Samuel Davis- Thoughts From Sea

Thanks to the generosity of Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines Ltd. I am currently aboard the Royal Caribbean Explorer of the Seas on my way back from delivering medical supplies to the For Haiti with Love Burn Clinic (the clinic). The Clinic is located only 4.5 miles from Labadee, Haiti a port of call for many Royal Caribbean cruises. I personally delivered over 50 pallets of medical supplies and 15 pallets of food and clothing in addition to 200 mattresses and bedding and transportation donated by Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines Ltd.

With the precise teamwork of the Explorer’s crew and ground logistics team, the entire shipment made it safely off the two piers used to consolidate the nearly 60,000 pounds of aid. After a one hour convoy we reached our destination. Not a single package damaged, delayed, or diverted.

“From Dock to Doctor” in 6 days!

I met with the directors of the clinic to further assess their needs for equipment and supplies. After meeting with the directors of the clinic, we went to Justinian Hospital ( run by the government of Haiti ). At Justinian, we met with Dr. Andre Voltain Chief of Medicine and Dr. Jean- Gracia Coq , Chief of Surgery. They had just stabilized and airlifted two pediatric big burn cases to Shriners Hospital in Boston. In addition to lacking an oxygen generator for their three hundred plus patients, the Justinian’s only OR X-ray machine, a beat up C Arm, had been down for over weeks. The clinic and Justinian Hospital are both in desperate need of money and medical supplies.

Many wounded refugees from Port-au-Prince who migrated North for medical care are sleeping on the ground. Starvation seems to be only days away. A young orthopedic surgeon from Maine made the best of the primitive operating room at Justinian Hospital despite a lack of orthopedic hardware and devices. He expressed frustration about how many more patients’ limbs could be salvaged if there was an oxygen generator in the hospital. BAN is exploring ways to get one delivered.

Our partnership with Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines Ltd. is proving an effective force in saving lives and combating suffering. Every pallet we send saves at least one life. We have two more major shipments to North Haiti planned within the next month.

www.haitiburnsurvivors.org