Nine years ago today, at 4:53 pm, a 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck Haiti. With that event, came abrupt devastation and loss of life and suffering.  Accurate counts are hard to come by, but suffice it to say many died, many became amputees, many lost a home.

None of us have given up.

I recall in the aftermath of the tranbleman tè a physical fear that we might not be able to access food or water, and feeling constantly parched. I recall the smells permeating around the city, as bodies began to decay under the rubble. I recall the exhaustion of the seeming never-ending line of patients to be yet seen.  But in particular, I recall one young man whom I was helping to care for. He was about 25, and he had been working in a local business when the building collapsed suddenly. He lay on a thin mattress on the tile floor before me, his left arm crushed. The once sturdy radius and ulna of his forearm were quite literally ground into a sand-like state; the swollen, red soft tissue of the arm belied an insidious growing infection. We gave him fluids and antibiotics and pain medication, and we prepped him for surgery to have an amputation.

And I sat down with him and we talked. “You have to save me”, because, you see, he had a fiancée, and was to be married in a few months. Also, he had a job, and his mother was counting on him to provide for the family. “So you have to save me.” He asked me about my family, and wanted to know what brought me to his country. He had so much pain, he said, but the medicine helped.

I saw many patients that night, stopping to check in on my friend several times before my relief arrived. I tried to reassure him that the surgeons were working as fast as possible. I examined his swollen arm and noted his growing fatigue, and said goodbye one last time.

The next day, I found out my friend died. I wept for him then, knowing that my tears were but a few drops in the sea of tears, and I went back to work.   As we all know now he was one of many who would perish, and yet he left behind people who would not allow their lives to be defined or confined by this tragedy. People like you who would continue to stay engaged in life, and try to make it a little bit brighter.

There exists in certain parlance a simple notion of see, judge, act. We keep our eyes open to the world around us.  Should a certain condition arise, the see-judge-act model suggests we follow observation with deliberation. Is this situation normal? Can I, ought I, involve myself? Finally comes agency. Agency involves risk taking, and engagement.

Today we have an opportunity to recall in solidarity the pain of the 2010 earthquake. But with agency, with organization, with great hope let’s continue to engage the personhood of one another.

Warmly sent, on this cold January day-

Jim

Many stories at the Lamp make reference to dire threats to health and challenging medical treatment.  This one is about something much simpler.  Ms. Plaisirmon had already had two children when she enrolled in the prenatal care program at the Lamp.  She received a battery of tests and then came regularly to the clinic for the next eight months.  Her health was generally good – she was treated for an infection and mild anemia – and so was that of the baby.  Lamp Community Health Workers (CHWs) came to her home several times to check in on her.  She got an ultrasound and took her prenatal vitamins as prescribed.  She received a delivery kit and an infant kit.  When it came time to deliver, one of the CHWs went with her to the hospital to make sure that she had the support she needed.  In the photo, she is back at home with her new baby boy (dressed in clothes from the infant kit).  Her gratitude is boundless; she recalls the struggles — physical, financial and emotional — she had with her first two deliveries; she sends message after message to Lamp staff, thanking them for their accompaniment.

The idea of accompaniment is one that Dr. Paul Farmer made central to all of his medical theory.  (Dr. Farmer is the founder of Haiti’s best large-scale health organization Partners in Health and was a crucial inspiration for the Lamp in its early days.)  Health is best served, he felt, when the medical profession considers the whole complex of factors that cause ill health.  In low income settings this means that one must accompany each patient, continually overcoming those factors that may block the path to good health.  Ms. Plaisirmon’s story is an ordinary one, but it is an important one for the Lamp.  It is a sign that we are on the right path.

By Tobias Baer

You can choose to ignore the troubles in the world or you can do something about it. In 2015, when I was eleven, I had the opportunity to meet Lamp for Haiti co-founder Dr. James Morgan, who has worked to help people in one of the poorest parts in Haiti, Cité Soleil. Lamp for Haiti provides basic health care treatment to the people in Cité Soleil with experienced doctors that give examinations, treatments, and medicine.

I wanted to find a way to help support this cause, which provides so much for people with so little.

To do this, I came up with and planned a fundraiser based on one of my favorite activities — basketball. I love playing and watching basketball, and knew other people do, too. The first Hoops for Haiti, which is a 3-on-3 basketball tournament, took place in 2016 in Montclair, NJ. Then, I organized  a second tournament in 2017. In total, we’ve raised over $10,000 for an incredible cause, and brought together dozens of players and lots of sponsors.

