Haiti September 2017

It is that time again!!!! T- 1 day and I am off to Haiti again. The packing began about a week ago and of course I have unpacked and repacked about 4 time since. That you to everyone who has donated supplies they will go a long way and make some of our patients very happy! 
This trip is going to be great! I am spending the first few weeks in Port de Paix ( my usual destination) and the last few days will be on Fond des Blancs ( loosely translated to town of white people) at St. Boniface hospital . There is a hospital there that has a newish spinal cord injury program. I will be educating staff on wound care as well as mobility techniques. Spaulding is doing this as kind of an exchange organ. A PT and MD from St. Boniface where here at Spaulding this week and then I will go there at the end of my trip. Pretty sweet!
Some fun facts about Fond des Blancs. During the Haitian resistance against France some Polish soldiers left the French side for he Haitian side. The Haitians rewarded them with citizenship and they settled here( hence the same " city of white people). I have also heard that Poland was the only country that would trade with Haiti after their independence. Fond des Blancs is in the southern part of Haiti and has a population of about 70000. It is also in the mountains. I am excited to see a new part of Haiti !
Everyone has been asking about the hurricanes and if I still plan to go. Yes, I am still going and no I am not overly concerned . First , I had a long talk with MotherNature last night and told her to stop with all these hurricanes. I think we are now in the same page. All kidding aside, our group leaders have contingency plans A- Z and will keep us safe above all else. Our clinic is a cement bunker that has survived several hurricanes with little to no damage. We also have several other cement bunkers that we can evacuate to if needed . 
Now back to packing all these supplies!

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