Nancy loves a child

Nancy loves a child

Soul searching and an honest heart felt letter to all volunteers and donors…

I woke up this AM with total tears and a gut wrenching sadness… I thought what are we doing? Here we had been planning a party to mark the end of many months of PT services and to show that residents how much they have meant to all of us by handing out the uniforms, volleyball net, basketball hoops, balls, family/individual photos and providing a meal different from their one meal of rice and beans. Making a difference! Leading them to a more “normal” life! Giving them JOY! This AM, a party and the gifts seemed so very trivial next to the fact that a few hundred at Camp Hope just saw their meager possessions and their housing swept away. How very wasteful I felt this AM when we could have instead bought them several tents….

As tears ran down my face, I felt the need to talk to someone to share. I called Eugenie Lindsey, BA/BSN/MEd/MSW/CSW, of International Medical Relief whom I met back in Feb at Fond Parisian. I shared my concerns and great sense of helplessness. Immediately, she reminded me of Feb when she said that before HOLIA arrived with the PTs. Everyone—200 patients—were just lying on thin mats on the floor of 110 degree tents, not moving and basically waiting to die—mood was pretty somber. She asked me to remember the miraculous change physically and emotionally when HOLIA arrived and began working with the 200 patients. The actual air/energy of the whole camp changed within 24 hours as patients and families began to see that they would move again and they would have life past this moment. People were able to move under trees, gather for church services, sit outside in chairs or benches or even on the ground. HOLIA PT volunteers received a standing ovation from all the Drs, RNs and medical workers at our nightly meeting. I would walk down the aisles of the tents to the sounds of “Nancy”, “Nancy” as patients wanted more PT to move forward. Smiles, joy and laughter began to show frequently. What we did meant everything!

The point of retelling this was to remind me of what Hands of Light in Actions purpose was in Haiti. It was to get people moving, give them hope and show them that there is a future. HOLIA did not commit to rebuilding a camp nor to solve all of Camp Hopes problems. LAC and ARC are big organizations with grants or churches supporting what they do. ARC is responsible for the camp at present and LAC has committed themselves to the rebuilding. If after we all meet today and they request help and express their needs to accomplish this, we will post the needs and try to assist.

In Feb., HOLIA had a few hundred followers on my email list, web site that was down and outdated for I had placed HOLIA on hold for 2 years due to the fact I was recovering from brain surgery following discovery of a middle cerebral aneurysm after last Katrina volunteer trip, no facebook, no grants, no big donors, nor tons of support workers. In Feb HOLIA was 3 board members and me. I was only going to help send SOME volunteers down to assist with PT at the HHI field hospital. When their grant fell through, HOLIA had the choice to leave 200 patients without PT or to stay and become the PT tent. It was a MASSIVE undertaking and to be honest without Adrianne in March and April, and then Betsy and Josh later—I could NOT have done this. We began with 0 dollars, a great desire to use our hands, help and a desire to lead each and every patient to the highest possible potential that they could achieve physically. When I ask for $1500, I get exactly $1500. Ever since I started HOLIA, what I ask for is ALL that I get. Never an excess as people might think. I am very happy that we receive what we ask for but do not ever have the impression that we ask for $1500 and get $20,000. Doesn’t happen!

Even though our purpose was to JUST provide PT services, we also managed to put in numerous hours at the LAC warehouse, helping with distributions at other camps, working with malnutrition babies, gathering tons of needed essential supplies such as formula, clothes, shoes, can openers, duct tape, toothbrushes, hair ties, toothpaste, books, crayons, packets of food, markers, marbles, reading glasses, a few computers, school supplies….so many things that would make life just a little easier. We have had over 100 volunteers since February and every one of them have brought at least 1 suitcase full of supplies. We also helped with the building of the homes and even had our excess volunteers work at a PT rehab in PAP and at a clinic in the next town. Lorin, HOLIA volunteer, even started the mental health evaluation at Camp Hope. We have fitted 40 amputations with legs, treated not only our 200 Camp Hope patients, but we have treated injuries of LAC employees, injured builders, and many other additional injuries that have occurred at Camp Hope since.

During this journey through the Haitian disaster, Genie reminded me that we, Hands of Light in Action volunteers, have had a very special role. Our PT tent not only is a place of treatment and rehab. but tons of people gather there daily for smiles, hugs, laughter and conversation. We have become the gathering place. We give joy, laughter, love and a hope for the future. We give an escape into a little normalcy. Our volunteers not only volunteer in the various work activities but we have all taken the time to truly know the residents, become their friends, listen to their struggles, watched and cheered for them at the soccer games, and have had many a soccer game with them.

Short of long, NO we are NOT wasting money providing a meal, pictures and sports equipment. We will move forward with the party and we will bring laughter, light, love, caring and hope in the midst of it all. No, not everyone has a tent, many have lost much of their belongings again and might lose their tents again a few more times before they finally receive their new homes, but at the end of the day or the beginning of the new dawn, Camp Hope children and adults will be able to gather, cheer for their soccer, basketball and volleyball teams taking pride in the fact that they have the necessary equipment and that they have their own Camp Hope uniforms, Dustin and Camp Hope designed, which they can wear proudly. Also, when they feel that they are at the end of their rope, things are hopeless, lying on a floor seems so endless, every day runs into the other, feeling helpless and nothing seems to change—many will be able to just step onto the basketball court, soccer field or volleyball court, forget for just a short period of time and just play, laugh and dream……….

What we do MATTERS! I know in my heart that what we are planning is just PERFECT and HOLIA is and has MADE A GREAT BIG DIFFERENCE! I thank you Genie! I thank all of you for making these gifts of LIFE become a reality!

Changing Our Small Part of Haiti!

Nancy Malone, PT
Founder/President
Hands of Light in Action
handsoflightinaction.org

“Don’t ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and then go do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” – Howard Thurman