More Than Names

I find it's easier to connect to a person, story, or situation when you can put a face to a name.  Here are just a few of the sweet, sweet faces from Haiti.

Let me introduce you to Oxilous, aka Freebird.  He is the second youngest camper and I pretty much fell in love with him the minute he stepped off the bus at Kaliko.  He is deaf and doesn't really speak.  He definitely understands sign language and body language but during Camp Jake we only witnessed him signing once.  He was dropped off a week before the first Camp Jake back in January and the returning counselors said his interaction this trip was world's better than the last's.  I could just eat him up.

This is Jean... another sweetheart in the group.  He is exactly what you would expect of a boy at his age, but was such a helper when given a task and a little direction.  He was eager to fit in with some of the teenage deaf boys, also content with the younger guys too.  He was so fun to be around and full of energy- I'm definitely already missing him.

photo courtesy of Howe Captivate

Marieline was born without part of her left leg and with a right club foot.  No one ever taught her how to use her prosthetic so she either didn't wear it or didn't put weight on it.  She received physical therapy from Jake daily (sometimes twice a day) and her improvements could be seen immediately.  She loved working with him and was receptive to us both early on in the trip.  She was one of the ones I was surprised to see crying through the bus window on the last day.  She has such a strong spirit that her emotion caught me off guard.

There is so much more I could write, and a lot of other campers I could talk about but it would take forever. I'm sure if I have the opportunity to talk to you personally I won't shortchange you on the details!

back in the states

I won’t even both apologizing for the lapse since my last post, because I’m sure by now you’re tired of reading my excuses.  That said, I’m going to dive right into the subject of this post and will keep my fingers crossed that you haven’t given up on me yet.

I mentioned before that Jake was in Haiti and I’m happy to report that he has arrived back home safe and sound.  He got back Saturday evening and it’s been a whirlwind since.  I would have been happy just to sit in a room with him and hear him talk about his trip for hours… but that isn’t realistic.  There is so much to do now that he is home and so many people who want to talk to him about his experience.

Last night his trip finally caught up with him and he was exhausted.  I used this as an opportunity to seize my one on one time with him and just hang out, plain and simple.  We walked over to redbox, rented a horror movie (crazy, right?), and relaxed- it was A W E S O M E.  But enough about that, I want to share with you guys about Haiti!

For starters, Jake said it was a great trip.  It took some adjusting in the beginning, but once he had patients, he found a groove.  He talked about how quickly they responded to treatment and how they made certain accomplishments look like nothing.  One of his videos has a woman not only walking with her new leg, but balancing a bucket on her head at the same time!  Nuts.  But that’s how it is there.   Not only do they need to regain function in their legs, but they need to be able to move without any hindrances because their families depend on them to contribute.  It’s really amazing and humbling at the same time.  He made some great relationships with locals at the clinic he worked at and I wouldn’t be surprised if he went back next year.

If I had to guess what his biggest struggles have been since coming home, I'd say two things.  First, the excess in our culture; just all the stuff we have and "need" as Americans.  I imagine its really hard to see, let alone rationalize, after being surrounded by poverty and in a country so behind America in so many ways.  Second, I'd say the difference in patients.  He went from having patients travel from who knows how far and then wait hours just to be seen, to being one of hundreds of therapists in VB that a patient could choose from and then decide at any time whether the appointment was worth keeping.  His first two days back were filled with last minute cancellations and I could tell he was struggling to believe being in that clinic was a good use of his time.  I think he is slowly getting settled and adjusting to his old routine.  I find his response to the transition encouraging- I would hope that an experience like that would have a long lasting impact.

Here are some pictures from the trip, the whole album can be seen here.

Haiti

Hopefully most of you know that Jake is currently in Haiti with a group called Physicians for Peace and has been since the beginning of February.  He went there to work with recent amputees as a result of the earthquake.  I saw myself posting more about his trip, but since our communication is limited I don't have much to share.

What I can tell you is that he arrived there safely and said its worse than he had imagined.  As in, the pain and devastation there is really bad, but he doesn't feel like he is in grave danger.  From his emails, I've come to the conclusion that there are just a ton of people there hoping to be seen by these physicians and they most likely won't be.  In the beginning I could tell Jake was frustrated by this.  He of course is helping as many people as he can with the time and resources hes been given, but its hard not to notice the people waiting in line for hours.  I know Jake, and if he could he would work all day and all night just to make a dent in the line, but that isn't realistic.  I've encouraged him to make most the most of the time he has with the patients he sees and to stay focused on them.  I'm not a physician, but you don't have to be to understand how difficult working in that could be day in and day out.  What hes got to keep in mind is that he is helping some, and that matters, it makes a difference.

I'm really proud of him for going on this trip.  He took the initiative to go and I know its going to have an impact on him long after he returns.  I'll be sure to report back once I hear more.

previous Physician for Peace volunteer in Haiti, hope to update with pics of Jake soon