photos - various - part 2

Poutchino Vincent is a hydrocephalus boy who has been at Dorothy's mission for several years. He needs to have surgery to install a stomach feeding tube. He has been having problems aspirating liquids because of swallowing problems. We took him and his mother to haitian immigration this week to apply for a passport. Pray for Dorothy and her staff's efforts at Faith, Hope, Love Infant Rescue in looking after Poutchino as he also suffers seizures and is a very fragile child.

All of a sudden people are coming forward with goiter problems! It happens like this sometimes here. Pray that this young woman can find treatment for hers.

Loudmy Valcourt is enjoying school and settling into life here in Port-au-Prince. You can see her face is more happier and relaxed this week. These are some of her friends in her class.

Kervens Peltro is a 9-year-old mentally handicapped boy. His father is older and was happy that we were interested in taking him into our handicapped program for September.

Jodline Jean is 13 years old and has never had the opportunity to go to school. In September she too will be added to our school program here at Coram Deo

haiti update - may 16, 2009

“Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened. But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have…” 1 Peter 3:13-15

Hi! This week focused on the struggles of the handicapped. Late every afternoon I always give Macdonald Jean a ride near to where he lives. He lives in the Cite Jeremie area in our neighborhood. He has some form of neuro-muscular disease and over time it gets progressively worse. He likes to come here to be around the other people and also to advance his education. He is not a child but a young man of around 23 years of age. He is smart and has learned to repair computers and cell phones. He is determined to function in life despite his physical disabilities. Because of his weakness sometimes he falls. He doesn’t complain though and just tries to get back up again. One day he was laying awkwardly on the table and when I walked past him I helped him to sit up in a better position again. I asked him how come he never called out for help and he responded by saying that he knew somebody would walk by him eventually to help. He has a lot of courage in facing his disability. People who are physically handicapped here in Haiti face a lot of obstacles in trying to move around, especially on some of the roads we have here in Haiti! Pray for Macdonald as he courageously faces his neuro-muscular disease.
When we bring Macdonald home the other children always want to come along for a ride in the truck. Late Wednesday afternoon Manu and Benson came along. We dropped off Mackenson and then turned the corner to head back up the street. We saw a crowd of people ahead and Manu said that there was a lady lying on the ground. We stopped the truck and got out to find out what was going on. The crowd was standing around watching a woman lying in the middle part of the road. We went up to her to see if she was dead or alive and she was alive. I asked the crowd if they knew who she was and what happened. Nobody recognized her (or would tell me) and some people responded that she was a “zombie”. Others said that she had collapsed from hunger. One side of her mouth was drooping down and I thought that she might have suffered a stroke. In Haiti the emergency number to dial is 114 and we kept getting a busy signal. We then decided to go to the police station on Delmas 33 to make a report and request their assistance in transporting the woman to the hospital. I showed the policeman the picture on my camera of the woman and he spoke to some other policemen and than a police vehicle drove out of the station. The guy then told me that he sent a vehicle to help out. We went back to the area where she was and the police hadn’t arrived yet. I told the crowd that the police would come and they didn’t think that they would show up. Time went on and the police never came. The people in the crowd told me that I should have told the police that there was some cocaine on the road! It started to rain and we didn’t want to leave her on the road and I asked the crowd to help me lift her into the truck. Nobody budged to help. The only volunteers were the older children here at Coram Deo. Reginald and Harold helped to lift her into the truck. We started to drive downtown and the rain turned into a downpour. The water runs quickly down the streets and we passed a person empty a large sack of garbage on the road for the rains to wash away. This is a common thing for people to do and when the rain stops all the garbage piles up in the low areas. We arrived at General Hospital and brought the lady into the emergency room. We made a report with the doctors and then left her. The lady can’t speak so her name is marked as “Inconnu” (unknown). The doctors asked who was with her and we told them that we found her in the street and couldn’t leave her lying in the rain. I was hoping that her family would search for her and find her in the emergency department at the state hospital. In Haiti if there is nobody with a patient they basically get no treatment and I told the doctors that I would come back the next day and try to find an alternative location to put the woman. We went back to the hospital the next day and brought some food and something to drink for the woman. We didn’t find her in the emergency department. She had been moved to the floor of the waiting room. She didn’t have a stroke but she was mentally handicapped. I don’t know how she ended up in the middle of that street. She either had been wandering around for some time and was weak or else somebody dumped her there. We visited the Brothers of Charity in Cite Pele to see if they could help but they weren’t able to. I did have a good discussion though with one of the Brothers. He is from India and used to work for several years in Mexico with the handicapped. The Brothers of Charity just recently had to put out a young mentally handicapped adult after having problems with him who had been with them since a child. He said that they didn’t want to have to handle another situation like that again. He mentioned the need in Haiti for a place for handicapped adults. He told us to check with the Missionaries of Charity at the Home for the Dying to see if they would take her in but didn’t give much hope. We went there and they were away on retreat. On Monday we hope to speak with the sisters. If they don’t take her in there are no other options available but to leave this woman at the state hospital. When we brought this woman food there was an older man there and he came up to us. He told me that he offered to give her some money to buy food but she didn’t understand. He then gave us the money to help to buy some food for her. At least being there on the floor people will notice her and hopefully give her food and something to drink. Pray for this unknown woman who still is on the floor in the waiting room at the hospital. Christian Horizons has group homes for adults in Canada. I pray that one day they will be able to do the same thing here in Haiti. It can be frustrating trying to help the handicapped in Haiti because there are very few options available. Pray that the society will work together here in Haiti to help.
This week we visited Vanessa Jules and her mother. They have been homeless since the father ordered her mother to get rid of Vanessa. Vanessa is a young hydrocephalus child that was recently operated on. Her mother had her baby in a building, which used to be an orphanage/school. She delivered the baby herself with the help of a couple of other squatters. She loves her children and is doing the best she can to look after them. Pray for this family as they are in a difficult situation.
We have had several requests this week for schooling assistance for some children. Kervens Peltro is a 9-year-old mentally handicapped boy. Jodline Jean is 13 years old and has never completed a year of schooling. Pray we can help them in September in our school program here at Coram Deo.
That’s all the news for today. Have a good weekend!
Karen Bultje, Coram Deo

