Intern Up(date)! - Emily

The dog days of summer are officially here, and as they start turning up the heat and humidity here in the Southeast, we have no doubt that summer is even fuller swing for our interns and friends in the Southeast department of Haiti. It's been more than a month since we dropped our three brave adventurers off in Zorange, but don't worry, concerned parents of America -- we did not leave them stranded in Haiti with nothing but a blog post in their honor. Lydia, our Executive Director, has been checking in, and with the internet now all set up in the school in Zorange, they've been able to update us when they can. We thought we'd share some of their experiences and impressions of Zorange, with a post from each intern over the next few days. Here is some news from Emily:

We are all adjusting well. River baths are a lot more fun that I would have thought and the food is exceptional! The clinic is amazing and we are all enjoying our time there. Miss Luska is a great teacher. She always opens up the opportunity for us to share in her examinations and have a hand in it when possible. As healthcare hopefuls, we are getting to see a way of medicine up close and personal that we would never get to see anywhere else, and its a blessing to be a part of it. We are learning so much!

Last Monday we taught Computers and Photography to the older students at the school. We felt a little lost at first but once the students came in they were extremely receptive for us, and Nasson translated as we went along, making the experience a lot of fun. We are doing the same thing tomorrow and adding in and English lesson. The guys and I agree that this is a truly eye opening experience.

Haiti in reality is unlike any book, any story, or any description that I've come across. We went to Bainet and Jacmel for two nights last week, and the ocean scenery was breathtaking. What's also breathtaking are the buildings that are reduced to rubble from the earthquake. It seems a true testament to God that all the people here proceed with life as though the destruction isn't around them. I think my favorite activity thus far is COCONUT EATING! We've taken a few ventures to different houses to binge on their coconut, and each one that is chopped open is fun to watch...and delicious!

- Emily

Rochester General, Hope for Haiti Foundation partner to provide life-saving surgery

From L to R: Jean Eloi, HFHF Founder; Denise Embry's parents; Denise; Dr. Gerry Gacioch

It takes a village to raise a child, but what does it take to save that child’s life when they have a heart defect? Dedication.

It was on HFHF’s medical trip in January 2009 that we first met Denise. In a community where retrieving drinking water requires a one-mile uphill trek, her shortness of breath was of great concern. Denise was having to stop at least 6 times between the river and her house. Seventeen at the time, Denise received a cardiogram from Dr. Gerry Gacioch, HFHF’s volunteer cardiologist, using a battery powered EKG machine. Dr. G diagnosed Denise with severe mitral stenosis, a heart valve condition that, unless repaired, can be fatal. It is believed that the condition was caused by Rheumatic Fever she battled as a child. The mitral stenosis has caused the leaflets on her mitral valve to fuse together, preventing the flow of blood from the atrium to the ventricle. Any type of strain, such as running, or childbirth, could be too much for Denise's heart.

With no surgical capabilities available in Bainet, and with no financial means to afford the costly surgery, Denise's future looked bleak. But for a handful of Hope for Haiti Foundation volunteers, this was not the end of the story. The team rallied to find another way to save Denise’s life. Dr. G, head of cardiology at Rochester General Hospital in New York, presented Denise's case to his colleagues, and Rochester General Health System agreed to do the surgery at no charge, in collaboration with a local non-profit partner, Intervol. Then began the arduous process of completing all the necessary paperwork to bring Denise to the U.S. Over 10 months, the team waded through hiccup after hiccup, not the least of which was having to provide a street address for a woman who lives miles from any named street. Yet, the determination of each volunteer was not waived. Neither was the dedication of HFHF's Haitian medical staff, who closely monitored Denise's case with regular check-ups at HFHF's rural clinic in Zorange.

Now 20, Denise has completed the first leg of her journey. She arrived in Rochester yesterday, and is scheduled for bypass surgery on Thursday, July 7 at 5:00 am. All indications suggest her heart valve can be "repaired" as opposed to "replaced." This means that the valve can last as long as 20 years, rather than having to be replaced again in seven years time. After the surgery, she will be able to walk and breathe normally without difficulty.

