So tonight I am writing a quick post to go back on something I said 2 posts ago...In that post I said I would be going back to Haiti next week but that I wouldn't be asking for donations and now if you don't mind I am going to revoke that statement and say I am now asking for donations.
As most of you who follow me here know that in late 2010 Cholera, a highly infectious intestinal bug that causes a person to lose copious amounts of fluid through diarrhea and can literally kill a grown man in a matter of hours appeared in Haiti. To date I am unsure of the number of people killed by cholera in Haiti, a place where this disease had not reared its ugly head for the past 60 years but a place where poor sanitation and waste disposal can cause mass transmission to any and all.. no one is immune.
Now after a brief lull in the number of cases, Cholera has re surged and has come back with a vengeance. The Cholera house at Real Hope For Haiti where, during the first cholrea surge became a model for other organizations to follow. They had a less then 0.5% death rate, which for a disease like cholera is remarkable. The cholera house that they established and staff can accommodate 25 people at a time. Last night they had over 101 people in the house. People are being brought down from the mountains carried on doors, on the backs of motorcycles, on mattresses and sometimes just on sheets...some are making it in time, some are not...
You can read about it on the RHFH blog in the following post:
Dr. Jen in the states is collecting money to purchase medicines and if you would like to donate you can do so here (unfortunately they are not registered in Canada so no tax receipt will be issued):
Or and this is where I renege on my previous posts words you can help me help all the amazing people at RHFH who are working to keep people alive..
I want you to know something here...Cholera is a disease that is very easily treated (you simply replace the fluids via IV or ORS) and once treated for the most part people are fine. There is no follow-up needed and people can go back to living their lives... I know the longer term issues of sanitation and clean water need to be addressed and I am hopeful that they will... and I know that once agian this feels an awful lot like a bandaid but I can assure you its a bandaid that also heals...
I just want you to stop for a second and imagine the following...
Imagine the worst stomach flu or case of food poisoning you have ever had.....
Now imagine you have no access to a warm, comfy bed...
No private bathroom
No shower facilities
No medications
And the only help that you know of is a clinic, which may be far away with no means of getting there...
I woke up this morning and thought about the time I had spent in Haiti last time, in the Cholera tent at JP/HRO..people coming in barely able to walk..the only thing between living in dying at times was our ability to get an IV in them and replace the lost fluids..
There are not many things in a place like Haiti that are easy fixes...chronic malnutrition extending from years of food insecurity, chronic diseases easily treated in first world countries long before they become chronic, poor educational systems leading to high illiteracy rates that lead to chronic unemployment and so many others for which the fixes are hopefully not too far down that long road of building back better...but this is the here and now of life and for the people of RHFH there is a large and at times seemingly unending need...
If you can/want/are able to help with this I only have a little room for more supplies but I will work my hardest to cram in all that I can...
Licia sent me a list tonight of the current urgent needs, if you can donate any items or money for me to pick up the items I would be so appreciative!
1. Gorilla Tape: works better then duct tape as it sticks to non-smooth surfaces. It's $6 a roll and is sold at Canadian Tire. They use this to tape down the floors of the cholera tent that is washed many times a day with a bleach solution as the floor is often soiled with diarrhea.
2.Large black garbage bags
3.Infant Formula: I won't be able to carry a lot of this as it's quite heavy but if bought please buy the iron enriched formula.
Thanks again to everyone for your support!!
Any questions please feel free to email me or call me.. lbudreo@hotmail.com or 780-278-7186
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