Thursday Morning Update

In any other circumstances it would be called romantic, adventurous, fun...sleeping under the stars in the Caribbean. But, Jack woke up on the roof top of the hospital in a sleeping bag with a mosquito net over his head, maybe 5 hours of sleep, to the harsh realities of another day in the makeshift OR. This is his description:

L’Hôpital de la Communauté Haïtienne

This is the hospital where we work. There are patients on cots all around the hospital waiting to get help. Many are afraid to come in the building because they fear it will collapse in another aftershock. Mostly injured limbs and fractures. Seeing a lot of gangrene and treating quickly with amputations under spinal anesthesia. The scope of the problem is enormous.
The other staff is helpful. But this feels like a war. I never saw surgery performed with so little equipment and basic monitors. Haiti was incredibly poor before the quake when unemployment was 75%. The relief effort and reconstruction may take ten years per the Special Ops soldier we talk to ( Lieutenant Colonel Wilson).


Jack describes everyone he meets as generous, helpful and "unbelievably humanitarian".