Apr. 28 - Godley, Philemon - Died

Today I read the report in Lancet about the lack of surgical care in poor countries around the world. Over 30% of deaths are due to surgeries not available for the poor. Saturday 2 people that we know died here in Haiti because of the fact that there are no specialty surgeons here to treat their cases. Gerard is a Haitian man who has been a friend of ours for years. Years ago his son Powerful went to the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota for a heart surgery. His heart developed problems a few years ago and he was in need for a valve replacement. Heart surgeries are expensive and it is difficult to find a free surgery overseas for heart surgeries. Powerful was on the Haiti Cardiac Alliance waiting list for a surgery but his heart gave out before an opportunity opened up for him. Gerard is a Christian. He gave his son the names of Powerful and Godly when he was born. Saturday afternoon Gerard came to the house to tell us that his son had died that day at Bernard Mevs Hospital. Pastor Octave is helping the family to arrange the funeral for Powerful. Philemond, the man with the mouth tumor also died on Saturday. Jim and Debbie Hambrick, and Dr. Karen McCarthy never gave up searching for medical care for him. In the end the cancer was too destructive and nothing more could be done for Philemond. Philemond was a member of Pastor Marcelin's church. It is good that both families are being helped and comforted by pastors of churches that we know (Pastor Octave and Pastor Marcelin). We can take comfort that Powerful and Philemond are now in heaven where their suffering is over. Pray that Haiti will one day have a heart surgery and cancer center. So many people die here in Haiti because of the lack of specialty surgeons.