In a moment of reflection, Amanda Mauck, communications specialist, sent us an unusual picture.

From Haiti Mission

This is the bell they ring before every meal when all the food is  ready. It is a very welcome sound after a long day of work.

Amanda Mauck, communications specialist, called in with news of the team's departure:

Today is actually Haiti National Day of Mourning. It's been one month since the earthquake. Across the city, people are having memorials and prayer services. They have put on their Sunday best and are praying and singing.

We are at the airport now, getting ready to leave. We're practically the only ones at the airport now, though the U.S. military does have a strong presence here. The airport was much busier two weeks ago. FedEx is coming to get us, and we'll stop first in San Juan to get gas and go through customs.

I think it was really hard to leave the compound this morning. Still, everybody is looking forward to getting back to the real world. For two weeks, they've been working their tails off. We've also talked about how great it was to really get to know each other. We'll miss seeing each other all the time.

News of the team from Amanda Mauck, communications specialist:

Well, it finally happened. One of our own got sick. Gordon Corder, Pediatric Anesthesiologists PA, has succumbed to the tropical ailments. Thankfully, when traveling with a group of doctors, there is always someone there who can start an IV and make him feel better.

From Haiti Mission

The team turned the camera on Logistics and Communications Specialist Amanda Mauck today, to give us a look at the one providing frequent updates about the trip.

From Haiti Mission

 Here's another.

From Haiti Mission

Our Morning update from Amanda Mauck, communications specialist:

The team started out at the clinic compound this morning. Dr. Eubanks has three surgeries scheduled. He did one hernia surgery on a little boy this morning and then he’s removing an infection from a woman’s face. There a little boy who came in this morning needed help from a machete accident on his hand.

Most everyone else is assisting with surgeries. The OR doesn’t have air conditioning so it’s really hot. Those assisting are moving in and out, and Dr. Eubanks has been coming out and taking breaks. The air is really stagnant inside and outside there’s a breeze. Today, it’s 90-some degrees so it’s probably more than 100 degrees in the OR.

We’ll go back to Sacred Heart this afternoon to tie up loose ends. Dr. Anand needs to go back for research for one last day. Dr. Eubanks is going to say goodbye to some of his patients.

We just received this info. from Amanda Mauck, communications specialist:

After spending much of the day at Sacred Heart, Dr. Eubanks, Pediatric Surgical Group, returned to the clinic compound to repair two hernias. Dr. Josh Meier, Kosair Children's Hospital, assisted while Le Bonheur Children's Jacob Howell served as scrub tech.

From Haiti Mission

The members of Rotary knew they wanted to donate to the relief effort in Haiti, said Maureen O'Connor, Le Bonheur Children's director of public policy.

So when news of Le Bonheur Children's mission to serve in Haiti arose, Rotary put out a call to members and promised to match individual contributions 2-to-1. With individuals giving sums as high as $4,800 the grand total came to $14,835!

We cannot thank you enough for your generosity. Community support for this mission completely fueled the team's ability to save lives in the aftermath of a natural catastrophe. We're so proud of our team and proud of our partnerships with community-minded organizations across the Mid-South!

Stay tuned to see more updates and hear more stories from Haiti.

The latest picture from Amanda Mauck, communications specialist:

From Haiti Mission

In addition to being Haiti's best scrub tech, Jacob Howell also runs the inter-operative X-ray, or C-arm.

Share a moment with our team, courtesy of Amanda Mauck, communications and logistics coordinator:

While relaxing this afternoon, Dr. Sunny (Anand) decided to crack open one of the
many coconuts growing in the compound. Last, night we attempted to
open it with a tool Dr. Kelly  (Campbell Clinic) is very comfortable with - a cast saw.
But alas, we decided that the only thing that would open them is a machete. Today we borrowed the right tool from the sisters and cracked open two delicious coconuts.

 

From Amanda Mauck, communications and logistics coordinator:

Today, we are only taking a small group to Sacred Heart. We are beginning to get tired, and since there was only one scheduled surgical case, we all decided that we'd take Sunday off.  We're only taking a small group to Sacred Heart to take out a woman's gall bladder and to check on our patients.  Trey (Eubanks, pediatric surgeon, Pediatric Surgical Group), Jacob (Howell, surgery technician), Sunny , Joel (Saltzman, medical director of Anesthesia) and I are hoping to make today a quick trip.  Back at the compound, the rest are going to start organizing the supplies we brought and move them from out of the patient waiting area.  Fr. Joe has a contractor coming Monday morning to look at the compound's earthquake damage.

