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The entire team arrived home safely last night from Haiti. Approximately 80 people attended the dedication ceremony at Justinian Hospital and Sam and Dr. Bojko put the wheels in motion for the first modern burn center to be built at Sacre Coeur Hospital in Milot. Please check back for pictures of their trip.

April 27th, Jim Ressler's Blog

Our morning started early. Tom, Karen, Sam, and I along with george the translator met and planned out the day. Sam and Tom went directly up to the burn clinic at For Haiti With Love in Cap Haitian. Karen, george and I went over to the PT clinic to finish up some last minute details before the dedication ceremony this afternoon was to take place. We then traveled up to the burn clinic to meet Tom and Sam. We met the other volunteers up there and toured the facility in order to see our previous trips donations in use. We saw the new treatment table that we had delivered and some other supplies. Yesterday we also delivered to them a new stretcher which would enable them to move patients around in an easier fashion. We also spoke to the volunteers. I asked them about the chores they were performing as I want to send down volunteers as well. They all said you have to be willing to take some intiative to get things started otherwise there is down time. They also said they they helped feed the poor that needed food and helped at the orphanage. There jobs were everything non medical with the exception of one nursing student who was volunteering. She was doing some basic work with patients. The other volunteers were getting ready to leave for an airstrip to help unload a plane. I also looked at the generator that needed to be replaced as well as the car batteries that are used for powering the clinic. They despatately need more car batteries and a diesel generator. I asked why there were not more patients and they told me they ran out of medication. They need salvadine to treat patients and they ran out yesterday. They were hoping for some more by ther end of the week. They said the patients would have to suffer without it but there was nothing they could do. We also talked about what kind of program volunteers would do. If volunteers don't have medical experience they can come as well but not as defined of a role. They kind of have to just go with whatever is needed. All volunteers have a place to stay that is under watch of security with shotguns 24 hours a day. It is part of the clinic. All volunteers also must have enough food for their time spent there.

Afternoon
We went back to the PT clinic for the dedication. We all did some pictures around a plaque on the wall which thanked Royal Caribbean, Medical Angels and Burn Advocates. Next was the actual ceremony. We all filed into the room and about 80 people were there. They were both sitting and standing. The whole ceremony was taped by Justinian hospital. Nurses Doctors and adminstrators were present. There were 7 speeches which included a priest to bless the clinic, Dr Coc, Dr Vulcain and some others. Sam also spoke as representative of Burn Advocates and Medical Angels. He spoke in French and did a good job of it. Every speaker thanked Medical Angels and Burn advocates and Sam Karen and I. I was impressed that they actually thanked us as they haven't been overly appreciative. Sam then had Karen and I come up to the podium. I had the chance to speak briefly in english. It was kind of payback for listening for the last hour or so them only speak in French. I had a chance to thank Aimee Fink (cofounder of Medical Angels) premier Home healthcare and a list of other companies that helped out. I can't list them all right now as I am too tired. Both before and after the ceremony we spoke with representatives of Royal Caribbean who were in attendance. They confirmed a lot of what the hijackers had spoken to me about and safety is their main concern. Apparently when shots were fired on the road to Labadee there was a tap tap of Royal employees going home. They were concerned about stray bullets and general violence. Anyway after the ceremony everyone ate and drank and toured the facility. Everyone seemed excited about the PT unit being there. We took more pictures with the Royal crew and others. The ceremonys ended about 330 pm

The market
Afterwards George Karen and me went to walk around the used market. We walked about a mile to get there. The streets were crowded, dusty and boiling hot. As we walked thru the used shoe market they were hundreds of thousands of used shoes on the ground being soldm. Sneakers, high heels, espadrils, winter boots and anything else u could imagine. We weaved thru the used clothing market and then made our way trhu the used underwear and sock area. The clothing and underwear areas were filthy. It was really nasty. We made it over to the used bed area. Tons of locals selling used beds for anywhere between 100 to 150 US dollars. Quite a site to see as the beds are dirty and laying in the dirt. We then walked thru the food markets and saw all the local foods and chickens being sold for slaughter. Overall and intersting day but much easier on the nerves then yesterday. Tommarrow we catch an 830 am flight on the prop plane to florida. Looking forward to going home. Remember to follow medicalangels on facebook and twitter or www.medicalangelsdonations.org.

Dedication Ceremony, April 26, 2010

Today was the dedication ceremony for the first OT/PT Center at Justinian Hospital in Cap Haitien. Pictures and details to follow.

