My husband John and I are connected to Haiti through John's work there as a doctor and through our organization, Haitian Hearts, which brings children and young adults to the United States for heart surgery. I write about our experiences in this lovely, suffering country. Haiti is the kind of place that breaks your heart, even as it fills it up.
Tuesday, January 01, 2013
A Tale of Two Sarahs and Haiti's Future
Long time since I've posted to my blog. It hasn't been for lack of news from Haiti. Between the endemic presence of cholera, the hurricane that wiped out so many of the country's crops, and John's seven trips to Haiti in 2012, lots has happened. Our patient Luckner had successful heart surgery in Naperville in September 2012. Our smaller patient, Sarah, in Cite Soleil ended the year better than she started it. John was pretty sure she was going to die from starvation when he first saw her, looking like she does in the top picture. But a few months later, she had put on weight and was much healthier, as you can see in the bottom pic. Her challenges aren't over, but now she has a chance.
January 1st is a big day in Haiti. Besides being the start of the new year, it's also the anniversary of the country's independence. Haiti is 209 years old today. They've been rough years. Is it delusional to feel any sense of optimism for Haiti? Maybe not, if we remember Sarah.
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