This year, I’m hoping we raise at least $6,000 — and you can help fulfill this goal.  So please, consider donating to Hoops for Haiti to help support thousands of people in one of the poorest countries of the world. If you would like to help fund Hoops for Haiti, you can participate in the 3-on-3 tournament on May 12, or you can donate money at the Hoops for Haiti section of the Lamp for Haiti website. Together we can make a difference, so please consider donating to Hoops for Haiti.

— Jim is the Founder, Medical Director and and Board President of the Lamp —

Dear friends,

Last week, as winter was heaving one last storm on the region, I trekked into New York City to attend a cutting-edge medical conference at Columbia University.  I learned of high tech therapies that several years ago were considered definitely-out-of-the-question, but that now – in no small part due to a stalwart group’s vision, creativity, and refusal to accept that the future must mirror the past – are having real and dramatic consequences, and lives are being made whole.

It so happened that on that same chilly March day, between speakers, I dialed into our weekly Lamp strategic planning conference call.  On that call we discussed nutrition supplementation or malnourished infants and children. We spoke about the major repair our only vehicle is presently undergoing.  Our larger van was recently stolen, and we spoke about the urgent need to replace it.  We discussed the EKG system that helps us to diagnose cardiac problems and to inform the use of appropriate medications and its need to be upgraded soon.

In short, we spoke about lives being made whole.

I hung up the phone and went back into my lecture, now more aware than ever of the almost schizophrenic situation I found myself in one more time.  After over 15 years of straddling the worlds of Haiti and the US, I still haven’t found an on/off switch for my brain.  The differences in available resources are just too great.  Without that switch, my eyes still tear, and my throat still tightens when I am faced with such starkly contrasting circumstances.

There was a time in my life when thinking about such a contrast — the affluent/ organized world and the poor/ often disorganized world — was paralyzing for me.  But people grow, myself included.

Now I let such stark contrast inspire me, and I hope that you do too.  I’m Inspired and energized because I know what together we have accomplished already. For example, we have electronic health records and digital x-rays in a neighborhood with virtually no electricity. We provide an oasis of security and health in an area where the police won’t tread.

And while our work is a lot less high tech than those I learned of at Columbia University, the lives we are making whole are no less human, the families remaining intact are no less loving, the mosaic of creativity is no less beautiful.

I hope that you will consider making a contribution to our Spring Drive this year. Let yourself be inspired by the real accomplishments we’ve already made, and those yet to come.

My best to you and your families at this lovely season of year!

James Morgan, MD

Medical Director/Board President

To gain an objective, patient-centered perspective on our medical services the Lamp conducted a survey of 100 patients.  We were interested in determining patient satisfaction with our Health Center, identifying strengths and weaknesses of our services and answering some specific questions on patient needs.  The survey was conducted by Dr. Isemonde Joseph, a visiting doctor who had herself grown up in Cité Soleil, and is fluent in Haitian Kreyol.  Dr. Joseph volunteered her services at the Lamp clinic for a full two months in late 2017 and conducted the survey at that time.

The survey respondents included 40 women – 20 of whom were pregnant – 40 children and 20 men; this is approximately the normal patient mix at the Lamp Health Center.

There were many gratifying results but also some that we are already working to improve

A striking outcome of the survey was the way in which it emphasized the economic hardships faced by our patients.  This came out most clearly when respondents were asked if they were satisfied with the outcome of their last visit to the Lamp, based upon the successful resolution of the particular health issue that brought them to the Health Center.  Seventy-eight percent (78%) said yes to this question, but 22% said no.  Upon further questioning it was discovered that every person in that group was prescribed a medicine or test that needed to be purchased outside of the Lamp.  Each of those respondents stated that they did not have the funds to afford this, or that it had been extremely onerous for them.  One woman, for example, said that she was forced to sell her sheets to buy the needed medication.

This is a distressing finding because it indicates that the Lamp is not only the primary care center for many people, it is the only care center that they can afford.  As a primary health care center we must refer some patients to higher level care and also prescribe some medicines that we are not able to provide.  We are committed to providing a lengthy list of essential medicines and tests and we purchase those supplies that we cannot get through pharmaceutical donation.  But our lists cannot cover every medical need.  The survey highlights the fact that many referrals are not pursued due to economic incapacity.  We must strive to expand our list of available medication.  But it also makes very clear that the medicines we provide are of critical importance to the well-being of our patients.

Note that during the last two years we have provided, through the clinic, an average of more than $1M worth of medicine per year.

Some other key findings are presented below.  Patients were asked to name three things (or less) that they appreciated about the Health Center and three things that they did not appreciate.  This was an open-ended question – the respondents were not prompted.

