I am upset! I was angry before I left Haiti and I found myself angry and sad again. But the problem is I have nowhere to direct my anger to. I am so angry it frustrates me and makes me sick to my stomach. It seems something should be done about it and yet there seems too big of problem to be solved.
Let me tell you two stories and it will explain some of my feelings.
I had heard that my neighbor’s husband in Haiti was sick. (As I write that sentences a few other stories come to mind and I will share those too.) It was also the husband of one of the artists that I work with in the area. They said he is really sick. This is a scary thing to hear in Haiti! I have learned if they say ‘really sick’ the person could very likely die. Which seems crazy in our society, people ‘sick’ get better, even people ‘really sick’ get better, even people we are pretty sure are going to die miraculously live! But to hear this in Haiti you know you have to go visit, because more than likely they won’t be around long. We went to the house and visited the family. He didn’t look good but was sitting outside and they had plans to go to the doctor in PaP, so there seemed to be hope. He had gotten kicked by a cow and it had done something to his insides that had somehow blocked his digestive system. The next I had heard he was back from PaP, he even went to see the Red Cross- this was a good sign. No- they basically told him they could do nothing for him. They don’t have the capability of doing that surgery in Haiti, sorry but you can’t eat and you’re going to die.
THAT’S IT?! Thoughts went through my head on how ridiculous this was. If this man was in the U.S. he would have had his surgery already and be home recovering. Can’t something be done? My American brain couldn’t stand this injustice and yet could do nothing about it. Can’t they even give him something for the pain? They really just said ‘sorry’? And this man has to go home and starve to death while his family watches!? ….yup that is it. Se la Vi! [That is life]
My dear neighbor did die about 2 weeks later. All of his 7 children got to see him before he died. Many of his friends and neighbors visited daily during those 2 weeks. Almost every night you could hear singing and praying coming from the house – the local church had a prayer group there for him and the family each night. I went to several of them. Everyone had the same look of hopelessness, and sadness on their face. But we said the prayers and sang the songs and tried to pour out our love for the family. And the end of the ‘service’ everyone walks around and shakes everyone’s hand and you can feel the pain and anguish in the room and you can also feel Jesus crying there with you; because sometimes nothing can be done but to pray and be together.
I have thought of this many times while I was back in the states. But alas what can really be done?
After returning to Haiti I was sitting on the Lee’s porch having a meeting. ZiZi one of our kids club leaders as well as one of our staff at then New Life School said this one boy had died, 12 years old he was in 2nd grade class at our school. My brain sort of heard it but didn’t quite register it. He was speaking Creole and not speaking directly to me, so I wasn’t completely tuned in. Lee said, “Did you just hear that?” Yes sort of. So they talked more about it. He wasn’t sick or anything just had a bad stomach ache and then died. I was first shocked and sad! How does a 12 year old just die from a stomach ache?! Then it hit me, I bet he had an appendicitis. I imagine once in a blue moon people still die from these in the states but most of the time I bet they do emergency surgery and then the person is just fine. (As I said before, recovering the next day.) I had to find my pictures and know what little boy this was. Did I know him well from the school? Everyone remarked what a smart young man he was, top of his class….of course he was. Ugh, Haiti!
The other night, that is who I was angry at – Haiti! But then Haiti has been abused by so many for so long, even our own government has been a culprit in helping Haiti to where it is today. I want to blame the healthcare system, or really lack thereof, but I also have seen that they do the very best with what they have in Haiti. I said earlier I had 2 more stories that came to my head. One was of a woman with a hurt leg. It was swollen and a team went and visited her. I thought she would be fine, inflamed leg. Take some antibiotics, ibprophen for the swelling. A month later we received a report she had died. Perfectly healthy otherwise 30-something year old, dies from a sore leg. And the other, I don’t know the whole story. It was a cousin of my family here in Haiti, a 23 year old girl died from a cut on her leg! There was a young boy with a heart defect in the area too. One of H.A.P.I.’s (local organization) teams had detected the defect and were making arrangements to get the young man to the United States for surgery. Before they could arrange through the embassy (a massive amount of paperwork) to get him to the U.S. he died. I am sure there are many more stories. It breaks my heart. I want to yell at someone. So I wanted to share in my blog – not yelling at you. But maybe you will find yourself wanting to yell or do something too.
I am sure there are many more stories like this in other developing countries. I am sure there are probably some in the United States too for people who can’t afford good healthcare. But something needs to be done. Some action needs to be taken. I know several young people in this area who would like to go to school to be a doctor – the problem is the family can’t afford to put their kids through college and feed the rest of the children. Sure if you are a nurse or doctor you could come to the country for a week and help. And that does do many wonderful things! It has saved lives! But it still doesn’t change the situation. The change has to come from within, Haiti. Young people in the U.S. are able to go to school with student loans, unfortunately that doesn’t exist in Haiti. How many doctors would we lose in the U.S. if student loans did not exist? Money shouldn’t be a determining factor in someone’s dream is to be a doctor to help save the people of his/her country from dying. And people shouldn’t be dying in any country in this day in age from an appendicitis or a hurt leg! Just need to share my anger with someone, because it makes my heart hurts. Maybe you know what to do.
