We are working at Fond Parisien at Love A Child in Haiti. All patients are in tents donated by Taiwan. We have a tent hospital, surgery in 2 tents, intensive care, and approx 70 other tents of patients living together in groups of 3-6 per tent on thin mats on floor and a few cots. Ninety percent are ortho cases and all need PT. We have 47 external fixation fractures, 29 amputations, pelvic fractures, infected wounds and the list goes on. It’s challenging getting people off the floor to stand with 1 arm casted and external fixators on 1 or 2 legs plus the fact that they haven’t gotten up since the quake. My 2 other PTs-Kerstin and Tiffany plus Victor and Ashley are the only people assisting with physical therapy at this time.

We are part of a multidisciplinary team here. We made rounds today to make sure that we saw all that needed PT and Dr after Dr said—-We need you for ALL of them. The doctors and staff are delighted we are here for most had not gotten up since the earthquake. PTs are in high demand and will be for the months to come.

When we first arrived, all patients were sweltering in their tents and not a lot of smiles. We all noticed that once we started showing the patients and the family members that they really could move their arms and legs plus walk or hop, the whole camp/ hospital was happier. When we worked today, we noticed several people out of the tents and sitting in folding chairs in the shade. They have huge smiles and the laughter is coming back. The staff has noticed the change and for us, it’s been no surprise but it’s still awesome none the less. Everyday will be a better day as we move patients from total care to independence.

Victor has been busy cutting down adult crutches and drilling holes in the crutches for all the children. Tiffany is a Peds therapist so we send all the kids to her. Victor has been a huge help in lifting and walking the bigger amputations. Ashley just will do anything required and she works tirelessly. Kerstin is a no nonsense, organized and efficient woman. Anyone we can’t get to move, we just send to Kerstin. Kerstin also brought everything we could possibly need and set up our tree outside our tent with gloves, hand sanitized and more with bungee cords. We are so dirty at the end of the day that we are look like we have walked through a dust storm. As a group, these people will always be in my heart for each one has just been terrific.

We have people discharged when stable to the refugee camp and new ones helicoptered in, or on buses, from trucks and cars daily. Tonight we had 3 ministers bring in a man that was hit by a car and left at the side of the road. There is just so much to tell–incredible moments, heart wrenching moments, and so much more but I have to write this by iPhone and I’m tired so I apologize for spelling errors.

It takes us all day and more to see all the patients plus I have had a lot of meetings. There are about 5 countries here and man — they are ALL just awesome. We all manage to communicate with each other. I am now involved in planning of training some Haitians to handle the patients when there are lapses of no PTs here, helping with planning of the rehab centers that will be built at Love A Child and at IMA. Working with IT to track amputations and the needs for prosthetic devices. The amputation numbers will be unprecedented due to the numerous crushing injuries.

We are aware of the political situation and the growing Haitian discord with the US government but that’s another story. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else–Haiti is gorgeous with the mountains, bright stars, even saw mercury tonight, and a great big lake. We are treating in primitive conditions but we all are very respectful of patients rights, and feelings. The docs are very thorough and really engage the patient. All are providing the absolutely best quality care that we can and the patient is number 1 every sec of every day. We keep an eye out for children snatchers for that had been a problem. All the unaccompanied minors have been moved to the front tents because of child trafficking and snatching.

I’m just thankful that I have seen NO spiders. Everything else is just a piece of cake:) I’ll leave you with this–I saw a 71 year old woman with a fractured femur with an external fixator and a fractured humerus casted. She is just such a fighter. She did everything we asked for she hadn’t even sat up until today. Her fixator is way too big reaching past her knee. We slowly brought her into a sitting position then fireman carried her to the chair. She started screaming a bunch of words like a song but sounded angry. I asked the interpreter what was wrong and he said she was just shouting/singing praises to Jesus that she was getting up. Got her in the chair and then we danced to her song and the child lying next to her in a spica cast laughed. Awesome is all I can say and just how lucky am I….

Nancy Malone
Hands of Light in Action
President/Founder