Children are the Future...
March 2 and 3, 2010
A Creole Proverb...
"Pitit se richès malere."
"Children are the wealth of the poor."
One's hope and riches lie in the future of one's children.
Here Dr. Ernst carries a young girl from the post op surgery area back to her little patient tent. Thanks to so many wonderful doctors, nurses and volunteers like Dr. Ernst, there is hope for the future of the children in Haiti.
When he arrives at her tent, he gently places her on the thin bare mattress...
Do you ever think about what it would be like to have surgery, then lie on a thin mattress without sheets or a blanket in a small crowded tent? Then wait until it is your turn for a doctor or nurse to check on you or give you medicine for pain. While it is so hard for us Americans to even imagine this type of medical care, here in Haiti the medical facility and care at the LAC Disaster Relief Center is "A plus..."
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This mother is here with her daughter who just came back from surgery. She is so thankful her young girl is alive and has all of her limbs. Her arm is badly injured, but the doctors are working hard to save it, and hopefully, she will be able to use it. |
Sometimes, after hearing the stories from the Haitians living at the Love A Child Disaster Relief Center, I think about the poor children of the earthquake. It breaks my heart as I think of how frightened each child must have of been during the short amount of time that the earthquake was rumbling and the buildings were falling. Can you imagine what it must have been like for a child?
Stories from our patients...
This little guy below was outside with his mother; she was doing laundry and the little fellow was sitting on the ground beside her. He may have had a little wooden spoon to play with or maybe an empty bowl. The sun was bright that day and there were no clouds. Just a hot, tropical day. This baby's father told me that when the earthquake started shaking and rumbling, the mother picked up her baby and started running. She wasn't far from the building where she rented a little room. She was screaming for help, as everyone did. Shortly after she started to run, the side of the concrete wall fell on her, knocking her to the ground, and the baby flew from her arms.
This little baby laid there screaming in fear, his mother covered with concrete and cement, and pieces of the wall on his leg. He just laid there, screaming, crying and wiggling, like only a small child would do. Now, he will grow up without his leg, but thanks to the care and attention here at our clinic, he has his life.
Learning to walk again...
This young boy is learning to walk using crutches for support. We are thankful for the physical therapists here who are giving their time to help these children and adults learn to walk again, using only one leg and crutches. This physical therapist working with our young Haitian friend is Tiffani from the Charlotte, North Carolina area.
The injuries are the same, but yet, very different. As the buildings collapsed, heavy wood, metal and concrete came tumbling down, creating paths and paths of destruction.
This little guy suffered a head injury when a piece of re-bar stuck in his head as the building fell. He is doing better. The doctors are not sure if there is permanent brain damage or not. They are doing all they can do for him.
His granddaddy is thankful that he is a patient here at the Love A Child Disaster Relief Center. He is sleeping in a small tent with other patients and family members. They are receiving three hot nutritious meals every day and the child is getting better.
When I ask the children, mommies or daddies if they knew what was happening when the earthquake hit, they all shake their heads, no, and look down...
Can you put yourself in the place of our Haitian neighbors? The earth, ground, buildings, vehicles and everything else, began to shake violently on that day in January. Even now, over a month after the earthquake, a mom can be telling me her story and tears just run down her face.
Finding peace...
Our LAC Disaster Relief Center works to bring a peace to the lives of our patients and to their family members here helping care for them.
Every Sunday and several times throughout each week, we worship...
Sometimes, we will find an older child reading the Bible to younger children...
Most afternoons around 3 PM, we have "camp..."
The children gather with a leader and the group sings, dances and plays games. It is wonderful to watch these children just light up and smile, in spite of their injuries.
The younger children go inside a tent full of toys. The little boy below is enjoying his car as he makes a "roaring sound." One mother brought her daughter in for play time and got right on the floor with her. A friend wants to join in too.
You might see a friendly card game going on inside one of the tents.
The children are resilient, and in spite of their injuries, they are finding joy, peace and time to be a child. We are so thankful for all the wonderful doctors, nurses and volunteers who have left their families and their comforts to come to the aid of our Haitian neighbors. It is because of people just like Dr. Ernst, who are donating their time and talents to help the future of the Haitian children, that our LAC Disaster Relief Center is a success.
This is Dr. Ernst's first time on the mission field. He told me that he was so thankful that his talents could be used to help the people here. Isn't that what we are all called to do?
The media has gone home! Now, there are very few videos, photographs and pleas to help the Haitians shown on the news. Bobby and I are here everyday with the poor Haitian people. We see their struggles and their pain. We want to help them, but we cannot do it alone. We are feeling such a burden as we research housing solutions for the earthquake victims. The needs are so great here.
Please continue to pray about how you can help the children and families of Haiti. You can make a difference in the future of a child today. If you would like to make a donation now, please click on the red button below.
Love,
Sherry
