A Doctor’s Thank You

In the spirit of Thanksgiving in the United States, we want to share this touching thank you note we recently received from an Emergency Room doctor who brought a group of 15 from Minnesota to volunteer at Hospital Bernard Mevs Project Medishare in Haiti:

“Dear Project Medishare,

First and foremost, I want to say thank you to all of you for what you are doing in Haiti.  Running a hospital in the middle of Haiti is a near impossible task. That being said, you are all succeeding at the task amazingly well. Given the resources and surroundings, what you do is nothing short of miraculous. I know sometimes you lose sight of all the good that you are doing, but you should all be incredibly proud of what you have built and accomplished.

On a personal note, I want to thank you Toni, Rachel, and Kathleen for helping me through the week. For me, going to Haiti and working for a week is challenging enough. Bringing a group along was in many ways challenging also. Fortunately, with your help, the experience for the group was amazing. I feel like we helped the Haitian people, we helped our patients, and I personally succeeded in opening the eyes of 15 people to the grace and suffering of the Haitian people. Everyone from the crew I went with came back to Minnesota fundamentally changed. Perhaps this was the greatest gift for me on this trip and I could not have done that without your constant support and advice.

It has been an honor for me to have the opportunity to work with you. Working with you and getting to know each of you has been another gift from Haiti that I will always cherish. I realize that things will change, but one of my enduring memories of Haiti will be the times I spent with each of you.

I firmly believe that what Project Medishare is doing in Haiti is nothing short of miraculous. Going and working there has been life-changing for me.  Probably the most difficult, challenging, yet the most rewarding thing I have ever done.

Be strong.  Continue the good fight as long as you are able.  What you are doing is amazing…..

Thanks again for everything,
Sam

P.S.  I will return…”

Sam Abelson, MD at Hospital Bernard Mevs Project Medishare in Port-Au-Prince. November 2011

It is truly incredible to us at Project Medishare for Haiti that our grassroots operation has such a loyal and dedicated support base. It is because of your giving (of your time and of your monetary donations) that we are able to save lives in the beautiful country of Haiti.  On behalf of everyone at Project Medishare for Haiti, we thank each of YOU for allowing us to continue to carry out our mission.

THANK YOU & HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

BELIEVE CHARITY DRIVE

Global phenomenon Justin Bieber is kicking off the season of giving with his ambitious Believe Charity Drive. He will donate a share of the sales from his forthcoming holiday release on RBMG/Island Def Jam, Under the Mistletoe, to seven different charities, including Project Medishare for Haiti! Additionally, he is calling on fans to contribute to specific charities in an effort to amass millions of dollars in total donations.

“Today I wanted to make a very special announcement to my fans,” Bieber explains. “I am officially launching the Believe Charity Drive. Together we can do anything, because I know firsthand that if you believe in your dreams, everything is possible. I am kicking off this campaign on November 1^st with my holiday album, UNDER THE MISTLETOE. With every album you purchase, I will give a portion of the proceeds to the BELIEVE CHARITY DRIVE. The BELIEVE CHARITY DRIVE directly benefits charities that are making a difference in the world. Let’s set a goal to raise several million dollars by the release of my new 2012 album, BELIEVE. With your help we can make a change…Never say never and God Bless!”

To learn more visit www.justinbiebermusic.com the premiere destination for all things Justin, including the BELIEVE CHARITY DRIVE, which is powered by the online fundraising platform StayClassy and can be accessed directly by clicking here.

“Haitian Inspiration Tour” Takes America’s Hearts

We wanted to share this lovely message we received from a member of the Project Medishare for Haiti staff:

“What a great and busy few days Team Zaryen has had! The trip included: a halftime exhibition at the DC United vs. Portland Timbers game at RFK Stadium in DC, a live taping at Fox News CT, a meet and greet with the Governor of Connecticut at the State House, scrimmage and soccer clinic in Stamford, a re-union with Ralph Gedeon who was an ISTAT (International Society of Transport Aircraft Trading) Medivac patient from the earthquake, a NY Red Bulls Pre-Game exhibition and a meet and greet with the team, an appearance on Fox and Friends’ national morning show followed by a tour of Times Square and the surrounding area, a Soccer Clinic in Astoria, and finally a shopping trip in Newark, New Jersey’s Wal-Mart where they shopped for their families with such care.

