From Facebook
Clarice sat in her chair on the side of the desk in my examination room, looking intently at the little test cartridge. I was talking to her as the HIV rapid test result was developing. I realized she probably wasn’t hearing much of what I said – she was concentrating on the test cartridge. I…
This past Thursday we went up to our clinic in Gatineau as usual, not knowing that a routine 8-10 hour work day was going to turn into a rugged 24 hour shift! We saw over 40 patients during the day, and at 4:30pm had the truck all packed up to start our drive home, feeling…
Our overarching goal at Friends for Health in Haiti is to improve the health and change the lives and hearts of the people of Haiti. We desire to do this by providing integrated health care to patients of all ages, in a nurturing, Christian environment. We feel that it is important to maintain dignity while…
One of the most gratifying aspects of our work here in Haiti is when we see positive results of our medical treatment. Each patient presents a challenge to the physician, both in terms of diagnosing their illness and in deciding the proper treatment for that illness or condition. Obviously, the more experience and knowledge a…
There are times when our patients’ life stories bring tears to the eyes of both Cherlie and me. One such episode occurred recently and I’d like to tell you about it. A man and his wife had come to the clinic a few weeks ago with their infant daughter. She had a large growth on…
I recently spent a few weeks in the US, and my activities included a wonderful fund-raising banquet that was held in Milwaukee on April 4th. We’re thankful to Fund Development Corporation, who helped with the planning of it, in collaboration with a great group of volunteers and our administrative assistant Tracy Bernhardt. Over 230 people…
Last Thursday, we had a surprise visit at our clinic from several Haitian Public Health Department personnel from Port-au-Prince. They were there to inspect our present facility (our little tin-roofed house), evaluate the future clinic site and assess the need for medical care in the area. It represented the final step in a process that…
Hope for Haiti – our first ever FHH banquet – is fast approaching! The banquet will be held on Saturday, April 4th at the Wisconsin Club in Milwaukee, WI. For tickets, please email Tracy at friendsforhealth@gmail.com. Plans are well underway and all signs point to a very fun event! In support and celebration, please join…
Happy belated New Year! I trust that you all had a happy holiday season. I spent ten days in Milwaukee helping out in two Emergency Departments over the holidays, so I was able to experience the snow and cold of the Midwest once again. I was glad to return to the warmth of Haiti again…
This past weekend I had to make a quick trip into the capital city of Port-au-Prince. We periodically ship supplies to Haiti through a mission organization in Grand Rapids, Michigan called Rays of Hope for Haiti. They pack up containers, ship them to Haiti, clear them through customs and put them in a warehouse in…