MOVING FORWARD / EXPANDING OUR FIELD HOSPITAL

I thought that today would be a quieter day and that we
could begin the transition to aftercare. 
I was wrong, very wrong. 
Wet again are  seeing some who have not been treated elsewhere even
though it has been 15 days since the earthquake.  We as well are seeing infections, some with maggots.  One young boy had maggots in his ear canal
and a man who had his leg amputated days ago  had maggots in his raw stump. 

 

Some of the people we are seeing had an initial treatment at
another place but no follow up.  So
we are seeing people with infections who were not followed up and now they are
with us. 

 

I just saw a young boy being treated who had deep, open
wounds in his head.  The wounds
seemed so fresh and so raw.  I feel
a certain amount of anger as I continue to see such cases.

 

We had a boy that came with an abscess behind his eye and a
doctor just showed up who could help this boy.  Jen, one of the doctors here, just kept saying, “This doctor
saved this boy’s eye.

 

IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR ME TO REMEMBER AND WRITE OF ALL THE HEROIC
DEEDS BEING DONE BY THESE HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS THAT HAVE COME TO WORK AT
HEARTLINE!

 

We are home early tonight (8:00): yet one of the docs staying with
us just said that today was a hard day.   I have to agree.

 

The Heartline crew here on the ground: Byron, Don, Megan, Troy,
Tara, Beth, and me met today with some of the docs and Ed Lord the consultant that
has been with us to decide if we have reached our max (WE
HAVE 44 PEOPLE SLEEPING AT THE BOYS’ HOUSE OR PERHAPS I SHOULD SAY ON THE
GROUND AT THE BOYS’ HOUSE.  THESE
ARE PATIENTS, NANNIES AND FOR THE CHILDREN, FAMILY MEMBERS) or can we take in
more patients that may require more patients staying for days and perhaps weeks.  Do we just accept patients that have
relatively minor injuries because we have no room for them if they have serious
injuries?

 

Now perhaps you are thinking that this is a no brainer, of
course you should take whoever comes to you.   Well the Heartline crew unanimously made that decision
even though they are stretched sometimes to what seems our limit and it will
mean more work and being pulled even more so in several directions at once.

 

We have decided to now open the Girls’ house or I should say
the Girls’ house yard to as many patients as we can fit.  This means that it is conceivable that
we will each night have up to 100 or more people sleeping at the two homes.

 

The people of Heartline are committed to give quality care
as long as the Lord entrusts the injured to us.

We like Gideon of the Old Testament and his army are weary
but moving forward.

 

Please pray for us as we endeavor to be the healing touch of
Jesus to those that have been injured. 
We estimate that we have seen about 1000 people with earthquake related injuries in the past 10 days.

 

I today took a few pictures of some of the patients that we
saw.

SLIDE SHOW

EARTHQUAKE DEVASTATES HAITI

God has blessed the efforts of Heartline and it seems that daily people just show up at our clinic with medicines, medical supplies, bottles of drinking water, diesel, and even medical people show up and offer to help.

We are stepping out into new territory but are comforted by knowing that we are not alone and that Christ is with us. And you are with us as well.

Your prayers and support are really making a difference.  Your financial help is needed and we thank you for all that you already have done and have giving.

You can make a difference by donating.
Press here to donate.

A little over two weeks ago these two houses had about 17 children in them and things were running smoothly and we knew what we were doing.  Now all but 5 of the children have left for the States and we will by the next day or two have up to 100 people at these two house.  The expense is quite large and we honestly do need your help.

John McHoul