Julma - Airport Driver for LAC

Julma - Airport Driver for LAC

Upon deplaning and transport by bus over to the baggage shed, my 15 year old, Jon and I had to find and gather 4 big suitcases amidst a …CROWD of people all nationalities vying for a spot next to the small baggage run. About 30 minutes later, we managed to gather our 4 large bags and 2 carry on bags plus our carry on items, wiz through customs and enter the zoo of people and grey uniformed baggage handlers that literally tore the bags from our hands, even though I said “NO” very firmly. We spotted our driver, Julma, easily just outside the gate sporting a yellow hat that did not say “Love A Child” but he also had an 8 x 10 sign of Nancy and Jon. We gave up trying to get our bags back and just followed Julma and the 4 grey uniformed men quickly bustling us to Julma’s suburban. The men loaded our luggage and then asked for $20.00 of which I said “NO WAY”. They countered with $10.00 but I already had just 4 dollars out. The 4 dollars were given to them with the strong comment of “I told you NO.” They took the 4 dollars and left.

Julma is AWESOME! We stopped at a grocery store on the way, I gave him the money you told me to give
him –John—for bringing your wallet back to the airport and we arrived 1 hour later at the ARC camp. Just FYI,
groceries are soooo much more expensive in Haiti. I received an exchange rate of 39/1 but still expensive.

Within a few minutes of arriving at the ARC camp, Shana, Krysten, Katie, Emily and Julia greeted us. They were busy with the line up of patients. Word passes quickly at ARC and children were starting to stop by asking about Nancy’s Jon for Jeff Berry and Remixon had passed the word around that Nancy’s Jon would be challenging them to a game of basketball or “football”. Jon fit right in… Really fun to watch for he seems to
be in his element. I spent the rest of the afternoon getting acquainted with our PT system and treating a few
patients. I recognized one patient, wondered why she was still on her cane, took it away and made her walk
grumbling back to her tent. On the way to her tent, I saw Jeff Berry’s Mom and several others that I had treated. Suddenly, I was hearing “Nancy Nancy” which made me laugh for it brought back Feb. In Feb, initially unable to walk, everyone was in their tents with temperature of 110 degrees inside the tent. We were treating patients non stop for hours and all day, my rows would call out “Nancy Nancy” for they all wanted treatment or to sho