photos - various

We got sad news this week that Sammy died in Fond Baptiste. He was 20 years old. He is in heaven now where he suffers no more.

Jacob had his 15th birthday this week. Jacob is Sammy's cousin. It was on a visit to see Jacob when I first met Sammy (when he was 11 years old).

This 6-year-old girl is our newest addition to the school program here at Coram Deo. Her mother died a couple of weeks ago and her 7-month-old baby sister died a week later. She is now an orphan and will be raised by her aunt and uncle. Her aunt, Joana is one of the hydrocephalus parents (mother of Chrisno). By the end of the week she was sitting in class and starting to smile. Keep her in prayer.

Gilberto Romain is a happy 3-year-old boy who has cerebral palsy. His mother said that he can't still hold his head very well and I told her not to give up that it would just take more time.

I showed her that one day he may walk. Here he is making an effort to stand. Here he is trying to push up with his head. This is a good exercise to build neck strength. Hopefully she will keep in contact.

photos - various

Valny Brunel is a 46 year old man who recently had his left leg amputated just below the knee. In August 2008 he was robbed in the Fond Parisien area by three men armed with knives. They pushed him into a hole which was about 10 ft deep. His leg was severely damaged. He went to the Medecins Sans Frontieres Hospital where they attempted to save his leg. In April 2009 they ended up amputating it. He got robbed after completing a business deal and had $5,000US in cash on him. He believes his business partner arranged the robbery. His business partner suddenly died a week after this mans' leg was amputated. Valny had told his family and friends not to take revenge.

Christella Odene is a 13-year-old girl who suffered some serious burns in a fire when she was only 3 months old.

Her right hand suffered some scarring damage. With plastic surgery I think that her hand function can improve. A plastic surgeon who specialises in hand surgery visited Haiti a couple of years ago. I am going to try and get into contact with him to see if he may be able to help this girl.

Marie Alsouna Maitre is a 13-year-old girl who I met 11 years ago. She was born with an encephalocele between her eyes. Ruth Zimmermann of Notre Maison found surgery for her in the United States during that time. The doctors in the United States told her that they would be able to do further surgery on her tear ducts 10 years later. I don't have any of her old info. Pray that we can find the hospital that helped her and also if they can help her once again.