Here's a picture of the gall bladder removal surgery:

 

From Haiti Mission

We at Le Bonheur Children's Hospital would like to say thanks for following our pediatric team's journey in Haiti. It's been a busy first week for the surgeons, and from what we've heard, a life changing experience for everyone involved. We've managed to put together a few pictures to help put faces with names as we continue to document this mission.

From Haiti Mission

(Above) Meet Amanda Mauck, Le Bonheur Children's communications and logistics coordinator for the team. Amanda's calls have been the primary source of information for our blog. She checks in several times a day, thanks to international fee waivers from AT&T--a technological wizard, this one is.

 

From Haiti Mission

(Above) Dr. Sunny Anand, UT Medical Group and director of critical care for Le Bonheur Children's. “As world leaders in the field of pediatrics, it is our responsibility to care for children in any community with a demonstrated need,” he said.

 

From Haiti Mission

(Above, Right) Dr. Trey Eubanks, medical director of Trauma, Le Bonheur Children’s Medical Center; Pediatric Surgical Group. Dr. Eubanks began organizational work today in hopes of allowing future mission groups to pick up where our team leaves off.

 

From Haiti Mission

(Left) Crile Crisler, MHA, NREMT-P, administrative director of Emergency Services, Le Bonheur Children’s.

 

From Haiti Mission

(Above)Dr. Derek Kelly, pediatric orthopedic surgeon, Campbell Clinic.

A week on the scene, and the pediatric team has seen more cases than had been originally anticipated. But spirits are high, and the forward momentum will only grow. Stay Tuned!

 

Our pediatric team is working around the clock to help patients both at Sacred Heart Hospital, where they have been working during the day, and Haiti Medical Missions of Memphis clinic, where they sleep at night. The latest from Amanda Mauck, communications specialist:

Last night, when we returned to the compound, patients started coming back around 7 p.m. The Chilean and Colombian doctors had been seeing patients at the clinic on the compound all day. We didn’t know patients were coming back but were able to help out. We saw about 20 people, including a boy with a broken arm. Dr. Eubanks (Le Bonheur Children’s Medical Center; Pediatric Surgical Group) was also able to schedule a couple of surgeries for next week at the clinic.

From Amanda Mauck, Le Bonheur Children's communication specialist:

Because we’re going to be here longer than other groups have, we’re trying to build some processes for groups that come after us. Because people are in and out, we sometimes don’t know who did a patient’s first surgery or have details about that procedure. Dr. Meier, Children's Orthopedics of Louisville, says he misses not knowing everything about his patients like he does in the states – sometimes we have old X-rays from when patients initially came, but we’re trying to set up some more organization. It’s by no means the fault of those who came before us. Everyone has just been running a mile a minute.

From Haiti Mission

(above photo: Crile Crisler, administrative director of Emergency Services at Le Bonheur Children’s, keeps his tape handy by using his stethoscope).

 

Morning update from Amanda Mauck, communications specialist. Sounds like the team is bracing for another busy day in surgery!

Today we came back to Sacred Heart a little more prepared.  We brought walkie talkies with us this time.  Dr. Eubanks has one and I have one so we can call down to each other rather than having to run through the building.  It seems to be working a lot better. 

A lot of us rounded this morning. We came up with an operating room sheet so when they are rounding downstairs and find a patient who needs surgery we can call up and get them on the schedule.

We have six cases scheduled for today – adjustments for broken bones and dressing changes that require anesthesia.  Right now, Crile (Crisler) and Dr. Anand are downstairs in the emergency department.  Josh (Meier) and Derek (Kelly) are rounding and getting ready for surgical cases.  Trey (Eubanks) is the assistant acting administrator for the hospital.  He does a really good job with that.  Because Joel (Saltzman) and Gordon (Corder) are the most senior anesthesia specialists they are controlling the operating room and the anesthesia.

More updates later. 

The latest from our communications specialist, Amanda Mauck:

Our team is staying busy today at the Sacred Heart Hospital. Said Logistics Specialist Crile Crisler: "We are slammed with patients and our surgeons are busy operating."