April 26, 2010 Jim Ressler's Blog

We left early and all went separate ways. Karen went to the new PT clinic to teach aides how do PT. Sam and Tom went to Sacre Couer to work on their burn clinic. Pressime the national police officer picked me up. His truck came and then he showed up in uniform on a motorcycle. I had to take the motorcycle out for a ride thru town. I went out for about 15 minutes. Wow the potholes could eat a car so they would destroy a motorcycle. It was a good way to see a little of the city. We then went over the mountain in the back of the truck to Labadee. The road was still pretty rough. We had heard the road was no longer patrolled by the UN. Pressime told me how in the last 2 weeks the road got much worse. Safety became a major issue where as in the past it was only an issue. We passed the areas of the last mudslides where we had to carry the supplies last month. We saw a rock on the edge of the mountain that is ready to come down in the next major rain. We finally arrived in labadee at the Royal Caribbean dock. We were there to pick up some supplies that weren't unloaded last month from the ship. After calling NJ to speak with jordana to gain access we found out our supplies were no longer there. They orignally forgot to unload them off the ship and they off loaded them in ST Thomas. From there they were supposed to be brought back to Haiti. They did end up coming back but couldn't be offloaded due to new customs regulations and security concerns at the dock. They are being shipped back to florida and will be back in Haiti on May 4th. We waited to meet with the site manager at the gates for about an hour. Finally we could not stay any longer as we had other things to do. After speaking to various people we learned there are 2 basic problems Royal Caribbean is dealing with. The first is the Haitian government wants to charge duty on all donations coming into the country. The second is security on the road back to Cap Hatian.
Mayor-Govenor
Next I wanted to meet the guy who was running these 3 villages to find out what the deal was. Pressime took me to his office. We went in and met with him and a few of his associate in a small cramped room. He related the security issues and how they need help. Pressime told me not to ask of his involvement. he knew of all that was going on on the road. He also said we would pass safely with supplies if we shared a piece with them. Anyway I think we solved the security problem for us. I would not want to be with another group that hadn't addressed this problem with the locals because they will definitely take their supplies. We saw the rock enclaves where they throw the rocks down on the trucks from.
Pressime also told me he had broken down on the road about a week ago. He said he only had a problem with one guy. They all knew him and For Haiti With Love. They knew he feeds and provides medical attention to the locals there. One guy was getting a little out of hand with him so he pepper sprayed the guy in the face. He said the guy fell down but he helped the guy clean his eyes with lemon water. He claims he then fed the guy. Eventually he got his truck running and they moved on. Again they all know what he does so they have a fear respect thing for him. He is a great ally to have. They all wave to him in these dangerous towns and yell out his name when he comes thru. Anyway I think security shouldn't be an issue but it is like the wild west up in the mountain towns

Next we went down to check on Karen. She was still teaching so we moved on. We went back to his clinic with a strecher we had donated and picked up some of his volunteers. We took the road thru the most horrible slums to the orphanage. The people on the street looked terrible. It was hot and lots of people all over along with goats, pigs chickens and any other animal you could imagine roaming the streets. We arrived at the orphange and played with the kids. After about an hour sam and tom got there and 30 minutes later Karen came over. Karen gave out bracelets and earrings made by Kristy (her sister) and her schoolchildren. Kristy is a teacher and had her class make beaded bracelets and earrings for the kids. The orphans went crazy for them. They loved them and all were wearing them. It was really great to see how happy this made them. Sam brought some instruments with him and put together a little band of kids whicj also included Karen Pressime and Roselyn. It was funny to see Pressime with the gun in the back of his pants and playing a musical instrument and singing. The kids seemed to really enjoy it. At this point between our team and the volunteers the kids were having a lot of fun. We then gave out the Ralph Lauren clothing to all the kids. Karen distributed the clothing and they were excited. I don't think they knew what Ralph Lauren was but they liked the idea of new clothing. They are normally wearing used or hand me downs. They were glowing. It was really heartwarming. From here we all hopped in the back of the truck and drove 30 minutes back to town. We went to the clinic and Hotel again and met with Dr Vulcain for dinner.

I am sure I missed a lot that I can tell anyone in person. I can say it was one of those days I will always remeber as I met with hijackers in the morning and orphans in the afternoon. I felt a wide array of emotions from nervousness to excitement today.

Also for those of you who know Karen she had a mouse in her room. We had to try and chase it out. I think that should be the least of our concerns and she sEemed to take it in stride. I told her to talk nice to it and maybe it will leave her alone

Tomarrow we are starting our day seeing and helping burn victims at the clinic and then we have the PT dedication at noon.

Remember to follow us on twitter. Follow Medicalangels and our pics will be on facebook fan page next week.