Please keep Denise, her family, and the doctors in your prayers. She will stay in the US until July 22, when she will fly back to Haiti with a healthy heart. Pray for Denise’s family, who are undoubtedly experiencing a whirlwind of worry, anxiety, anticipation, and hope as their child travels to a foreign land. Also pray that Denise will transition well into the challenges of American food, hospitals, media attention, and a culture that speaks a different language.
It is only through the dedication of volunteers and supporters like you that this work is happening. And we are blown away by your dedication to make impossible things, like Denise's surgery, happen.

We are honored to work with outstanding people like Dr. G and Denise. Your courage and humility inspire us. Dr. G, thank you for being a part of HFHF, and facilitating this surgery. Many people in Rochester, NY have committed money, food, and housing -- we are grateful; Denise is grateful. HFHF -- and opportunities like this -- exist only because people like you choose to commit to this cause. Thank you.

How do you say "intern" in Creole?

Not only do we have great interns rockin' it at the HFHF mothership in Raleigh, but we also have three lucky interns spending their summer on a beautiful Caribbean island in the sun (or at least that's how we like to describe it in our recruiting materials. ;)). John, Peter and Emily are spending the summer down in Haiti and will be assisting with our medical projects in Zorange and the surrounding areas; we have no doubt their expertise will be invaluable to strengthening HFHF's work in this area. We know they're going to have the adventure of a lifetime, as they brave a summer full of river showers, constant sweat, sleeping in cots and extreme farmer tans, where Chaco tan lines are how you earn your stripes (literally). But we also know that despite the warnings about "don't fall in love at the Haitian shore" ;), they're going to come back with amazing memories, awesome relationships and with that bug that keeps people going back to Haiti over and over. Take a few minutes to get to know our brave jetsetters!

Name: John French

Internship Focus: Medical

University and status: University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, rising senior

Major: Biology

In His Own Words: I have been interested in pursuing a career in medicine since I first started college three years ago. As a volunteer in the hospital, I was invigorated by interacting with the medical staff and serving the needs of the patients. Various classes sparked my interest in international medicine. Several months ago I started looking for an opportunity to travel abroad and gain experience with international medicine. I came across HFHF's website and I was very impressed with what they were doing in Haiti, and I became eager to get in on the action! I am really looking forward to working with the Haitian medical team, conducting health-based research, and getting to know the local community. I am excited to have the opportunity to take part in this life changing experience and support the vision of HFHF!

Name: Peter Helvie

Focus: Medical

University/Status: graduated from UNC, class of 2011

Major: Biology, Italian

In His Own Words: I heard about HFHF through my friend John French and immediately jumped at the opportunity to make the trip to Zorange and work at the medical clinic. I am pursuing a career in medicine, so there was a natural interest on my part to work in a medical clinic under such extreme conditions (compared to what I'm used to in Chapel Hill). After learning more about HFHF, I became even more interested and excited to get involved. One of my favorite parts about HFHF's work and one of the things that most excites me is that everything is run by Haitians. It is wonderful to see a country in dire need of help taking steps towards bettering their situation from the inside. In a country with medical technology and expertise so far behind the United States, it is very encouraging to hear about a Haitian program which utilizes the medical knowledge of more fortunate and prosperous countries to create a clinic based on modern medicine. I am very excited to do my little part this summer, and I'm just as excited to learn about the incredible people I will meet and what they are doing to improve their situation.

Name: Emily Richey

Internship Focus: Medical

University/Status: graduated from East Carolina University

Major: Sports Medicine and Health Education

In Her Own Words: I'm a North Carolina Teaching Fellow but towards the end of my undergraduate career I knew that my calling was medicine; my true passion in life is healthcare. My plan was to immediately attack grad school and blow up with success, but I felt an unexplainable tug telling me it wasn't going to work out that way. It immediately became clear to me that my ‘perfect’ plans were peanuts compared to the amazing opportunities that God has for me. I had a friend do some medical work in Africa, and his testimony immediately made me fall in love with the idea of international medicine. I feel a strong calling to the exchange of information between countries when it comes to health care. The same friend recommended the AWESOME book "Mountains Beyond Mountains", and after reading it, my heart was completely captured by the selfless lifestyle of the Paul Farmer. It seemed like divine intervention when a girlfriend told me about her interest with the HFHF medical trips soon after I completed the book and recommended that I look into them for some experience before applying to P.A. school later this summer. Lots of prayers and chats with God have instilled a truly exuberant attitude about this summer!

