What We Know - Earthquake Updates
Posted Monday, 18 January 2010
End of Day Message from Kathy Walmer, FHM Executive Director
Dear Friends,
We continue to take small steps forward. Jamalyn Williamson and the team returned home to IN yesterday. I talked with Jamalyn this morning. She is very tired, but sounds ok. Megan Rohrmeyer is home as well. It is a huge miracle that we did not lose more people in the collapse of the Fondwa guesthouse. It turns out that half the team was in the guesthouse at the time of the earthquake and the other half were at the orphanage.
Jamalyn said the orphanage is still standing with some structural damage, but she expects we will be able to eventually house the children there again. She said the children are just too traumatized to return to the orphanage at this point. Jamalyn did the funeral service for Oudel and Jude on Thursday and they were buried together across the valley at the sister’s house. We lost two workmen at the Fondwa school when the building collapsed. They were there preparing the walls for our mission team.
We received a call from Delson this morning, although the connection was very poor. He said that Leogane is running low on supplies including food and water. It seems that most of the relief efforts are focused in PAP and little is getting out to Leogane.
We have been working with our CDC partners who have been working in Leogane for years to get supplies specifically to this community. The first plane was able to land on the Leogane by-pass road yesterday. We are continuing to collect medical supplies through tomorrow. We have two trucks heading for Fort Lauderdale Wednesday morning where again supplies will be flown directly to Leogane.
I received an email from Leon Dorleans letting me know that the Blanchard clinic is structurally sound and is able to provide care. The soccer fields there and in Cite Soleil is being used to shelter people.
This is going to be a long and difficult process. Once the urgent needs are met we will work with our community leaders to start setting priorities to rebuild.
I know many of you want to travel to Haiti and be there to help, but at this point we are telling people the priority is to get healthcare workers with trauma, ER, and orthopedic backgrounds into the country. We will start taking teams into Haiti once we know the infrastructure is available to support extra people. The last thing we want to do is take the limited resources that our communities need. We continue to praise God for all his projection this past week.
-Kathy
Thanks to all our volunteers
FHM wishes to thank the many volunteers who spent their MLK Jr. Holiday sorting supplies and loading emergency medical materials for Haiti. We needed you and your supported us. THANK YOU.
Update on FHM's medical supplies collection on Monday at 4:40 pm
The first plane of medical supplies safely landed in Leogane yesterday using the by-pass road near Family Health Ministries Clinic.
FHM will continue to collect supplies. As of Monday afternoon, we have filled one truck and will send the second when it is filled.
Needed:
- "wound supplies" - bandages, tape, antibiotic ointment, and similar items
- over the counter drugs, particularly pain medications like acetaminophen and ibuprofen
- powdered baby formula
- cloth diapers and pins.
Please continue to collect supplies. Contact us at 919-382-5500 for immediate updates. Thank you!
FHM's rented truck bound for Haiti, full of medical supplies
Healthcare workers who want to help in Leogane, Haiti
To: Physicians, Nurses & OR staff that want to join FHM’s medical response in Leogane, Haiti
(priorities include: trauma, orthopedics, ER medicine, general surgery, anesthesia)
Contact: Ashley Aakesson (e-mail: aaakesson@cnphaiti.org)
We are working in partnership with several organizations that have long term relationships in Leogane.
Update from Sister Carmelle
Sister Carmelle called this morning at 4:30 AM Central time, She has no idea how it connected but we could hear her very clearly. Sister Sue and I talked with her for about ten or fifteen minutes.
She confirmed what we already knew that all buildings are down including the orphanage and the new convent. The Sisters who had been living in the new building are in Fondwa with the others.
Note: Jamalyn reported that the orphanage was damaged but not down when she left Fondwa.
Mckilsey(sp?) one of the postulants had a cut on her head but seems to be doing better and I think she said someone got a bad burn when the caldron in the kitchen spilled. I couldn't tell if it was at the Guesthouse or at the orphanage. We asked where they were sleeping but couldn't understand her answer. I am sure it is outside but she was saying something more that I couldn't get. Father Joseph had been there for several days but yesterday he and Sister Judy walked out to go to Port au Prince. She said they had water of some kind and food but not very much. Her sister in Carrefour and her family and her brother's family are ok but have no house. They have been unable to reach Sister Oudel's family to tell them that she died in the quake. Carmelle seemed amazingly calm and wanted to know about the two Haitians with us.
Update on Bill Nathan - St. Joe's Home for Boys
Praise God... Bill Nathan is going to be fine. He is in alot of pain, has cracked ribs and an abrasion the size of a quarter on his liver, but he will be released hopefully today and will stay in the US awhile to recuperate.
