Softball-size rock + young head = bad situation

On Saturday the team went on a hike up to the waterfall (about 2 hours away). Steve went along as their guide, but pretty much everyone else stayed back to take it easy- 

unfortunately that was not destined to be!

Grandpa Harold was going up to Terre Rouge when he was flagged down by a Haitian man- his son had a bad cut on the back of his head and was bleeding badly. So, Grandpa gave them a ride back to the clinic, where they boy was examined.

At first we thought it would be just a normal stitch job; but in inspecting the wound we discovered it wasn't merely a cut- his skull was actually fractured! Michael estimated that (in order to do that much damage) the rock must've been about the size of a softball! The boy was coherent and awake, so his condition was stable. Since we don't have the ability to treat such a condition we needed to take him out to the hospital.

He was loaded up and taken out. The trail was rough since the hurricane, but we made it safely and he was admitted at the hospital several hours later.

In the clinic we were able to look inside the cut and see the fractured skull.

The little guy was stable and doing great.

In Ti Guave we transfered to a truck Pastor Levy let us borrow and headed out to Leogonne.

The father supported his son's head the entire 2 hour trip down the trail.

On the way the traffic was light and we made good time.

At the hospital the boy and his Dad waited as we got the paperwork ready for their admission.

Once the paperwork was done they stepped out and were taken to the ER.

We headed back to Ti Guave with the truck and then back up the trail that night.

It was a long, yet satisfying day!

Absent Clinic Workers

Hello from Haiti this beautiful sunny morning.  The title suggests something less than what the first sentence describes, I know.  Well, the absent clinic workers have been mostly the whites this time.  It started last week when dengue fever hit.  (Actually dengue fever hit a few weeks before, but didn't get clinic workers down till last week.)  

Michael came down with it first, and then on Saturday I (Anita) came down with it.  The Haitian workers, Virginia, and Breanna did an excellent job at keeping things going.  Yesterday Michael was able to head back to the clinic, and by afternoon/evening it was obvious that Breanna wasn't well.  One of our Haitian pharmacists has it too.  I'm starting to feel better, but I'm still very weak.  At least I was able to get up and out a little this morning.  

Dengue fever is spread by mosquitoes similar to malaria.  Typical symptoms are: very high fever, horrible body and bone aches, headache, pain around the eyes, stomach aches.  It's a virus so it has to run its course.  The only thing you can do is take fever reducers and of course do all the other things all good patients are to do--eat, drink, rest.  (I have to say I'm sure ready to do more than just laying around.  Five days was quite enough!)  

On my little trek out of my house this morning, I took my camera and headed to the clinic.  I didn't find any extraordinary sights, but I did find everyone doing an excellent job in spite of being 3 workers short right now.  

 Fre Direk busy making dossiers

Michael taking blood pressures since Breanna is under the weather

Mis Joselaine busy in her room

Mis Leda cheerfully filling her post

Mis Virginia filling prescriptions

Zita giving medicine to patients at the pharmacy window