Folliculitis....

Perhaps you have never heard of folliculitis? 

No? 

That's ok. 

Neither did I until this afternoon when a man and his boy came to the gate!

The boy's face was all swollen, and he could only see out of one eye. 

His hair was dirty, with infection oozing out the top of his head.

After looking at it, Michael pronounced the condition as "folliculitis", 

an infection at the root of hair follicles.

In my research later, I found it is usually caused by uncleanliness and lack of hygiene.

That would appear to be the case with this poor little boy...

And since it hadn't been taken care of sooner, it was spreading to his face!

Virginia laid him down, and began to shave his head-- 

the only way to effectively access the infected area.

Abigail helped hold his head, so he wouldn't get tired.

After the shaving was done, she scrubbed the infected area...

Then washed it with hydrogen peroxide...

As Virginia prepared the medications,

Abigail coated the infected area with antibiotic gel.

They sent them on their way with a pack of medication and a clean head

and instructions to return later for a checkup... :)

The man that was robbed... (Warning: some graphic images and video)

We had a man come to the mission the other day with a huge cut down his forehead... apparently he was sitting in his house when someone came in to rob him. He didn't hear them come in, and they bashed him over the head. We don't know if the robber(s) got away with anything.

Though a fanciful tale, these kind of things are all-too common here in Haiti. It shows the deplorable state of so many of the hearts here, and exemplifies their need of Christ. Please continue to pray for us as we try to show them the way to life eternal!!

Ear operations!

The other day we had two people come in with things stuck in their ears! 

Michael was probably feeling like a professional ear-cleaner at the end!

As I came up to the clinic, this little boy was laid out on his dad's lap, with Michael bent over him!

Apparently (the father told him) the boy had paper in his ear...

After quite a bit of digging around, he found this:

It looks like crayon wrapper!

How her got it in there, nobody will ever know... :)

This man came in and said he couldn't hear out of his right ear:

The problem was soon discovered...

He had so much wax inside that it began to get hard, 

forming a crusty substance in his ear canal.

It took some time, but Michael was able to chip it out, piece by piece!

A little patient with a big cut...

This little guy was riding along on a horse with someone else when the animal went out of control. He ended up crashing to the ground, hitting his head on a rock.

They rushed him down here, where Michael stitched him up.

Two boys came in...

We had two little boys come in, both with serious conditions. 

The little boy in the yellow shirt had a "strangulated hernia". Michael realizd there was nothing he could do for the little boy, and that he needed to be taken out to town. So, last evening, he took the little boy out with his parents.

The second little boy (with the two I.V. lines) came in with an infection throughout his whole body. It had begun, the family said, with a headache, then a soar throat, and then the little boy was refusing to eat or drink. As of now the little boy is still over at clinic, and being carefully watched under Thea and Virginia's superb care, and seems to be doing much better.  

Thea and Michael were examing the clinic chairs looking for bedbugs the other day. We are in need of new chairs, because these are becoming so worn and full of insects!

Alex and Virginia after a birthday party for one of our Haitian nurses.

Here is the boy with the hernia. He was in much pain...

Thea, setting the IV to the correct drip rate.

Here is the boy with the infection... looking better!

Searching for the infamous bed-bugs!

Mdm. Celeste and her baby...

Some of you might remember one of our gardeners, Celeste. His wife had a baby the other day, so we wanted to share it with you!

Everything went well with the birth. It's a cute little boy, very healthy!

Mama and baby resting and doing good!

Typically Haitians wait a little while to name their children,

so we're still not sure what it is :)

One happy mother, one contented little guy, 

and two joyful nurses!

Another safe delivery

After our previous birth cases Sat and Sun, we had yet a third lady come in labor Sun around noon. This lady was expecting her third child. She was carried in from out toward Fort Gary--5 hours hike or so away. When she arrived things looked fine, but she was at a stand still. We waited all afternoon for labor to pick up again, but it didn't. Since it had been so long since labor had started and her water had broke, we decided we should augment labor with oxytocin. We started it slowly, monitoring to make sure it wasn't causing the baby stress. Toward the end, heart tones seemed low so we put the mother on oxygen, but baby was soon born and didn't take long to breath well and cry! And cry he did! It was a strong little boy weighing 6 lbs 11 oz.

Mis Virginia and Michael dressing the baby

Mis Anita with baby--happy but tired at 1:30 am!

The happy mama with her baby!