Til tomarrow slept tight and we will see what adventures we have.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Day 1-By Jim Ressler, our partner at Medical Angels

Our journey began at 5am in the rain in NY. Sam, Tom, Karen and myself were to meet at the airport for a 630 am flight to Fort Lauderdale. Karen took her expired passport so she missed the flight and took the next one down to Lauderdale and met us there. We then waited for the charter flight that was supposed to leave at 1 to Cap Haitien Haiti. While waitng for the flight we met 4 people who were on the charter with us who were volunteering at the For Haiti With Love clinic. One was anursing student and the other 3 were just going to volunteer with the clinic and orphanage. We were only allowed 50 pounds of luggage each and 10 ponds on a carryon bag. They weighed it out exactly and we all had to move things around in order to get it on the flight. They also weighed each one of us on the scale to make sure the plane didn't have too much weight. Naturally the airline Florida Coastal Airlines was late. As we walked out onto the runway in Fort lauderdale we arrived at the prop plane which was to take us on our 2 hour and 40 minute journey to Cap Haitian. It was one of those small puddle jumpers that you couldn't stand up in. As we flew on this old prop plane we passed over islands I had never even heard of. We then passed Cuba in the distance and began our desent into Cap Haitien.

As we arrived it was just as I remebered it from last month. We all got off the plane to see the wreckage of another plane sitting on the runway. Not all that comforting to see at an airport if you could call it that. A regular jet we were told could never land there as the runway was very short. I was told that this was the largest plane that could land there. We were met at the airport by Presime, roselyn, arly and an interpetor named George. We went thru what they call Customs. That would be 1 guy sitting at a desk stamping the 10 passports of our arriving flight. Baggage claim consisted of just our bags and 1 guy insisting on seeing our claim tags. Not sure why he needed to see them as noone else really on the plane. We then loaded into 2 trucks to go thru the slums of Cap Haitian. The streets were not busy as it was 5 o'clock on Sunday. As we passed the housing you could really see the extreme misery people were living in. As I have been here before I really tried to look into some of the houses. There were no roofs on lots of them. The locals looked miserable. The roads were filled with holes that could eat cars and trucks. We weaved from one side of the road to the other in order to avoid ditches in the road. We finally arrived at hotel. This hotel makes the last one we stayed in look luxurious. We got to the rooms and paint peeling off walls and very small. Most of the windows are just screens in the rooms. It is very loud as we are inside the city this time.

Dinner
Pressime and Roselyn picked us up with their volunteers and we went to dinner at Le Kay. Food wasn't bad. We talked to them about how the hospitals refuse care to those who can't afford to pay. Patients must pay up front for the gloves the doctors wear as well as any other supplies u need while in the hospital. Pressume and Roselyn told us even things that are donated to the hospitals must be paid for by the patients. For Haiti With Love which is run by Presume and Roselyn take no money from patients for any services. That is the way it has been for forty years since Roselyns parents started the clinic. During dinner 4 girls in their 20s came in that were in nursing school. For Haiti With Love pays for them to go the nursing school in exchange they must work for the clinic for minimum of a year. These girls were orphans in the clinic when they were younger and have remained there and are now in nursing school.

We talked about For Haiti With Love being the only burn clinic in cap haitien a city of 400,000. They treat about 500 patients a week without a doctor on staff. Only nurses work there. They were very tankful for the new table and flooring we gave them. They are in desparate need of another patient table and other supplies. We talked of the possibility of opening a western style burn clinic at Sacre cCouer hospital 1.5 hours away. There issue was that again it would be a pay for service hospital. They told me a story of how a mother and father came into the clinic with an roughly 8 year old daughter who had been badly burned in the face. They said they didn't want to have a "ugly daughter". Pressime and Roselyn couldn't do much for her except try and treat the wound with their limited resources as best they could. The parents had no money to go toa pay for service hospital. A week later they found out they let the daughter die on purpose so not to have an ugly daughter. It was heartbreaking to hear how difficult life is here. The crazy thing is they say is we would need to figure out how the hospitals would have to carve out money for services if we helped build this burn clinic.