Suffice it to say that the past week has been nothing short of magic! With their sincerity, humility and big hearts; the members of Team Zaryen captured hearts and inspired those wherever they went. It has been my privilege to be part of this team for the past 21 months and I am most grateful. The team wanted to extend their thankfulness to everyone affiliated with Project Medishare and the Knights of Columbus. You all would have been so proud of these incredible, resilient and spiritual men and women as they shared their experience, strength and hope not only with the Wounded Warriors but everywhere they went.”

Team Zaryen in their Nike Soccer donated uniforms

Project Medishare for Haiti would like to once again thank Nike Soccer, Perry Ellis and of course the Knights of Columbus.

Team Zaryen meeting with members of the NY Red Bulls

We also wanted to send a special thank you to everyone that came out to meet and support Team Zaryen during their Inspiration Tour, without all of you this would not have been possible.

Team Zaryen in Times Square

Maya Angelou Center for Health Equity Donation

Project Medishare for Haiti would like to thank the Maya Angelou Center for Health Equity for their generous donation in honor of Dr. Gerald Bertoni, father of Dr. Alain Bertoni. Dr. Alain Bertoni is an Associate Professor of Public Health Sciences and Internal Medicine at Wake Forest School of Medicine and the Director of Research at the Maya Angelou Center for Health Equity.

Maya Angelou herself has been a longstanding supporter of Project Medishare for Haiti. Dr. Angelou and her son Guy Johnson narrated the film Once There Was a Country which examined the healthcare crisis in Haiti and highlighted the rich cultural heritage and the little known triumphs of the country that became the first black-ruled nation after the first successful slave revolt in 1791. She also wrote the following for Save Haiti Saturday (a fundraising campaign started by Project Medishare supporters after the 2010 earthquake): “The question is, am I my brother and sister’s keeper? The answer is more than that. I am my brother and my sister. I am a person trapped in a building which has collapsed in Haiti. I am a father who cannot get to his children in Haiti. I am a mother who is injured holding her injured baby with no aid. I’m not ashamed to say I need your help and I am grateful to say thank you.”

This donation from the Maya Angelou Center for Health Equity is especially important not only because of Dr. Angelou’s connection with Haiti but also because of Dr. Bertoni’s connection with the country. “Dr. Alain Bertoni is the son of two physicians who immigrated to the United States from Haiti before he was born.  He spent a week of his personal time in Haiti last year helping out in the tent hospital after the earthquake, working with Project Medishare. His commitment to help was deeply felt and something that mattered very much to him”- Winona K. Gilbert

Dr. Alain Bertoni (L) at the Project Medishare field hospital in Haiti

Haitian Inspiration Tour

Team Zaryen, Haiti’s amputee soccer team which is sponsored by the Knights of Columbus and Project Medishare, will be participating in the Haitian Inspiration Tour in the United States from October 16-October 22, 2011. The team will host soccer clinics for wounded U.S. soldiers, perform exhibits for Major League Soccer halftime shows and scrimmage against Connecticut high school students. A website featuring Team Zaryen’s Story, Tour schedule, Team information, Mission statement, News and Photos was just unveiled and you can check it out here!

The Team Zaryen Haitian Inspiration Tour schedule is as follows:

Monday, October 17, 2011:
Washington D.C
1-3pm: Amputee Soccer Clinic with service members (Walter Reed Army Medical Center)

Tuesday, October 18, 2011:
Washington D.C
10:30am-12 noon: Soccer Clinic at Robert F. Kennedy Stadium
12:15-1:30pm: Demonstration Game Team Zaryen vs. American Amputee Soccer Team

Wednesday, October 19, 2011:
Washington D.C
10:30am-12 noon: Soccer Clinic at Robert F. Kennedy Stadium
8pm: D.C. United vs. Portland Timbers (Team Zaryen performs at half-time show)

Thursday, October 20, 2011:
Stamford, Connecticut
10:30am: Team Zaryen is welcomed to Connecticut by Governor Dannel P. Malloy
2pm: Demonstration with students at Trinity High School in Stamford, Conn.
Harrison, New Jersey
8pm: New York Red Bulls vs. Philadelphia Union at the Red Bull Arena (Team Zaryen performs at half-time show)

Friday, October 21, 2011:
New York City Media events

We want to wish Wilfrid and Team Zaryen a successful tour next week. As always, please be sure to check our Facebook and Twitter feeds often to get up to date information on all things Project Medishare.

