So-called Inconveniences

I went to a matròn graduation in Thomassique last weekend.

The medical team from Richmond, VA left today along with the MFH directors and a midwife from Roanoke. Needless to say, it was a big group! I have sent off group after group but never felt that I was ready to join the “return-to-the-States-crew”. It wasn’t until today when I had a twinge of regret that I was not boarding the Pink Jeep to Port-au-Prince. I missed my brother’s graduation from Virginia Tech yesterday (congrats Elliott), and so I think it was the realization that I was missing a fun family function that made me want to return home.

MFH partners with Medical Missionaries at St. Joseph.

There is nothing about Haiti that makes me want to leave, however. Despite the constant household needs, the long waits, the general lack of preparation, and high-carb diet, I am content living in Haiti. What are all of these “inconveniences” anyhow? Am I truly inconvenienced when the water cistern goes empty for the millionth time or when the medication invoice charged me for one item too many? Though irritating, I am often reminded by the harsher realities of life here that make me think less of the small things. For instance, though I am tempted to become aggravated by the so-called inconveniences, I think about real life cases, such as that of a current patient at the hospital.

It was two-weeks ago when one of the volunteers came back from the hospital talking about a 19-year old woman who had lost her baby. It took a couple of days to get the patient’s entire history, but when we did we were astonished at what we learned.

I helped get the teacher, materials, and other
matròn training advice to the coordinators
at St. Joseph.

The young woman came in at term. Accompanied by her sister, she had a normal delivery and a healthy baby. All seemed well until the midwife realized that the baby wasn’t nursing. The new mother hadn’t fed the newborn for at least two days. She refused to breastfeed. What was worse, the midwife couldn’t find any affordable milk powder for the child. A couple days later, the baby died of starvation.

Danielle & John - I had traveled to northern Haiti earlier this year.

A baby dying of starvation in OUR maternity ward is unheard of nowadays. Without going into what should have been done regarding the care of the newborn, I want to return to the young woman. She was soon found to be incontinent of both urine and feces, unwilling to speak, and obviously depressed. Her sister had been her spokesperson all along. She had come to the hospital this way because, as retold by her sister, had gone mute at about 15 years of age when the family realized that she had been repeatedly raped by village men.

I had known about the case since the volunteer came back with daily reports on the patient. It wasn’t until a few days ago when I realized that there was still very little progress made on her behalf. What social services exist in the area had been contacted but had made no full assessment. We are still waiting on the psychologist’s evaluation of the young woman.

Of course, lots of songs and presentations!

I don’t know why it took me two weeks to finally ask my contacts for help. Maybe it was the realization that the woman had no where safe to go that bothered me or the idea that my peers were handling the situation well enough that kept me on the sidelines. Whatever reason, I had first seen

The proud group with their certificates and badges.

this case as an inconvenience rather than a life that needed full attention. The jeep breaks down. The roof starts leaking. Compared to matters much more severe, the so-called inconveniences that I experience on a daily basis are not worth a breathe.