connected me with No Time For Poverty (www.notimeforpoverty.org), a Minnesota based organization already established in Haiti whose primary focus has been building and running a pediatric hospital in Port Salut. In the horrifying aftermath of the earthquake, NTFP has joined forces with Partners in Health (www.pih.org) in an effort to better serve the community at large. PIH has been doing amazing and honorable work for the people of Haiti (and 8 other impoverished countries) for over 20 years, providing medical attention, education and support to this under served, overlooked population.
I was told on Tuesday that I had a round-trip ticket to Haiti, from Seattle, departing on Monday 1/25. Unfortunately, on Wednesday American Airlines cancelled our flight into Port Au Prince. PIH is working hard to keep our groups together and to get us down to Haiti as soon as possible. I have faith that we will make it there next week, or soon there after….
I am writing this in an effort to ask for your help. No Time For Poverty is a non-profit organization and all expenses incurred during this journey will be my responsibility. While I wish that I had the resources to complete this expedition without help, the reality is that I could really use all the support I can get. In addition to the trip to Haiti that I will be embarking on next week, I am planning another trip in March through the same organization to further assist in the treatment and rehabilitation of those injured in the earthquake. My sister, Tahlia, will be joining me then. Any assistance is greatly appreciated and for those unable to donate financially, your thoughts and prayers will be of great comfort also.
Here are some of the details:
- Each trip to Haiti will be approximately 8 days long. Due to the kind of work involved, NTFP and PIH do not want their volunteers to get burnt out. I imagine we will not be sleeping much, not be eating well, and will be exposed to things that will be beyond comprehension.
-I am told that the bulk of what I will be doing involves wound care, both from injuries received directly from the destruction caused by the earthquake and also post-operative rehabilitation. I understand there are surgeons and an anesthetist going down also.
-We are responsible for bringing in all of our food and supplies. I hear conflicting information about the water situation, but likely we will be bringing that in also.
-We will be based in either Port au Prince or Les Cayes. It is unclear whether we will have shelter or be in tents, but through PIH we will have private security and it important to them that we travel and remain in intact groups.
- Each of my two trips down to Haiti is going to cost me about $1200
I encourage all of you to visit the websites I have provided above to learn more about the two organizations I am working with. Any money that is donated to me that is beyond what I need to get there will be donated directly from me to the people at No Time For Poverty in your names. Because you would be making a donation to me, as an individual, it will not be considered tax deductible as I do not have “non-profit” status. If this makes you uncomfortable, I encourage you to donate directly to Partners in Health and No Time For Poverty as they are outstanding and worthy organizations.
Thank you Everyone in advance,
Cortney Mills
