January 20, 2010

Afternoon

Baptist Mission Hospital - Fermathe, Haiti

I just finished rounds. Here is the story of one young woman, Rouite Tisma:

She is a 16 year old schoolgirl still at school at 4:30.

The earthquake hit and the building crumbled around her, killing 6 others.

Dad, knowing she had stayed at school, went that night with flashlight and search for his daughter.  He told me he found nothing but piles of boulders and concrete where the school had been. Going from mound to mound, he called out her name ... Nothing but collapsed building. He helplessly called for hours wandering from pile to pile of building rubble.  Miraculously, she recognized his voice, and she responded from beneath 6 feet of rubble and concrete.  She called backed, hearing her Dad calling her name. It was pitch dark, but he directed his flashlight in the direction of his daughter's voice.  He spotted the back of her neck through the deep pile.  He told her that she would be alright.  He ran back to get his son to help remove her from the crushed debris.

Using just a shovel and pick, they worked to get her out. While buried, they could not get food or water to her because she was crumpled over and face down. On the third day, she was freed. Three days of father and son digging.

She was brought to hospital and waited for 24 hours. Her right leg was swollen and crushed. Fascitomy.  Left forearm swollen -- fasciotomy. No sensation in leg or hand and grossly swollen. But she is alive ... And thankful.

On rounds yesterday her appreciative Dad opened his Bible to John 3:16 and pointed it out to us.  It was in Creole so we, of course, couldn't read it.

Today she looks great and her brother was eager to help massaging her hands for physical therapy. 

This gives some feel to what we are doing and seeing in Haiti.