 

From First patients in Haiti

Orthopedic Surgeons Derek Kelly and Josh Meier reset the hand of a boy whose finger had been removed a few days ago. 

 

 

The latest from Amanda Mauck, communications and logistics coordinator:

I hear some of you are wondering what we eat while we’re here. Today, we packed protein bars and water for lunch, given that we’ve traveled to the hospital for the day. I had a piece of wheat bread with peanut butter and a cup of coffee for breakfast.

 The picture I’m sending is of surgery technician Jacob Howell's plate at lunch yesterday.. It’s rice with bean sauce, Vienna sausages with red sauce and bread. We’ll probably have rice, chicken and Vienna sausage for dinner. Although we work hard, we are taking time to joke around and keep each others' spirits up.

 

From First patients in Haiti

Recent Update:

Just met Trevor from Los Angeles who is an EMT. He came to Haiti on January 2 to work in an orphanage. He was standing on a balcony when the quake happened, and was able to get everyone out. His four-story house collapsed, though. He's been camping and staying at different places ever since.

 

The Le Bonheur Children’s pediatric team arrived in Port-au-Prince Jan. 30, 2010, at around 2 p.m. The on-ground communications and logistics coordinator, Amanda Mauck, began taking notes and snapping pictures the moment they stepped on the plane. Here’s a snippet of her observations thus far:

We felt as though we were in the lap of luxury on the flight in. I got to sit in the jump seat, so I saw the view from the cockpit as we arrived. We can’t say enough about how wonderful and hospitable everyone was from FedEx on the plane. To our pilots Fred and Art, and our on-board help, Mark and Stephanie, thank you.

When we landed, we were on the tarmac for thirty minutes, maybe an hour, waiting on security. Because the airport is completely locked down with military personnel everywhere, we had fewer safety concerns than we initially expected. Security arranged for a van to come pick us up. We all rode in the same van, and the drive through Port-au-Prince gave us a bit of an idea of the damages sustained.

Buildings were completely collapsed, though from our seats it was hard to see back into the shantytowns off of the road. There were piles of rubble covering the road, but that being said, there were also people lining the streets to sell goods. It had some resemblance of normal life, with dealers selling everything from food and clothes to backpacks.

We drove past the tent cities that have cropped up. Though most of the rumbling has subsided at this point, many Haitians are simply scared to stay indoors. The people have been peaceful, friendly, hospitable and non-threatening. We all feel pretty safe.

We arrived at the compound where we will be living, and it’s really great. It has a seminary, a dormitory for residents and the clinic. Many relief workers, close to 100, are staying here and the nuns are going out into the community. The Columbian and Brazilian Red Cross teams have come and set up camp on the soccer field, which adds more to the number of relief workers in the area (about half an hour from Port-au-Prince).

We’ve had home cooked meals every day, and we feel blessed to be here in this situation, knowing it could be much worse. Everyone is healthy and staying hydrated because of all of the hard work to set up our operation. We cleaned out a storage unit for an Operating Room and emptied a bunch of rubble from the waiting area. We have pharmacy and lab capabilities and exam rooms for eight patients. With help from those around us and in the community, we unloaded two forty-foot containers of supplies. There are people from the U.S., Chile, France, Italy, Columbia, The Dominican Republic, Mexico and of course, Haiti, working together to make this happen. It’s been amazing to watch, and it seems to me, the only thing that is going to help this recovery is the continual push to help one another.

With the physical labor aside, we’re now ready and anxious to see patients.

About this Blog: While the team is in Haiti, we are finding innovative ways to get in touch and spread the word about what is going on as quickly as we can. The crew does not have Internet access, but they call a transfer center twice a day to check in. The messages are recorded, so we are then able to transcribe and post the latest news. This is the latest update from Amanda Mauck, the Le Bonheur Children’s communications and logistics coordinator for the team on the ground in Croix-des-Bouquets.


Jan. 30: 9 p.m. “We’re here and safe. Most of us talked to our families. Cell phones are working sporadically and text messages are working really well.”

Jan. 31: 9 a.m. “We’ve got all of our supplies, and we’re unloading this morning.”

…More to come later. Keep up-to-date with the Le Bonheur team and check back soon for more details!