These are very gratifying results.  Note for example that “good quality care” and “exceptional doctors and nurses” were mentioned many more times than “low cost” — even though it is clear that “low cost” is critical to every respondent.  The quality of our staff and our services has not gone unnoticed.   Other positives that were mentioned included the health education sessions that are held each morning and the peaceful atmosphere within the clinic.

On the other side of the ledger one issue stood far above the rest: 27 people mentioned that they did not appreciate coming so early in the morning to get their ticket to see the doctor.  We operate – barring emergency needs – on a first-come first-served basis.  Given the intense demand for our services this is a difficult problem to solve, but we are working to reduce the stress on our patients as much as possible.

Forty-eight percent (48%) of respondents said they did not have any complaints.

Two questions focused on the ability of our staff to communicate well with the patients.  Many of our patients have limited education, making oral communication extremely important.  All respondents (100%) stated that medicine regimens were well explained by the nurses, and diagnoses were well explained by the doctors. 

Women’s Health

Dr. Joseph at the women’s clinic

We took the opportunity, in the survey, to ask some questions that were relevant to our women’s health program, including our plans to begin a birth assistant training program.

Seventy-one percent of respondents said that the last child in their family was born at home.  Of these births only one (1) was attended by a trained birth assistant.  The number is in line with our expectations, but it is good to have objective data to confirm our understanding.  We have heard many sad stories of the deaths of mothers and infants due to complications or due, more simply, to lack of sterile tools, hygiene, or relevant knowledge.  The survey allows us to move forward with our program of birth assistant training with a new sense of urgency.

The survey also asked whether the respondent would prefer the birth to be at home or in a hospital.  A fairly high percentage (29%) stated that they would prefer to have the delivery at home.  However, when queried further, it became evident that this preference was predicated on the cost of a hospital delivery.  Almost two-thirds of those who preferred a home birth did so because of the low cost.  The remaining persons, however, (9% of the total) stated that they preferred home births because they could access family helpers, they wanted to be cared for by family members, and/or they disliked the unfamiliar and impersonal hospital setting.

Conclusion

Overall, the survey provided a good snapshot of patient opinions and concerns.  We are affirmed in the knowledge that the community holds the Lamp Health Center in high regard and that patients are, in general, very satisfied with the quality of care they receive.  We will continue our efforts to improve our services, so that – when this survey is repeated next year – the results will reflect these improvements.

by Lamp Medical Director Barrere Hyppolite, MD

This is the story about a one year old boy named Dieujackson Bernard.  His mother, Antonine, a struggling single mother to 6 children, brought him to the clinic because he was so severely sick. From the moment I saw her I was a little bit horrified to see this child like this and I told her, “Miss, have you never been to a hospital? Have you never given him oral rehydration salts?”   Her answer was filled with sadness and guilt that she could not do more. Dieujackson was suffering from a severe case of dehydration caused by acute gastroenteritis (a bacterial infection of the intestines).

Normally, I refer this patient to a hospital for rehydration through intravenous lines. When I told her this she literally melted in tears saying, “Doctor, I can’t go because financially I can’t. I have 6 children without a father.” I felt stunned, sad, and angry because this mother was having to watch her child dying slowly in her arms. This is a situation that can be the daily struggle of some Haitian mothers.  I was angry because I felt I was in front of a situation of despair. I nearly cried – it is unacceptable!  So I reassured her saying, “Okay Miss we will proceed together and you can calm down.  You must scrupulously follow my instructions and my medical orders!  We will try to rehydrate him by mouth with oral rehydration salts.  You must completely eliminate fatty meals and give the appropriate antibiotics available at the pharmacy of our clinic. The mother replied, “Yes doctor, I will.  You can count on me!”

Every 2 days she had an appointment with me. Before the weekend I saw her again and observed that she was courageously following my recommendations. But then at the beginning of the following week, she did not come to the clinic. I felt a little bit anxious and again angry because financially she probably was having trouble reaching the clinic or something else. But on Wednesday (6 days later), she entered into my office bearing a child in the same clothes but looking totally different. I have to admit I didn’t recognize her or even the child in her arms.  She began the conversation like this, “Doctor this is Dieujackson, you understand? (in Creole “se Dieujackson wi“), the child who was nearly dying last week”.  And I was totally surprised by the radical change. I just said in Creole, “Rete mwen sezi” (I am stunned!).  I felt total joy and amazement to be a part of this miracle! She was so happy and grateful for the care, attention and patience she received at the Lamp clinic!

Dieujackson — recovered

A great man has said, “The greatest gift you can give to a person is the gift of attention.” After her departure with the child, my day felt really blessed and proudly I said to myself, “This is LAMP, you understand!” (in Creole “Se sa ki LAMP la wi “). Every day, from Monday to Friday, we do our best to achieve miracles or at least to give support and put a smile on a patient’s face.  This is the greatest gift we can give to our community of Cité Soleil, to our little sisters and brothers!