Freud Jean is a 7-month-old baby boy with hydrocephalus. The family lives in the Fond Parisien region. We brought him to Healing Hands this week to register in the next hydrocephalus program. We had 3 new hydrocephalus contacts this week!

photos - hydrocephalus

Margarita Antoine is a 2-month-old baby girl who was born with hydrocephalus. She was abandoned at the Missionaries of Charity in Cayes and transferred to Holy Angels where she is now under the care of Linda Cortesi and her workers. She was born premature and her body is very tiny. I don't know if she will survive. Her head is very tight and looks like it is growing quickly. Pray for her and for those who look after her.

She also has clubbed feet. Her feet are tiny. She weighs 8 pounds but most of the weight is her head. Her body only weighs about 2 pounds.

Vanessa Jules and her mother came by for a visit. Vanessa is feeling better and gaining weight after being treated for an intestinal illness that caused diarrhea for a few weeks. She can stand!

This is Chalmay Jean-Jacques who is a 25 year old man from Gonaives with hydrocephalus. He has never been treated. He is a walking miracle!

His head circumference is 85 cm. He was born caesarean section with an already developed hydrocephalus. Because his mother is poor he never had the opportunity to have a surgery. Most babies born this way don't survive and if they do they usually have severe brain damage. Not so for Charlie! He walks and talks and communicates well. He attended school and was able to answer all the questions for his dossier at Healing Hands including providing his and his mother's cell phone number. He is an amazing guy who will be an excellent role model for other hydrocephalus patients. A couple of people asked him if he thought his head was heavy and he told them no. He called me this afternoon to tell me that he arrived back in Gonaives and also I had the opportunity to talk with his mother more about his medical history.

photos - hospitals

This is the entrance to the new physiotherapy center for children that opened in March 2009. This mission is a real blessing to the poor as they do not charge for their services. It is located in the Tabarre area. This week we brought Mykerson for his first physiotherapy appointment. He is 4 years old and has cerebral palsy. This center will teach the mother how best to look after her child.

On the opposite corner is Hopital Nos Petit Freres et Soeurs (Our Little Brother and Sister Hospital). This children's hospital also offers free care for hospitalization and provides excellent care. They also run a pediatric aids and tuberculosis program here.

Also in the same area is the Institute des Maladies Infectieuses et Sante de la Reproduction (Infectious Diseases Center). This organization provides HIV and Tuberculosis treatment programs. Haiti's HIV program is improving yearly with assistance from other countries.

On a sidestreet off of Delmas 19 is Hopital Trinite, which is where Medecins Sans Frontieres - France (Doctors without Borders) runs this trauma hospital. In 2010 Medecins Sans Frontieres will be closing this trauma program. Now that Haiti is officially not considered as a country at war Medecins Sans Frontieres will be going to other war torn countries. Haiti will be missing their excellent care. The public health system is still in bad shape. Pray they change their mind!

This is the entrance to Healing Hands. This mission offers physical therapy, prosthetics and orthotics as well as having orthopedic doctors who provide consultations. A lot of physiotherapy teams from Canada and the United States help out here and in the community. We go here a lot too as they are in charge of all hydrocephalus dossiers and follow-up.

