Team Renew Day 8

Before I talk about our last day here working, I need to recap yesterday evening after we posted. We went to see the hydroplant with the waterfalls where Bonne Fin makes their own power to support the hospital. The hike is steep down to the falls, but well-worth the view. The reserviour is actually run by the hospital employees, and the one manning it only in his boxers showed them where the water comes in and how it works to produce energy. Megan, Geoff, and our new friend Heather were going to hike on but then returned so as not to leave JoAnn with the man in his underwear. Back at the guest house, we ate dinner and then went back up to the hospital with the intention of evaluating a new admission patient with an SCI. While there, we learned about his 3 month hospital stay and evaluated his multiple stage 4 wounds--his greater trochanters were exposed on both sides. After dressing his wounds, we were ready to start the ASIA exam when a man came stumbling in covered in blood and on the verge of passing out. The team acted quickly to get the patient on a bed, assessed, and localized the source of injury--a gun shot wound to his neck. June and JoAnn were in the heart of the action along with Dr. B...the man is very lucky to have had such a great well-trained American team there as the ED Haitian team was a bit on the slower side to respond (which is an understatement!). Geoff was in there as well--Megan and I ran for supplies as needed. Several hours later when he was stable, we headed home. We were relieved to hear this morning that he was still stable and going to make it. He was very lucky that the bullet missed his spinal cord and vital vascular structures in his neck. The event occurred when 2 people collaborated to steal his motorcycle; what a sad event for this man! This morning, we packed up all our luggage, everything June needed to transport, and several Haitians and other Americans we needed to bring back with us. It was more like a 3-D jigsaw puzzle. We finished the ASIA exam we started yesterday and made recommendations for this man. In the States, he would have probably been independent with transfers and all basic mobility at this point. Currently, he's been supine for 3 months and has wounds that would need flaps if he were in a more-developed healthcare system. June is working to get him into a rehab program here, and that will be his best shot at a life in the future. We returned to Les Cayes, and made sure we stopped at the sewing center to pick up some gifts and sourvineres...I think JoAnn was most relieved as she was very concerned about getting there:) They certainly make some beautiful hand-made gifts, and the purchases go to help Haitian women support their families--a win-win. Back at June's, we had a yummy lunch of chicken and rice and then the team headed down to see the 15 patients already outside...most of whom we had seen on Monday and were back for rechecks, but many who just heard we were going to be here again. Megan got to try out her sewing skill making a sling out of a pillow case and some velcro...she was so impressed with her work she is thinking about purchasing one for home! We're finishing up some down time at June's, and then we're back to Seed to pack up and be ready for our early morning transport back to Port au Prince, our fist step on the journey home. It's been an amazing experience, and I think we've all enjoyed the work we've been able to do. The Haitian team is very appreciative of all we do, and June as a person is very inspirational in all the work she does here. Hopefully, this won't be our last opportunity to work with her. Thanks to all who have been following our journey and supporting us along the way!