On January 12, 2010 the earthquake struck that was to have such a profound impact on life in Haiti.  Haiti is a country with one major city, the capital Port-au-Prince, the home to almost all of its hospitals, universities, government buildings, and larger businesses.  The epicenter of the earthquake was near enough that Port-au-Prince was left in ruins.  More than 200,000 people were killed and more than two million were left homeless.

Reconstruction has occurred in many ways since that critical day but eight years later the country has not “recovered”.  The concept of recovery is itself unhelpful for understanding the situation.  Haiti was, before the earthquake, the most impoverished country in the hemisphere.   Then the earthquake destroyed a terrific quantity of already minimal assets.  Unlike the United States, where recovery can occur through the reallocation of existing resources, in Haiti these resources are not available.

It is true that substantial international aid was directed toward Haiti through agencies such as USAID and the Red Cross.  Money sent to smaller nonprofits (such as the Lamp!) enabled them to provide effective direct assistance but some of the larger agencies failed to utilize the money effectively.  It is also true, however, that international aid was always only one facet of the solution.  Hundreds of thousands of individuals and businesses needed to rebuild their personal and commercial lives and they have been doing this, with or without assistance.

Currently, the previous “business district” of Port-au-Prince remains a no-man’s land of damaged and abandoned buildings.  But much construction has gone forward.  Hospitals and schools have been repaired and many new government buildings will soon open their doors.  Although few permanent homes for earthquake victims were ever built, new programs have assisted families to find their own housing and this has meant that the “tent cities” of displaced people have disappeared.  There is a beautiful new hospital to the north of the city.

The news, in other words, is mixed.  Haiti remains a nation of limited resources.  A new building for the Ministry of Health will not change the fact that government spending on health remains a meager $13 per person per year.

The earthquake was simply a tragedy; many Haitians are still struggling to meet basic needs and this means that our work, as concerned members of the same human family, must continue.

Former downtown district

Upper portion of Port-au-Prince today

Dear Friends –

I have been lucky enough to have met a local resident in Cité Soleil in the past few years with whom I have become friends. Alfred lives in the Bwa Nèf section, not far from the Lamp Health Center. A few years ago while living in another part of Haiti, his wife died. “Li te gen fyèv, le sa a mouri,” he recounted sadly to me one afternoon, describing the febrile illness that would take her. At the time she had no access to a doctor or medication.

Alfred is constantly smiling. He lives with this two children in a home constructed of wood cross beams, corrugated tin and rust on the outside, but love and patience and kindness on the inside.

Alfred earns a living by making wood burning stoves for cooking. He has a small workshop next to his home. If you visit, you know he’s there because you can hear the tink, tink, tink of his hammer and awl, pounding the sheets of metal from discarded barrels into rounded forms that will eventually form the finished product. I like to visit Alfred, to sit with him and chat about our families, and admire his craftsmanship. Despite his limited means, he continually and consistently shares what he has, dealing artfully with life’s challenges, and transforming others’ lives in the process.

And so it’s plain to see that sharing forms the cornerstone of this relationship, like sharing forms the cornerstone of any meaningful interaction. Sometimes sharing can be challenging to say the least. But consistent sharing, with vision and organization invariably leads to positive change. This notion is key to understanding why Lamp has been successful.

Lamp for Haiti is the result of a sharing vision in which you have decided to participate. I am guessing that your choice to continue on this journey has been edifying in ways you might not have initially expected. But because of your willful participation Alfred and thousands like him have a health center nearby where children living on the fringe of the economic fringe, are receiving quality health care.

Lamp has made great progress this past year because of an unwavering belief that when we pursue a noble goal — like providing quality healthcare for a community in dire need — and when we do so in an organized fashion with vision and commitment, positive change will invariably come. Maternal-child health, child nutrition, organized electronic records, ultrasound and x-ray. All these were thought impossible. A sharing spirit has made them a reality.

It’s good to have family with which to share at this time of year. Lamp’s efforts are reaching others effectively because of our commitment to this concept. We are helping to transform lives, and in so doing our own lives are changed too. Thanks again for being a part of this worthwhile project.

All the best to you and your own family this season and in the coming year,

James Morgan MD
Founder and Chair of the Board
jmorgan@lampforhaiti.org

We do need your continued commitment!

To make a year-end donation, click on the yellow Donate button
or send your check to Lamp for Haiti, P.O. Box 39703, Philadelphia, PA 19106

Thank You!