Welcome!

Hi friends!
By the encouragement of those who have asked to hear stories and see pictures from Haiti, I decided to start a blog to record our adventures in Haiti.


My first trip to Haiti was in October, 2009. The level of poverty was beyond that I'd ever come across in my travels. With Jeri and Katie, we worked this week at a school in a poor community on the outskirts of Port-au-Prince. We also met Kelencia on this trip, a special girl who we identified to have a VSD (whole in her heart). When we met, she was only 11-12 pounds at 22months old!






















Returning for a week after the earthquake in January, 2010, was a wonderful experience, and simply strengthened my long-term committment to Haiti. Despite the loss of everything, Haitians remain as grateful and kind people. They don't always smile often, but when they do, you know it is genuine.




Our awesome team in January - Steffen, Dayle, Jen, Sarah, Matt, and Johnny! With Omy and Abner - the masterminds of Mision Rescate!




I'll be in Haiti again, for 2 weeks this time, in just a few weeks. I'm travelling with a group of pediatricians and pediatric residents. We will have 5 of us there for the first week, and 3 for the second week. We'll be working at the National Police Station in downtown Port-au-Prince, at a make-shift medical site now known as Mision Rescate (Rescue Mission). I worked at this site in January and I'm excited to go back.

Here's a few pics of the "ER" under a tarp on the street, the waiting line at 8am, and a rooftop view of our supply area and the parking lot we slept in.



We're also investigating options for a long-term program, where we can develop a primary care pediatric clinic at a school in Haiti. Being a pediatrician, it's easy to understand how I truly believe in the long-term benefits of primary care. It's a large project to undertake, but we are excited to get started!

More to come as we approach our trip!