Special to The County Compass

PORT AU PRINCE, HAITI -- Mike Miller and Karen Wilson, medical professionals from Pamlico County, returned Monday from a 10-day stint in Haiti where they treated many who were injured in the January earthquake. Miller took time from his rigorous schedule to chronicle the visit with daily e-mails. He describes his encounter with Mikele, a young child who lost both arms in the tragedy.

Friends:

Just a short note to let you know that we made it to the compound, but not without some misadventure.  The bus transporting us broke down and another had to be sent.  The trip from Santo Domingo to Port au Prince took almost 12 hours.  I'll be working at Community Hospital in Port au Prince today.  Internet is so so. It keeps going down, so this will be short.  I'll send more once we get settled.

Blessings, Mike

Friends,

Day one went well.  We left at 6:30am and got back about 6:30pm.  Team 7, the team we are replacing, went in today for half a day to show us the ropes.  It was obvious talking to them that their trip had been a rewarding experience.  We broke up into groups, with several going to a children's hospital about 15 minutes away.

I worked with a doctor and another nurse most of the day doing wound care.  There were a number of wounds, amputations, burns and fractures.  The injuries were quite severe and painful but we tried to be as gentle as possible.  When we finished with those patients, we went and helped out in the Emergency Room for the rest of the day.  This hospital's ER is a makeshift affair in the center courtyard under a tarp awning.  They had 3 portable tables, waiting benches, a desk, and supply cabinets.

Even though conditions were somewhat primitive, the staff worked efficiently.  Karen Wilson, along with another doctor, took care of many different problems, some related to the earthquake but a number not.

I am extremely tired and badly need a shower, so I'll sign off for now.

Blessings, Mike

Friends:

Yesterday was long and hot. We had twice as many people show up in the ER, with injuries ranging from minor infections, to a guy hit by a bus. A metal cabinet there got knocked over making a loud crash as it hit the concrete. Everyone in Triage saw it so they knew what had happened, but the people behind a tarp in the Admitting Area just heard the sound and some started screaming and running.

These Haitians were so paranoid about another earthquake that any loud sound sends them into a panic.

I worked wound care and did wound packing, dressing changes, cleaned and dressed skin graft sites and external fixators. Skin graft donor sites are the hardest to work on because the areas are so sensitive. Most of the hospital is occupied by post-op patients and a large portion of those have fractures immobilized by external fixators. I've never seen so many pins sticking out of people.

Almost all of the serious trauma from the earthquake has either been treated or died. There has been a number of countries that sent teams to Haiti. In Community Hospital alone, we've seen other medical people from the US, France, Canada, China, Turkey, and Sri Lanka.

Today I worked at a clinic a few miles from our compound. This was similar to what I've done on past mission trips and was much easier on this old fat man's back. I'm hoping to stay at the clinic the rest of the trip.

The last two nights we've experienced some minor tremors, but according to the locals, they are coming more infrequently. The one last night registered a magnitude 4.7 and caused a crack to form in a wall next to Triage at Community Hospital. According to the hospital team, when they arrived this morning all of the patients had been placed in the courtyard until they determined the building was safe.

This trip has been very rewarding and the team is excellent. I've only seen a small amount of the country traveling to and from work, but I'm amazed at the resilience of the Haitian people. Even with the damaged buildings and tent cities, life goes on. But our team is reminded of the tragedy every day when we ride by the mass grave with over 200,000 Haitians in it.

Please keep Haiti in your prayers. It will take years for them to recover.

Blessings, Mike

I want to tell you an interesting story. The first day of we worked at the hospital they had just brought in 20 infants from an orphanage that were severely malnourished and dehydrated. They had come from a Catholic Orphanage that was run by an 85-year-old nun that could only get around with a walker.

I don't know all of the details, but the gist of the story goes as follows: After the earthquake the nun lost all of her help and was having to take care of the infants by herself. After a few days she ran out of food and water, with no prospect of any re-supply. I don't know any details of how long they were without food and water or how they were rescued. I only know they were in sad shape when they arrived.

Then a miracle happened. A team of about 5 or 6 Spanish Doctors and Nurses took over the care and feeding of those infants. They stayed with them all night and the following day just getting them to take sips of water and formula. Within 24 hours there was a marked improvement in all but two. Within 48 hours they were running around like normal happy, healthy babies. Even the worst two show remarkable improvement the last time I saw them. From what I understand, they will be transferred to another orphanage in a few days. I think that's enough for today.

God is Good, Mike

Meet Mikele. He is 2 years old and lost both of his arms in the earthquake. He is currently recovering at St. Damien Pediatric Hospital. Suzie, our occupational therapist has been working with Mikele since we got here. He has been an inspiration to everyone he has come in contact with.

Because he's two years old, he doesn't realize he’s supposed to be bitter, he just loves life. Suzie was trying to teach him to feed himself with a spoon using his toes. It didn't take him long to understand what she wanted him to do, the problem was that the spoon started out upright but was flipped upside down by the time it got to his mouth. He didn't care, he'd just grin and lick the spoon.

Suzie designed and molded a plastic cup holder for Mikele and he took to it right away. I've included pictures. Enjoy.

Mike