Waiting

Robendji Saurtilive clings to her mother as they wait for Robendji’s time for surgery. In the recovery ward at Hopital Universitaire de la Paix, a sense of community has formed among the mothers.Photos by Jennifer Browning.

By Jennifer Browning
PORT-AU-PRINCE–While the fans keep the air from being completely stale, the recovery room is still hot. This is [...]

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Project Medishare’s nurse liaison returns to Haiti to work for her people

Nurse liason Maguy Rochelin visits Bianca in the recovery ward. Maguy helps Project Medishare keep ties with organizations like Healing Hands of Haiti. Photo by Jennifer Browning.

By Jennifer Browning
PORT-AU-PRINCE–After living and working as a nurse for ten years in New York City, Maguy Rochelin decided to move back to Haiti. She now lives in [...]

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Stories from the surgical room: Marie Celestine

Bundled in blankets, Marie Celestine rests after her Ventricular Petroneal surgery. Marie was diagnosed with Hydrocephalus immediately after birth. Photo by Jennifer Browning.
By Jennifer Browning
PORT-AU-PRINCE–Hours before the surgical team would return, Marie Nesline Neika Celestine was born Saturday at 2 a.m. at Hopital Universitaire de la Paix. It was evident she had hydrocephalus.
This morning Marie [...]

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Beyond hydrocephalus

By Jennifer Browning

PORT-AU-PRINCE–While the main concentration here in Port-au-Prince is to treat the children with hydrocephalus, it is hard to deny those with other issues.
Yesterday morning as Ann McNeil was on her way to visit the hydrocephalus children, a lady was waiting outside the recovery room with her two month old infant. Her child, [...]

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Stories from the surgical room: Prince

Renaud Elysee kisses her son Prince a few hours before he went into surgery. Eight-month-old Prince was diagnosed with hydrocephalus four months ago.  Photo by Jennifer Browning.
By Jennifer Browning
PORT-AU-PRINCE–Eight-month-old Prince began having seizures three months ago so his mother took him to the doctor. He was examined and his mother was told that he was [...]

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A new day in the operating room

Pediatric neurological surgeon Dr. Jeff Blount stops by the recovery ward to check on a few of the hydrocephalus patients like Bianca. This is Dr. Blount’s first visit to Haiti. Photo by Jennifer Browning.
By Jennifer Browning
PORT-AU-PRINCE—As dark clouds hovered above threatening rain, the team gathered outside for breakfast at 6 a.m. With twelve surgeries [...]

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Stories from the surgical room: Baby Hope

Esperancia Simon was abondoned in Les Cayes, about a five hour drive from Port-au-Prince. After her Endoscopic Third Ventriculostomy, Baby Hope will have a chance to live a relatively normal life. Photos by Jennifer Browning.
By Jennifer Browning
PORT-AU-PRINCE—Almost 120 miles away in a town called Les Cayes, a carpet bag was placed on a doorstep. When [...]

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Stories from the surgical room: Bianca

By Jennifer Browning
PORT-AU-PRINCE–Hermance Fenelon’s favorite thing about her daughter Bianca is her smile.
“She is an interesting child,” Hermance said. “She rarely cries and she is always smiling, making faces….she likes to blow kisses…”
A year ago, early one morning, Hermance walked outside her house and found a two-month-old Bianca. The baby’s mother had left her behind [...]

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First day of surgeries at Hopital Universitaire de la Paix

 By Jennifer Browning
PORT-AU-PRINCE–The team traveled to the Hopital Universitaire de la Paix at 8 a.m. Much was to be done in preparation for today’s surgeries. Everyone participated in getting ready for the day. Mothers washed their babies’ hair so that their heads were clean for surgery, nurses took temperatures, identification bracelets were placed on the [...]

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Specialty surgery in Port-au-Prince

By Jennifer Browning

PORT-AU-PRINCE–The rain poured at 4 a.m. as three Project Medishare volunteers drove to Miami International Airport for their 7:10 flight to Haiti. There was much to do before 14 more members of the surgical team arrived on Saturday and this early flight was just the beginning.
As part of Project Medishare’s Specialty Surgery Program [...]

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