On the way down to cap we met a doctor by the name of Dean on the plane. He was running a clinic in Virginia and he comes down monthly. He told me a story of how there are 14 containers (40 footers) sitting in the port in Cap filled with both food and medical supplies. Apparently they were aid from 3 years ago but no one would release them because customs wanted to be paid for their release. You would think after the quake they would release the goods for humanitarian reasons. He went over to the port chief who showed him the containers on his last trip. He gave the port chief 1 carton of cigarettes and the port chief said for about 1000 us per contianer he would relase them secretly to him. It is very corrupt down here.
Anyway tomarrow I am taking the road to Laberdee to try and get to the docks to get the last of Medical Angels supplies that were left there bymistake. Pressime and some federal police will be joining me on my journey over the mountain. Hopefully we will get into the dock as there have been some new issues with Royal Caribbean. Karen will start the morning by training Physical Therapy aides on how to give PT. They have no training but she will try to teach thru an intepetor. Sam and Dr Tom will go to Sacre Couer hospital while I go over the mountain. In the afternoon I am going to the orphange. I have a meeting with the land owner about buying another plot of land the orphanage wants. We are going to try to raise the roughly 15000 they need for the children. Anyway we will see what tommorrow brings.

Trip to Haiti for Dedication of OT/PT Center

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Burn Advocates Network and Medical Angels Travel to Haiti for the dedication of the first Occupational and Physical Therapy Clinic in Cap Haitien, Haiti

27 April 2010 – Cap Haitien, Haiti – Haiti’s first Occupational and Physical Therapy clinic is a reality. Burn Advocates Network, a Teaneck-based not for profit organization has been leading the charge along with Medical Angels of Fort Lee to create the occupational and physical therapy clinic at Justinian Hospital in Cap Haitien, the second largest city in Haiti. In addition to outfitting the clinic, the rotations of therapists will treat hundreds of amputees and other patients as well as provide clinical instruction to the hospital staff.

Construction of the new clinic began mid-March with donations from many tri-state area based businesses including Hausmann Industries, Inc of Northvale, NJ, Jack Corradino, founding partner of the Corradino and Papa law firm in Clifton, NJ and the support of the public. A formal groundbreaking ceremony will be held April 27, 2010 in Cap Haitien.

On the wall at the entrance of the new clinic, a plaque will hallmark individuals and businesses who have contributed to the success of this project including University of Miami Medical School, The Haiti Ministry of Health, Burn Advocates Network, Medical Angels, and Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, Ltd. which provided free shipping of all donated equipment from NJ to Labadee, Haiti their port of call approximately 5 miles from Justinian Hospital.

A team will travel to Haiti for the dedication ceremony and will consist of Samuel Davis, Founder of Burn Advocates Network, Jim Ressler from Medical Angels and Premier Home Health Care in Fort Lee, Karen Canellos a licensed physical therapist from Englewood Hospital and Medical Center and Dr. Thomas Bojko Senior Vice Chair, Clinical Affairs Department of Pediatrics, UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and Director of Medical Services and Clinical Operations Bristol-Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital. In addition to attending the dedication ceremony, the team plans to locate a site for the first modern burn center in Haiti.

Burn Advocates Network focuses on the advocacy, rehabilitation and reintegration of burn survivors. Many of the victims from the earthquake were burned as a result of hot oil being spilled from local street vendor carts. Many sought medical help and refuge in Cap Haitien and are now in desperate need of rehabilitative services. For more information on Burn Advocates Network, contact Berger, Haiti coordinator, at 201-600-7698 or jordana@burnadvocates.org.

Medical Angels provides durable medical equipment and supplies to those who cannot afford them. Jim Ressler and Aimee Fink opened the not-for-profit in Fort Lee. Due to the disaster in Haiti Medical Angels has moved outside its core mission of helping local residents and is helping the victims of the Haitian disaster. Donations of top quality equipment are coming in daily from individuals who want to help. For more information, contact Ressler at 201-461 9595.

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Dedication of the OT/PT Center at Justinian Hospital

Burn Advocates Network and Medical Angels are looking forward to and planning the dedication ceremony for our OT/PT clinic at Justinian Hospital in Cap Haitien, Haiti. The clinic is set to open on April 26th with a ceremony at the clinic site. Burn Advocates Network and Medical Angels are looking forward to this special event.

 

Josh and Sam attend the Screening of Date Night starring Steve Carrell at the Ziegfield Theatre in Manhattan

NY 1

Check out Jordana Berger, our Haiti Relief Coordinator and Jim Ressler from our partner Medical Angels on NY 1 News by clicking this link: http://www.ny1.com/1-all-boroughs-news-content/your_nj_news_now/116368/haiti-outreach-continues-at-local-level/?ap=1&Flash

New York 1

See Jordana Berger, Burn Advocates Haiti Relief Coordinator and Jim Ressler (Medical Angels) on NY1 tonight at 8 p.m. The newscast will be broadcast several times but will start at 8 p.m. We talk about Burn Advocates Network and our Haiti relief efforts.