haiti update - may 9, 2009

“…I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me.” Matthew 18:3-5

Hi! This week was busy avoiding protest demonstrations. On Monday we were driving up Delmas and saw a group of around 200 protestors walking in the opposite direction down Delmas. They were carrying signs requesting the Mayor of Delmas to give them a market area to sell at. They were happy with the fact that all traffic coming down Delmas was following behind them at their pace! Later we were driving down Delmas 31 and saw a group of protesters in front of the Mayor of Delmas’ office. We just took a little detour to go around them. On Friday we detoured to avoid a protest demonstration coming up Rue Pan American. They were heading to the Dominican Republic Embassy. An incident happened in the Dominican Republic that has upset the Haitian people. A Dominican decapitated a Haitian man in Santo Domingo in the middle of the afternoon in a public area and nobody stopped him. Some of the Dominican onlookers cheered and took pictures with their cell phone cameras. Haitians living in the Dominican Republic have always had problems. It is estimated that there are over 1 million Haitians working legally and illegally in the Dominican Republic. Mostly they work in the agriculture and construction sectors. The Haitians experience a lot of racism there. Some Dominicans don’t want them there. The group of demonstrators who went to the Dominican Republic Embassy burned a Dominican flag in front of the embassy as well as removing the Dominican Republic seal from the walls of the embassy. Benson’s father lives and works in the Dominican Republic. His father’s name is Benito. When Benson came back from his Easter visit with his aunt he told me that his older brother Emmanuel went to the Dominican Republic with his father. I don’t think that he went the legal way though. Pray for peaceful Dominican and Haitian relations and also that a way can be found for Benson to keep in contact with his older brother.
We have a new student in the school program here at Coram Deo. One of the hydrocephalus parents went to the province to help look after her sister-in-law. Joana (Chrisno’s mother) came to us last Thursday and introduced her niece. Loudmy Valcourt is her name. Her mother died a few weeks ago and she never knew her father. Her 7-month-old baby sister died one week after her mother and she now is an orphan. Joana and her husband are now going to raise her. Joana had asked if she could be a part of the school program in September but I thought it would be best for Loudmy if she started right away. This way she could get to know some people here in Port-au-Prince. She is a quiet 6-year-old girl who has never been to school. The first couple of days she didn’t want to sit in class but now she is smiling and taking part in class. We give the Lord thanks that we are able to help her.
This week we registered a few hydrocephalus patients at Healing Hands. For the first time, I have met an untreated hydrocephalus adult. Pastor Emory sent Chalmay “Charlie” Jean-Jacques from Gonaives to get registered at Healing Hands. Charlie is 25 years old and his head circumference is 85 cm. He was born caesarean section with an already developed hydrocephalus in a hospital in Cap-Haitian. His mother brought him to Port-au-Prince when he was a baby and the doctor told her how much a neurosurgery would cost. She couldn’t come up with the funds and the doctor told her that the baby would be in God’s hands. She did the best she could to look after him and he continued to live and thrive. Charlie walks and talks and attended school for some time. When we made the dossier at Healing Hands he supplied the answers to all the nurse’s questions as well as knowing contact telephone numbers by heart. He communicates well. I have never seen an untreated severe hydrocephalus live long and he sure is a unique case! I think he is a walking miracle! He is a good example for hydrocephalus parents to see and will give them hope for their own children. This week we also helped another mission get a medical visa for a boy who needs to have his eye removed and a prosthetic eye put in place. Pray for Clepson and the travel arrangements that are now being made for him to travel to a hospital in the United States.
We received word on Monday afternoon that Sammy died. He was 20 years old. He lived here at Coram Deo from when he was 11 years old until March 2008. I met Sammy for the first time when I went for a visit up to Fond Baptiste to see how Jacob was doing. It was then that a Haitian man told me about his younger brother Sammy. We went down a hill to their home and saw Sammy sitting there. He was near death and his eyes were glassy. Even though he was 11 years old I could carry him with one arm, as he didn’t weigh much. He thrived and grew here at Coram Deo into a young man. He was mentally handicapped and still had the mind of a child. Even though he was mentally handicapped he observed the actions of those around him. I had problems with some of the people who lived here. He observed how they acted to me and duplicated it. After these people were no longer a part of Coram Deo he didn’t realize that these actions couldn’t continue going on. He also started being more physical to the younger children who lived here. In March 2008 I sent him back to his family in Fond Baptiste. We received word a couple of weeks ago that he wasn’t doing well. I sent word to bring him down to Arcahaie and that I would drive there and see him. I never heard back from the family and assumed that he was doing alright. It was a surprise when the next communication came that said he had died and was already buried. I wish that I would have done things differently and gone up the mountain instead of waiting for others to bring him down. Sammy is in heaven now. God knows how his mind was. Our mission here is called “Coram Deo”. It means “Before the face of God.” Sammy is now with God and is suffering no more. Even though he would act up and was very animated and energetic here at home he always behaved in church. He would sit quietly through the service from beginning to end. He knew that church was a special place and that it was God’s house. Some of the people who used to be part of Coram Deo said, “that the children here are not my family”. I try my best to raise the children living here as my family. They know that this is their home. Sammy is now home in heaven and one day we will be together again. Please pray for our family here at Coram Deo.

In the bitter waves of woe
Beaten and tossed about
By the sullen winds that blow
From the desolate shores of doubt,
Where the anchors that faith has cast
Are dragging in the gale,
I am quietly holding fast
To the things that cannot fail.

And fierce though the fiends may fight,
And long though the angels hide,
I know that truth and right
Have the universe on their side;
And that somewhere beyond the stars
Is a love that is better than fate.
When the night unlocks her bars
I shall see Him – and I will wait.
Washington Gladden

Karen Bultje, Coram Deo