From Tamy, an Israeli Nurse working in Haiti

> Sent: Tue Jan 26 16:27:15 2010
> Subject: Report from Haiti
>
> Please share this with anyone who might be interested. Time is very limited
> to write, so pardon short, succint sentences.
>
> Am with "Natan", a NGO umbrella org of which Brit Olam is a part. Named for
> Abie Nathan - google him.
>
> We are the 2nd delegation working with, learning from and in the process of
> relieving the 1st delegation leaving in a few days - we will continue the
> work. We are in a refugee camp of 5000 - lots of horrific wounds from the
> event (now 13 days ago), just now gettng attntn or follow up from whatever
> was provided initially. We are not sure of what the local hosp can provide
> - we provide a lot of treatment normally administered in a hospital - and we
> are using our skills to the max.
>
> Our delegation is composed of 1 doc, 1 nurse (me), 2 SW's and 1 psych. I am
> working w/ my friend Dr. Harvey Belik and I must say, we are quite a team -
> but he is truly incredible, working w/ his French, Creole (which he really
> doesn't know), German, Yiddish - whatever works. By 1:00 yesterday, he was
> totally exhausted - from translating complaints and other translations into
> something we could work with. We make many decisions together on treatment
> and follow up. We have Sister Marie working w/ us, in her 70,s - a nurse -
> who really runs this show - triage, guidance and a good dose of Amoxicillan
> for just abt everything (which we try and prevent). She is truly wonderful
> and introduced us as "miracles from Israel, the land of Moses and Abraham"
> and led the waiting patients in prayer and song before opening the clinic.
>
> Everyone has lost someone, their entire family, their only child. Noone is
> left unscathed. The loss in souls is unspeakable. Haiti is in rubbles.
> Shattered. Bodies are still visible on the streets - the stench of bodies
> not recovered is everywhere - that aspect of recovery not yet begun. People
> are everywhere, sleeping out in the open in any available space, throngs in
> the streets, many w/ masks to try and block the smell.
>
> BUT - they are dressed and trying to keep clean and they are grateful and
> dignified and tremendously resilient. We all feel privileged to be a part of
> this process in their recovery.
>
> Distribution of foods is very difficult - we don't do that but we hear from
> colleagues that it is extremely difficult w/ some real disasters in the
> process - having to leave w/o finishing the distribution or simply having to
> delay a bit until a safer plan is in place.
>
> We are greeted on the street with much respect and thanks - they know we are
> from Israel and Israel's contribution is deeply appreciated. At the same
> time, going out carries what some might consider a risk, but what our group
> considers privilege: people asking for our help and guidance and
> organizational assistance - it is a deeply moving experience. They want to
> help themselves, but on a good day, there was no infrastructure to speak of
> - and now?
>
> And how am I - I think I'm okay. I felt from the beginning that this was
> the right thing to do even though I didn't have all the information and not
> every detail solidly defined - in fact, none of us knew much and we all knew
> that whatever we thought was going on or going to happen could change in a
> second. And all of that has been true. And we have coped w/ the chaos that
> is here, the plans we made that had to be remade and remade, dependency on
> drivers and interpreters, on each other, the mosquitoes, the flies, 3 hrs of
> electricity that miraculously now has stretched into a bit more, the
> "shower" I took this AM (no hot water) on my knees with a little dribble
> coming out the faucet-whatever - none of it really seems hard. We are in a
> rented house - I sleep w/ Adi and Adi - we are welcoming 8 Israelis from
> misrad habituchon (security) to sleep w/ us as well. Reporters from the NY
> times are staying nearby - it's like a war zone where some of us have found
> places to stay w/ some semblance of comfort. I have a bed - who imagined?
>
> And yes, the kids are adorable and sweet and run after us. Covered w/
> flies. Beautiful smiles.
>
> I don't know where my feelings or my tears are.
>
> More later.
>
> Tammyt
>
>