— 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
