Voices from the clinic

Following the work of the Friends of the Children of Haiti

 

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This grassroots organization changes — and saves — lives in a place of staggering need, bringing critical medical care and hope for a healthy future.

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January 2012

 

FOTCOH's first breast feeding clinic

Haitibreastfeeding

Phillis and I held a breast feeding education class for a little over two dozen Haitian women. All were still pregnant, with the exception of one woman who came with her 5-day-old baby. For a majority of the women it was their first pregnancy.

We discussed breast feeding starting at birth, breast milk and supply, demonstrated how to hold the baby in different positions, special considerations such as illness, premature infants, etc. as well as nutrition. We also stressed the importance of exclusively breast feeding for the first six months of the child's life, which is often not the case down here. One of the big hits of the class was when the women got to practice the different breast feeding positions with dolls.

The women told us they enjoyed the class and asked very appropriate questions. Some of the questions were related to the cultural beliefs they have about breast feeding.

It was an amazing opportunity to provide this education to the women. We learned several lessons from presenting the class and have many ideas for FOTCOH on how they can continue this education with future teams.

-- Phillis Dewitt and Sue Behrens

Comments (0)
Posted by Leigh 
 

Surgical update: Nearly 700 cases to date

FOTCOH Surgical Director Dr. Garron Lukas and his Haitian surgical teams have done procedures on hundreds of children and adults in the six years since the FOTCOH surgical program began.

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Comment (1)
Posted by Leigh 
 

What will happen to Marie Ange and her daughters?

Marie_ange_desiral

Marie Ange is 31 years old and arrived today with her 2-year-old daughter, Malabissa, and her 45-day-old daughter, Marie Angelyne.
 
Marie Ange doesn't know if Marie Angelyne was born early, however, she tells me how she bled during her pregnancy; her newborn daughter currently weighs 2.6 kg. Malabissa is also small for her age.
 
Marie Ange is sick with a high fever, low blood pressure, oral thrush and pneumonia; she tests positive for HIV.
 
Marie Ange initially denied knowing she was HIV positive, but later told her she did know and was taking medications over a year ago, but stopped her antiviral therapy because she did not want the "other women to find out."
 
I spent some time with Mare Ange, not only resuscitating her with fluids and medicine, but talking with her about the complications and risks of being HIV positive.
 
I encouraged her to go to the local HIV clinic to restart her antiviral medications, as well as have her two daughters tested.
 
I instructed her to stop breast feeding her 45-day-old (current research shows women can breast feed who are HIV+, but they and the infant need to be treated with antiviral medications - this was not the case for Marie Ange).
 
As I watched Marie Ange walk down the path and out of our clinic, I wondered what would happen to her and her children.
 
The stigma for being HIV+ in this country is high and I'm not confident that I convinced Marie Ange to be treated  again for her HIV.

 --Sue Behrens, APN

Comment (1)
Posted by Leigh 
 

Medika Mamba update

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In our first week of clinic we have admitted six children into our nutritional support program, Medika Mamba. We have a set of 7-month-old twins, Stephane and Stephanie, who weigh 4 kg each.  The mother is not breast feeding and feeds the twins with whatever she can get them to eat.

 

Hensley is also 7-months-old and weighs 4.5 kg, a little bigger than Stephane and Stephanie, but he needs help too. Hensley was born prematurely and needs the nutrition form Medika Mamba to help him survive. His mom doesn’t breast feed Hensley; she feeds him several small meals a day of a variety of solid food -- basically, whatever she can find.

 

A 10-month-old boy who weighed 5.4 kg is also a twin, however, his twin brother died right after birth. The mother told me she delivered her first child, Esterline, at home. She later developed severe pain and went to the hospital where she delivered a second child who died shortly after birth. Not having any prenatal care, the mother was not aware she was carrying twins.

 

Samanta is a 12-month-old girl who was released from our program last November. She gained weight while in our program, but, unfortunately started losing weight since being discharged. We will re-admit Samanta again.

 

Jean Roody is another 7-month-old who weighs a little over 4 kg. He has the same story: his mother is not breast feeding him and has very little to offer him in regards to food.

 

Where we seemed to have a common theme of low-weight, 7-month-olds this clinic, we have seen several success stories from children who have been in our nutritional program. We have seen children who have graduated from the program and continue to gain weight, and we have cared for several other children who are still currently in the program and gaining weight.
 
Medika Mamba works, and is a life saver for our children. 
 
-- Sue Behrens, APN

 

Comments (3)
Posted by Leigh 
 

Sunrise over Cyvadier

Photo

 

Comments (3)
Posted by Leigh 
 

In search of hope

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Vania Aly arrived at our clinic today with her 3-month-old, Mattius.

Originally from Port-au-Prince, she came to this area after the 2010 earthquake destroyed her house and killed family members.

Her other son, Franst, 14, is still in Port-au-Prince, staying with neighbors, and Aly is hoping he can join her here in the Jacmel/Cyvadier area.

When that will be, Aly, 40, doesn't know. She doesn't have a permanent place to stay. When she can, she shares a tiny temporary shelter here with 7 relatives.

She also suffers from cardiomyopathy, an enlargement and weakening of the heart that can be managed with medication, but not cured.

What worries her most, though, is feeding Mattius, since she, like most Haitians, can't find work.

Still, she says she's hopeful that the baby will be accepted into a child sponsorship program that will help provide sustenance.

Comment (1)
Posted by Leigh 
 

Gabriel Lamarre was spearfishing...

Bends


...6 days ago, then collapsed the following day and had been unable to stand up when he arrived at the clinic via a wheelbarrow.

Dr. Mike Cruz examined the 44-year-old fisherman from nearby Ville Jacmel, and diagnosed him with "the bends," the decompression sickness that's a scuba diving hazard.
It's possible Lamare could regain some mobility in one leg through physical therapy. But it's unknown if Lamare will be able to find that kind of help here.

"He's devastated," says Cruz. "He wants to go fishing again."


Comments (0)
Posted by Leigh 
 

What must be endured

Haitijanuarywoman

This is my fifth trip to the FOTCOH clinic in Haiti. Each time it seems to hit me during the first few days of clinic just what these people must endure on a daily basis and what they must have to do to get themselves to our clinic.
 
Young and old alike, no matter their disability, must walk long distances to get to our gates and then into our clinic compound. There is nobody dropping them at the door or there waiting with a wheelchair. The ground is rocky and uneven and is difficult to navigate, even with good legs, but they come, as there is no other option.
 
We helped a 90-year-old man down our lane this morning. At first he refused my arm to lean on. He had earlier told another team member he could make it himself but it would just take some time. Young mothers come with babies or children in tow with nothing but a towel to dry themselves and shield their children from the hot Caribbean sun.
 
As I get ready to go back out to my medical records station after lunch, I anticipate seeing many more of these mothers. Just like in the States, the old people are awake and at our doors early, while the young mothers and children come later in the day.

 

We had several very sad cases today. A women who everyone thought was eight months pregnant really had other issues causing her abdomen to swell. The medical staff all discussed her condition in their lingo, that I mostly did not understand.
 
What I did understand, loud and clear, was this women would die soon, and there was nothing that could be done for her because of where we are: Haiti.

 

--Paul Vogel

Non-medical volunteer 

Comments (4)
Posted by Leigh 
 

Each patient...

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...gets a handwritten dossier (file) and past records are retrieved. Then the triage team evaluates them and directs them to providers, the lab and/or pharmacy. 

Comments (0)
Posted by Leigh 
 

The pharmacy crew

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Comments (2)
Posted by Leigh