Intern Up!

Now that HFHF has a full-time executive director and we are like sooo legit, we figured we might as well get ourselves some interns! After all, there was no way we were going to make Lydia tackle Elade's wonderful, big, crazy ideas all by herself. ;)We are very thankful to have two lovely ladies, Margaret Farley and Ashley Matkins (you might remember Ashley from our last guest post about her trip to Haiti) joining us at the HFHF HQ in Raleigh, as our development and public health interns. It seemed a little unfair to keep them all to ourselves, so we wanted to give you a chance to get to know them a little. We also have some Haitian-bound interns who will be spending the summer down in our little slice of Caribbean heaven -- more on them coming soon! We're already thankful to these ladies for their hard work and can't wait to see the impact they have on HFHF and Haiti over the rest of the summer.

Name: Margaret Farley
Internship Focus: Development
University and status: North Carolina State, rising junior
Major: Economics, with a minor in French
In Her Own Words: I have always been interested in helping out countries with struggling economies and pursuing opportunities to enhance the welfare of the individuals in third world countries. I have had the opportunity to study abroad in Guadeloupe as well volunteer in the community. The ability to meet the individuals of communities with basic needs we take for granted everyday has made me more committed to improving the lives of others in third world countries. I am very excited to join a new organization with such a great cause and amazing opportunities! While the experience I have had has been more business related, I have always had a passion for French that initially sparked my interested in joining an organization focused on the needs of the Haitian people. I have already been able to see that Haiti has a rich culture and hope one day I will be able to witness it firsthand!

Name: Ashley Matkins
Internship Focus: Public Health
University and status: University of North Carolina-Greensboro, rising senior
Major: Public Health, health studies concentration
In Her Own Words: I am very interested in international health and would love to be able to work overseas when I am finished with school. I have a passion for helping others and have been blessed to be able to travel to Africa and, most recently, Haiti. I have always had a genuine interest in the health and general well-being of others, and I love building relationships with people. I have worked as a Certified Nursing Assistant for the last three years, and I have loved caring for every patient I have come in contact with. While I have enjoyed being a part of the healing process for patients, I have grown more and more interested in the prevention of disease and how to aid in interventions that will better equip a community to succeed. I love the vision of the HFHF, and being able to see that vision implemented first hand was an amazing experience. I am truly looking forward to watching the hope of everyone involved with HFHF grow as more goals are accomplished.

The First of Many

If it seems like all of our blogs recently have been about luring new people to Haiti....well, you're onto us! It's all a part of our secret plan to get everyone we know to come out and drink the coconut milk. ;) Ashley, one of the interns rockin it at the HFHF HQ in Raleigh this summer, got to jump right into her internship with a trip to Zorange! She joined the team that traveled to Haiti last week and was nice enough to share her first impressions with us. We're really excited to have Ashley on board and will give you a chance to get to know all our lovely interns soon!

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I have never been more humbled, awe-struck, relaxed or as happy as I was in Haiti. While it is good to be back home with family, I can honestly say I would go back to Zorange today. It was absolutely amazing to see the passion and hope in every single person I met in Zorange. I am so thankful to be a part of a team that works together to continue building on the hope that everyone has in making Haiti the country it can be.

While there were many meaningful meetings and focus groups during this trip, there was also plenty of relaxation time to just sit back and enjoy a piece of paradise with friends. This was my first trip to Haiti and I have to say that I was blown away. I have never been surrounded by so many coconuts and mangos in my life! One of the best memories that I have and will cherish is from my visit to their church service. During the service, the pastor said this: “God will bless us for our hard work. We are not strangers, we are at home”. I was flooded with emotions when he said this because I felt at home. I felt so welcomed and blessed to be a part of this moment where God was so present and obviously working through the people of Zorange.



I am so excited to continue my journey with the HFHF as we are able to see the vision of the organization and of the Haitians grow, and to see their goals be accomplished. I’ve heard that when you go to Haiti, you’ll want to go back….it’s definitely true.