Thank you to Nike Soccer and Lynn Merritt for donating the awesome uniforms to Team Zaryen and to Perry Ellis for outfitting the members of  the team off the field!

This would not be possible without the help of the Knights of Columbus, thank you for your continued partnership with Project Medishare!

Team Zaryen

EMPACT Northwest & Project Medishare EMT’s

EMPACT Northwest is a charitable organization comprised of medical professionals providing disaster relief, medical education and ongoing medical aid to communities in need. EMPACT NW partnered with Project Medishare for Haiti in the pursuit of providing emergency medical response and transportation for the sick and injured by identifying and educating Haitian EMT student candidates and educating the Haiti National Police and the general population in basic first aid.

EMPACT NW volunteers are specialized pre-hospital providers from the Pacific Northwest (PNW). EMPACT NW is also comprised of members who hold extensive backgrounds in firefighting, HAZ-MAT, chemical/biological weapons, auto extrication, building collapse, confined space, trench, high angle rescue, disaster/wilderness medicine, tactical/combat medicine, flight medicine, and communications.

The intent of EMPACT Northwest/EMPACT Haiti was to join their resources with Project Medishare and offer their expertise in creating a high quality, functional Emergency Medical Service (EMS) program in Haiti. Besides creating an effective ambulance service, EMPACT NW believes that citizen involvement is critical to minimizing pre-hospital injury and death. They are committed to educating professional pre-hospital providers who will in turn be tasked with delivering basic first aid education to the public and government entities such as the Haitian National Police.

Among other goals, EMPACT Haiti is committed to providing 24 hour staffing for one of our generously donated ambulances, management and oversight by EMPACT NW staff of an EMS program and its volunteers and management and training of Haitian EMS students/translators. The training of Medishare staff as EMT’s incorporates all levels of staff in the capacity building of the Hospital Bernard Mevs Project Medishare as supported by the American Red Cross.

We are very pleased to announce that the first class graduated on September 20^th, 2011! You can see photos from the Graduation Ceremony here! This class, the first graduates of this partnership and program of its kind in Haiti, will also rotate as EMS providers and work in our Triage Unit at Hospital Bernard Mevs Project Medishare. A grant from the United Way Worldwide to Project Medishare played a major role in allowing for this group to graduate and will continue to influence the EMT program.

Armadeus Davidson PM, HCA-F, EMPACT Northwest Project Manager, EMPACT Haiti said it best; “It is an honor to serve the people of Haiti and we thank you for your participation.”

The 1st graduating class of EMT's in Haiti with the head of Haitian National Fire Service

 

A special thank you to EMPACT Northwest for your support of Project Medishare. Thank you to United Way Worldwide for your generous grant. Thank you again to the City of Miami Beach for donating the ambulances that our EMT’s will be using to save so many lives. And a big thank you to the American Red Cross for your continued commitment to our efforts to provide healthcare in Haiti.

Meet Frantz

Allow us to introduce you to one of our young patients. Frantz is a 2-year-old boy who was abandoned at Hospital Bernard Mevs Project Medishare. Frantz was admitted to the hospital in early July for malnutrition and fever. His father said he would be back for his son but was admitted to a different hospital himself. Unfortunately, Project Medishare staff has not been able to reach him since.

Frantz is now a thriving and healthy young boy. He continues Physical Therapy everyday and receives lots of love from the families and volunteers in the pediatric department. One of the Project Medishare volunteers from this past week, Jill, gave Frantz a few new outfits and the adorable sunglasses he is wearing.

Frantz at Hospital Bernard Mevs Project Medishare

Back to School for Kids in Haiti

As we leave the summer behind, students and teachers will be starting the 2011-2012 school year. In a third world country like Haiti, children face many preventable health risks. We need your help to diminish these risks and you can do so by sponsoring a school child for the year in Haiti. For a mere $10, you can help save a young life by clicking here.

Project Medishare for Haiti developed a School Based Health Program to give every child attending primary schools in the Medishare catchment area in the Central Plateau a physical exam and healthcare during the school year, including vaccinations, an assessment for anemia/malnutrition, a vision and hearing screening, a dental check, de-worming and referral to clinics for follow-up. Your generous donation can help guarantee the continuation of this important program for children of the Central Plateau. Project Medishare sees approximately 12,000 children per year in this program alone.

