Now that the Christmas Season
is behind us I find myself thinking of the gifts
that continue to be given through our parish all
year long. Since
our recent return from Haiti in November I have thought
often about the impact St.Agatha has had in the short
period of time we have been involved in the Haiti Outreach.
Fr. Casey has shared some of his experiences. I
cannot tell you what an enormous gift it was to have
him there with our group. Truly the glue to what
is a medical mission and so much more.
I wish to share some our journey as well. Our
trip was full of heartwarming and heartbreaking moments. The
ride through Port Au Prince one never gets used to. The
degree of abject poverty cannot be imagined. Pictures
and words cannot adequately depict it. The mountains
water from this filth is what children have been seen
washing in. The air is thick with the exhaust
fumes, burning trash and tires. It is arid and the
dust of the dry clay is throughout your hair and felt
on your skin by the time you pass through the city. Gridlock
is constant and everywhere on
the city roads. People are milling around everywhere,
shirtless men are rolling oversized wheel barrows stacked
sky high with heavy bags of cement down the street.
Ascending the mountain to St.Rock is also
an aspect of the journey you never forget. Disney could
never imagine putting such a ride together. The four
wheel drive vehicle grinds its way up the craggy mountain
path. There is no road per se. It is a
dry clay surface. Throughout the incline you
are dodging what seem like gorges in the road. But
when you arrive at the St. Rock Clinic you are overlooking
the city and waters of Port Au Prince. The air is clean
and it begins to feel we have arrived at what I consider
a second home. Familiar faces that have become
friends are on hand to greet us when we arrive. The
clinic becomes a sort of community center throughout
the week we are there. Precious children appear
early each day to hang out with whichever visitor is
available. Fr. Casey became their special friend
as he sat with them on the porch each afternoon. They
played with the assorted toys that we brought or drew
and colored pictures. The warmth displayed was awe
inspiring. Boys in their early 20's that have completed
grammar school but have no money to continue their
education are often on hand. Throughout the week,
they accompanied us on our walks and to home visits
for those too ill to get to the clinic. We felt
safe and protected.
It never ceases to amaze me the number of
people passing the clinic. Up and down the rough mountain with
heavy bundles of laundry, market goods or six chairs
balanced on their heads. Children 5 or 6 are
laden with two 5 gallon buckets of water on this long
journey. They are carrying the supply of water
for the day from the base of the mountain. Sadly
this water is not clean and the source of much dysentery. The
smallest succumb to dehydration and some die before
they are able to be treated with antibiotics we take
for granted. People arrive by 5:30 -6:00 am
and will peacefully sit for hours until they are seen
.During the early part of our week one child waiting
to be seen drew the attention of one of our group. She
approached to see if this
particular child needed more urgent attention. He
looked to be 2 or 3 years old. He was listless with
all limbs hanging as his father held him. On
instinct I grabbed the child from his father’s
arms and brought him into the clinic to lie him down
on the exam table. He was unresponsive and his
eyes fixed on exam. The child was cold and had
a faint heartbeat. With no chance of getting
an IV into him and no car available to make the hour
journey down the mountain to a hospital, it seemed
hopeless. There were tears streaming down all of our
faces. I asked Fr.Casey to come in to bless this
child we were sure we were losing. Fr. Casey
came in and on the opposite side of the exam table;
he laid hands on this child we would come to know as
Bethany and blessed him. Fr. Casey's face clearly
revealed his understanding of the grave condition of
this child.
Within five minutes this precious child began to shift
and then open his eyes. We had just begun to
try to hydrate him with a mouth swab. We knew
this was inadequate but in our helplessness had to
do something, even if in vain. Later that day
after being attended to, Bethany left the clinic hand
in hand with his dad.
There are no words.
All week we saw children with malnutrition, skin infections,
pneumonia among other illnesses. Adult blood
pressures running 260/160. All I could think
was what time bombs they were on the verge of strokes
if medication was not initiated.
Fr. Casey said mass every morning. Mass on the
porch was so beautiful with the Haitians joining us
and the backdrop of the mountains and the sea. What
a paradox.
Saturday we went to Mother Theresa's orphanage to spend
time with the children and feed the infants. There
is an endless sea of metal cribs with malnourished
and ill babies on the first floor. Most have
been left by parents that had no options other than
to leave their sick children or watch them die. On
the second floor are the handicapped, ill and abandoned
toddlers. You are like a magnet upon entering their
domain. Since there are not enough arms, sitting on
the floor you are surrounded by each vying for a moment’s
attention. In addition to the malnutrition, they are
starving for the human touch. Our trip as I said was
certainly full of heartwarming and heartbreaking moments.
So many stories...
We invite you to come hear more
on Thursday evening, February 1st, at 7pm in the school. We are calling
this evening of conversation, “A Week in Haiti:
Reflections and Dreams”. Please come join
us to hear more about Haiti and what we can do as a
parish as we continue our outreach efforts.
Catherine Liberles
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