GUEST POST: John and Allen's Excellent Haitian Adventure

John Brown, HFHF's Operations Director, recently returned from a trip to Haiti, where he was able to partner with Allen Rainey of Sonlight Power to help get HFHF's solar power system up and running again. In addition to being a rockstar for HFHF, John Brown is also a B-list celebrity in Haiti (sorry, John, but I think Wyclef wins this one ;)). If any white person walks down the streets of Bainet, they will be called John Brown. Not kidding.

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Well, it’s good to be back. Kind of. Sometimes you’re ready to go home and sometimes you don’t want to -- this was one of the “don’t want to” times.

We were on a roll. I took Allen Rainey, Executive Director and Founder of Sonlight Power, to Zorange to help us get our solar electric system up and running again. I connected with Allen by way of the Internet as I was doing some research on solar systems and came across his site, www.sonlightpower.org. To make a long story short, I asked him if he would be interested in going to Haiti with me to help us. He did not hesitate to say "yes." From the time I met Allen in Miami to catch a flight to Port-au-Prince, until the time we parted in Miami to catch our respective flights home, I was blessed and inspired. His organization's motto is “Using Solar to share God’s love." It was quite evident that Allen desires to use the gifts God has blessed him with to share the Good news.

After traveling most of the day, we arrived in Bigot about an hour after dark. We settled in and got some rest. The next day was spent getting our system up and running. We had little Johnny and Jude assisting us. We moved the solar equipment from where it originally was, which was in the same room as the generator, to a small room a short distance away to separate the battery bank and the generator. After the solar array wires and the generator wire were run, the charge controllers and inverter were mounted and wired up. With a few adjustments and modifications to different things, we were making electricity. Allen really knows his stuff.

The next day Allen gave a class on maintenance and operations of the solar system to some of the key personnel who would be responsible for its operation. He did a great job with the translation assistance from Nasson and Jude. When that was done we ran some cable for the IT team that will be coming in a few weeks to install some wireless modems and then packed up and headed to Bainet to spend the night.

I never get tired of sleeping to the sound of the waves crashing on the beach there. I was also surprised to find out that we have two mango trees on our property there. I think everyone has been keeping that a secret. Oh well. I took advantage of the discovery and can honestly say I have never had a mango that was sweeter or juicier than the ones we ate there. Olivier was there with us and I think he ate ten of them in one sitting. I have to admit I ate entirely too much the whole trip. I have no willpower when it comes to watching my portions when Vierge is cooking. I can’t wait to go back.

Back in the Saddle

Anyone know how to say “Yeehaw!” in Creole?

We don't either, but you can bet we're dusting off our cowboy boots for Rodeo for Hope, a fun event hosted by Barry Driver and Capital Chrysler Jeep Dodge and benefitting HFHF! Back in the saddle for the second year in a row, Rodeo for Hope is a weekend-long extreme bull riding extravaganza for a cause, with a portion of the proceeds going directly to support HFHF's work in Haiti.

The rodeo, held Friday, April 15 and Saturday April 16, is in conjunction with Wicked Bull, one of the most up to date and versatile extreme rodeo and western-themed event production companies on the east coast. The Wicked Bull team is made up of talent that includes nationally recognized bull riders, top freestyle bull fighters, award winning livestock, and charismatic announcers, so it promises to be a good time!

Not only are we thankful to Barry for his continued support of HFHF and excited about the taste of the wild, wild west that Raleigh will get, but we also think this is a prime opportunity to scout out some new recruits for HFHF trips to Zorange! If these modern-day John Waynes can handle a raging bull, they just might stand a chance at hangin on during that bumpy and exciting ride across the wide open Haitian range of mountains, rivers and always-interesting terrain. After all, our Haiti trip motto IS “this isn't our first rodeo” ;)

The rodeo starts at 8 p.m. each night, and tickets are $10 (children under 6 get in free, so it's a great deal for some family fun). In addition to benefitting HFHF, Rodeo for Hope benefits House of Hope, a nondenominational center for troubled girls. For more info about the event, visit http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=122506624490732#!/event.php?eid=122506624490732

So round em up and bring all your friends out to support HFHF. And in case you still had doubts about whether or not to drag out the old Stetson, check out this video of all the fun had at last year's rodeo.

You don't wanna miss out, partner!