Project Medishare responded quickly to the Cholera outbreak last year using different prevention methods. This was possible because of Medishare’s long history of community support and education. Meetings were held at the schools to train staff and students on the signs and symptoms of Cholera. Liquid bleach, water treatment tablets, disinfectant and oral rehydration salts were distributed to all of the schools during the first quarter of the school year. Many of the school children participated in Cholera awareness campaigns at their local churches on Sundays. We are doubling our efforts to identify funding in order to provide access to clean water to our populations, most specifically to the school children.

As you prepare your own family and friends for the start of a productive school year, please consider a donation to support this program to keep Haitian students safe and healthy. Just $10 sponsors one child, and with a $100 donation, you can sponsor 10 kids to receive healthcare this year. We appreciate your generosity to ensure that children in Haiti have access to the healthcare they so desperately need.

Thank you for your contribution.

Sincerely,

Dr. Barth A. Green

School Children in Haiti's Central Plateau at a Project Medishare assembly

Lives Saved with Cholera Outreach

Darline is a 14-year-old Haitian girl who attends Eben Ezer School in Pareidon, Lahoye. She participated in cholera outreach that was held at her school through Project Medishare and later at her church.

In March of 2011 her neighbor became ill and was vomiting. The neighbors’ family assumed this was just indigestion. Because of the recent training she had received, Darline suspected that her neighbor had cholera. She ran to the Project Medishare Lahoye clinic to notify the nurse in charge. By the end of the day, when the nurse visited the neighbor’s house, two more members of the family were down with the same symptoms and were immediately transported to the clinic. Within weeks, a major epidemic developed in the area and Project Medishare opened a Cholera Treatment Unit in order to respond to the emergency. This was accomplished thanks to a grant from the United Way of Miami-Dade.

Today, Darline is very involved in outreach at her church and now assists at a fixed cholera supply distribution point that has been set up at her house. She hopes to pursue her studies and aspires to become a nurse to be able to take care of her community.

Project Medishare clinic in Lahoye, Haiti

If you would like to help us in purchasing lifesaving supplies that will help treat as well as prevent the spread of this outbreak, please click here to make an online donation today.

Thank you once again for all you do to help us continue provide healthcare in Haiti!

Doctors Help a Future Haitian Doctor

In July 2011, Jimmy arrived at Hospital Bernard Mevs Project Medishare exhibiting symptoms of a rare condition called myasthenia gravis. Myasthenia gravis is a neuromuscular disorder, which involves the muscles and the nerves that control them. Our hospital staff and medical volunteers treated Jimmy. The volunteer group that week was from Eastern Health, an organization that went to Haiti with Project Medishare all the way from Newfoundland, Canada.

It was clear that Jimmy would not be able to leave our Intensive Care Unit due to needing intravenous medication every two and a half hours to control his condition. In the United States, myasthenia gravis is treated with a daily medication and patients lead very normal lives. In a third world country like Haiti, quality of life is much different with myasthenia gravis. In order to leave the hospital, Jimmy would need oral pyridostigmine, an expensive medication that is not available in Haiti. Without this medication, he would need to be an inpatient indefinitely. As a 21-year-old first-year medical student, this was a debilitating and heartbreaking realization.

Only two short weeks after the Canadian volunteer group returned home from Haiti, a one-year supply of oral pyridostigmine arrived at the Project Medishare warehouse in Miami, FL. The medication was delivered to Port-au-Prince that Saturday morning by our weekly volunteer staff.

The Intensive Care Unit coordinator at Hospital Bernard Mevs Project Medishare, Judith, gave Jimmy the medication and explained to him that with the medicine he would be able to return home and lead a normal life. Jimmy had been ill since April and was near death just a few short weeks ago. When he was asked what the first thing he wanted to do when he left the hospital, Jimmy stated, “return to medical school.”  None of the hospital staff had known he was a medical student until that moment.

Jimmy wanted us to extend his sincere thanks to the Canadian group who, by sending this medication, gave him the gift of continuing to live his life and allowing a (future) fellow doctor graduate in a country much in need of medical personnel.

Jimmy with his mother at Hospital Bernard Mevs Project Medishare

The hospital staff sends their best wishes to Jimmy and his family. And again, thank you to the Eastern Health Canadian team for sending us pyridostigmine.