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“How was my trip to Haiti?” everyone asks.   Whoa! …That’s a tough question to sum up in a single word.  Fast?  Good?  Chaotic? Sad?  Happy? Tiring? Productive?  Successful?  Yes, all are true but none alone fully capture the voyage.   Allow me to digest that question while I recount the ride.

My Orthopaedic Mission to Haiti began on Wednesday 1/20 and I returned home safely on 1/29/2010.  As you might imagine, the experience was physically, mentally and emotionally stressful.  The chaos and agony reported by the media does little justice to the suffering on the ground.  Nonetheless, we managed to overcome many of the obstacles that had limited the effective delivery of surgical services by other well intentioned missionary teams in Haiti. I think our success was due to a variety of factors including our personnel, our supporting organizations, a little luck and mostly  the resiliency of the Haitian people.

Our base of operation was “Hopital Bienfaisance de Pignon” in Pignon Haiti.  Pignon is located approximately 55 miles north of  Port au Prince.   The hospital was undamaged by the earthquake.  It is equipped with 2 functioning operating rooms, an adequate compliment of trained Haitian staff and a reasonably well stocked inventory of basic medical supplies.  Because it was far enough away from the disaster zone the hospital had ample diesel generated electricity, running water and an extremely secure environment in which to treat patients.  We were the first medical team to set-up there.  Upon arrival we found an overcrowded inpatient ward filled with the injured from Port au Prince and their homeless families.  During our stay in Pignon we frequently operated 10-16 hours a day, several times operating through the night until daybreak.  .  There were many open fractures (broken bones that came out through the skin), crushed extremities and infected, gangrenous, traumatic wounds.  Due to our excellent pre-trip planning we came prepared and successfully saved lives and salvaged more limbs than anticipated. The surgical cases were challenging and truly tested my limits as a surgeon.  I did perform 4 amputations and although they were medically necessary, these decisions were still the most haunting tasks of my stay.

Despite the misery and despair I have fond memories of this journey.  One in particular, occurred on the afternoon of our arrival.  We had just completed rounds on the ward for the first time and I was at the nursing station reviewing x-rays, trying to decide who needed to go to surgery that first night.  My senses were overwhelmed.  The mangled limbs and gangrenous wounds were the worst I had ever encountered.  Most had been literally covered in dirt and gravel for over a week.  My nose was so saturated with the nauseating scent of pus that I could practically taste the stench.  My ears were ringing with the moans of pain from the ward.  I was hot, sweating from a long day of travel in the Caribbean sun and very much in need of a shower and some deodorant.   I was tired and a bit sore from sleeping on the trembling Port au Prince concrete the night before.  I knew I was in for another long night.  And it was at that moment that I was struck by a spiritual melody echoing down the dark hallway.  It grew softly as voice after voice joined the chorus.  The patients in their beds and their families strewn about on the floor, well over 70 voices in total, had broken out into song.  I found my senses calmed and my soul being nourished.  The lyrics were Kreyol so I could not make out the words well but the sentiment was clear.  We had brought “hope” to a “hopeless” situation.

So, “How was my trip to Haiti?” Fast?  Good? Chaotic?  Sad?  Happy? Tiring? Productive?  Successful?  Yes, all are true but none alone fully capture the voyage.   Fulfilling?….yes, unequivocally fulfilling.   And, I write to tell you that you should feel fulfilled too. Know that your kindness has answered the prayers of the people of Haiti.  Know that my hands were simply instruments guided by your love. Yet above all, know that I am grateful that you found me worthy to bring the miracle of “you “to those who , as one victim said ,“felt that they were left all alone in this world”.  The recovery from this calamity is only beginning and the road for Haiti is sure to be long.  So I leave you with this Haitian proverb as food for thought:

Men anpil chay pa lou………. Many hands make the load lighter.

Most humbly,

Tim

Timothy S. Johnson, MD – National Sports Medicine Institute

19455 Deerfield Ave, Suite 312 Lansdowne, VA 20176

Tel: 703 729-5010 Fax: 703 729-5833  http://www.NationalSportsMed.com/

Academic Appointment:

Assistant Professor, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery-Sports Medicine, Shoulder & Elbow Surgery