The cleft rock...

Depending where you live in the States, it may seem strange to have people coming into a hospital with deep wounds caused by falling rocks. Down here in Haiti it is pretty rare when we don't have patients coming in with serious injuries caused by either a rock falling on them, or they falling on a rock!

Yesterday we had such a case: an eight year old little girl was carried from 3 hours away, having several bad scrapes and cuts on her foot and ankle. Her parents told us she was on a hill, when a large rock tumbled down, heading straight for her. Right before it hit, it must have clashed into another rock, because it split in half, dividing in two before it hit her; only her ankle was injured, suffered large cuts. 

The family was very thankful that she wasn't killed, but there was a lot of work to be done on her foot. She was very brave, but was in a lot of pain, so she cried frequently. 

The whole operation took almost 2 hours, and was very tedious!

When they came, it was lightly wrapped in a white cloth,

with a lot of dirt and grime all over her foot.

The father was out working when the incident happened,

so as soon as he heard about it, he headed this way.

Apparently this was some friend or relation that brought her in, along with the mother.

Once they got here, Mis Anita began unwrapping the bandage, and started to clean it out.

Ah, yes, a very nice gash there, don't you think?

Thankfully, no bones were broken... it was just a really nasty set of gashes!

At first the poor little girl was very scared and cried a lot.

Once the majority of the cleaning was done, she was able to relax a little...

After washing it out really well, Anita had to pick bits of dirt and gravel out...

Once she finished up, the job was handed over to Michael...

Inside, Michael was preparing his stitching equipment.

They brought the girl in and had her lay on the operation table.

He had to clean up the edges in a few places, but once that was done he was able to begin.

Once the local anesthetic began to work she was even smiling and grinning at us :)

A job well done!

Her foot was still very scraped up, but at least now it will heal well!

She will be coming back in a few days for a checkup...

Please pray for the family, that they would see the light of Jesus and be saved!

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!