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A Creole interpreter, Michael Goeden, Dave Butt The support columns were damaged at Ciloe Baptist Church, where the clinic was held. The second floor collapsed completely. The clinic was held outside because of safety concerns. |
MICHAEL and
Instead, the Spotsylvania County emergency medical doctor and his new bride, a nurse in
The weeklong trip began Jan. 25, with Spotsylvania internist and pediatrician Timothy Powell and Ruckersville paramedic Dave Butt. It wasn't the sort of island adventure they had planned.
"But it was an amazing experience," said Michelle Goeden, Powell's office manager. "You'd work in
The doctors, interpreters and support staff were sent on the mission trip by Grace Church of Fredericksburg, which for years has worked with Siloe Baptist Church in Port-au-Prince to provide continuing medical care through
Members of the medical team have made trips before, and have helped make great strides in decreasing infant mortality and improving care for long-term health issues such as hypertension and diabetes.
"But this time, we asked the people who have been trained in that church to triage for us, and get in patients who had the most severe injuries," said Powell. "Those, we saw in the first three days, and it was overwhelming."
Powell and the Goedens said the injuries they saw initially were mainly the result of people being hit or trapped by falling debris.
"Broken and smashed bones or extremities, open wounds with dirt and debris embedded in them, infections in wounds where the patient hadn't ever had access to water or anything to clean the wound," said Mike Goeden.
He added that the team also saw maladies and complications such as worms, skin infections, dehydration and malnutrition resulting from the fact that so many people were living on the streets without access to food or clean water.
"Mothers didn't have anything to drink, so their milk was drying up and their babies were starving," said Mike Goeden. "It was tough to see."
Using donated supplies they brought along, including antibiotics, local anesthetics and suture kits, they mended bones, cleaned and treated wounds left open for 10 days or more, and handled a range of other maladies.
One mother rode in on her husband's motorcycle with a broken leg, the foot facing the wrong way.
In addition to the physical wounds, the group prayed with some patients and did what they could to provide money for food and tablets to purify water.
They stayed in a school that had been converted to barracks for medical teams, and ate food they transported in their carry-on luggage.
They all marveled at the spirit, determination and downright toughness they saw in patients.
"In [the U.S.], people get a hangnail and think they need a doctor," said Michelle Goeden. "What these people have coped with is unbelievable."
They also were impressed by the spirit that had street vendors back at their booths soon after the shocks, and by the belief people had that they'd have to solve their own problems, not sit and wait for some government agency.
The toughest thing: seeing the grief and suffering of family members who believed, but did not know, that their loved ones had been killed in the massive quake.
"That's the saddest thing, their not knowing," said Michelle Goeden.
The group said that by the fourth and fifth days of their clinic, they were seeing folks with less extreme injuries and starting to see some of the patients with the worst injuries improving.
They all say they will go back again, but are glad to know that other medical and mission teams will cycle in before they can get back.
"And yes, we'll have a real honeymoon sometime," said Michael Goeden, who is part owner and operator of two Prime Care offices. "But we're both very glad we made this trip."
Rob Hedelt: 540/374-5415
Email: rhedelt@freelancestar.com
Grace Church of Fredericksburg is continuing to help with medical supplies and other aid for the mission in Haiti. Contributions can be sent to the church at 1141 Heatherstone Drive, Fredericksburg, Va. 22407. Write "Haiti" on the check's memo line.
