*jan 20 update below
helping the world
helping the world
i just received the following email from my dearest friend....
please note where you can help her help haiti - medical or non-medical..
Greetings friends:
sorry to send you one "generic" email, but things have fallen into place rather suddenly over the past 48 hours and it looks like i've run out of time to contact each or you individually. i am leaving tomorrow night for the Dominican Republic / Haiti. Depending on how things go, i could be gone for up to 3 weeks.
it's a bit complex to explain, but essentially i'm flying into Santo Domingo, DR and then driving several hours west to Barahona. In Barahona, Children of the Nations International has a day surgery clinic, where i worked a couple of years ago. Barahona is only 80 miles from Port-au-Prince and a short drive to the border, where evidently many of the walking wounded are arriving "en masse".
i've been asked to do medical assessment of the situation in preparation for several medical teams we have lined up and ready to come over as needed.
If any of you (medical or non-medical) know of anyone (medical or non-medical) who is interested in participating in these teams please have them contact COTNI (jefflanders@COTNI.org). As i am envisioning it right now, we will be sending teams in "waves". the first team, i hope will be at work by the end of next week. for the next several days, acute injury and trauma will be the name of the game, but in days and weeks to come, malnutrition, infection, dehydration, cholera, maleria will be top billing. Therefore, i hope to concentrate on surgical teams in the beginning, followed by strong medical teams in the days to follow.
many of the details are yet to be determined depending on what i find once i get there. And as we all know from the previous disasters of this century and the past, things change rapidly.
by the end of Jan i may be heading into Port-au-Prince with the Washington DMAT. Again this depends on many things, pretty much all of them are out of my control (i.e. the Federal Government).
so, as always, my propensity to be associated with disaster has prevailed :)
take care. i'll try to keep in touch by email as i can. Children of the Nations (www.cotni.org) and WA-1 DMAT (www.wa1dmat.com) will always know of my whereabouts...
vicki
and two days later:
Hi again...
many of you have asked if there is a way to donate to the organization i am working with in the DR. You may donate on-line to the general Haiti fund at www.COTNI.org anytime.
There is a way to donate specifically to my work and the medical teams. however, i'd like to wait a couple of days until i get a better idea of the need. money is a precious thing and we want to make very good use of it. If i find we could use more support then i will certainly send on more information about donating directly to our medical work.
Thanks to all of you for your generosity !
vicki
*update on jan 20
To All:
I see I have several emails from all of you which I have not yet to read, but i wanted to send all of you a link to a blog being posted by one of the members of my team: http://www.cotni.org/news/297-cotn-response-effort-in-haiti-and-dominican-republic-updates-1-19-10-current
Seeing that just typing this email has taken me an excrutiating amount of time (because internet connections and my own computer illiteracy) i doubt i will be checking or sending email very many times.
Just know that we are all safe and well. The need is incredible. As so often happens, after the first wave of attention, interest fades and big news reports cease. But I can speak for Jimani, Dominican Republic, that the needs are ever increasing. I have just finished a nearly non-stop 72 hours at Good Samaritan Hospital and there has been a continuous influx of patients, all of whom are injured or have family members and loved ones who are.
There has also been an incredible response of supplies, doctors and other necessities, but there will be a continuing need. The remaining members of our medical team are arriving tonight and tomorrow. If you would like to donate directly to COTNI medical teams, go to the donations page and enter our team number: DRMEDB110. There are several teams from our organization coming down here so you can specify your donation to go to the entire medical effort if you like. I will do my best to assure your money gets used in the best possible way.
Amazing things happen during times like these. I've seen lives saved and lives lost, weeping and singing, somber stares and joyous laughter. And some incredible stories of courage and hope which i can share with you at some time.
I think of you often. I know you are thinking of me. Thanks !
Vicki
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