United States Foundation
                 for the Children of Haiti
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             EARTHQUAKE NEWS
         How YOU can help:  Pray, Donate, Share this website

List of medical supplies and other items
requested or to be purchased with donations

 

February 10, 2010 -- 9:20 p.m.

Update from Gladys Thomas, Founder & Director,
The Foundation for the Children of Haiti

on the Port au Prince Earthquake

  

There are so many stories of tragedy in Port-au-Prince, but I am thankful that God has placed us here to make a difference. 

 

On Sunday, while we were at the Haiti Home for Children (“HHC) – our orphanage for older children – there was a new boy there whose mother and sisters had been killed in the earthquake.  His father had brought him to us, asking if we could care for his son for a while.  The boy will stay at the Village where his father can visit him more easily.  Please pray for this little boy and his father.

 

An update on the water situation at our facilities...

 

bullet The water filtration system on the roof of the hospital was damaged during the earthquake, which is what caused the flooding we mentioned on the first day.  This system has since been repaired.  The well at the hospital is working as is the well at Haiti Home for Children, which is a blessing.

 

bullet At the Village, the well is still OK, but the pump was broken and we have a new pump on the way.  The reverse osmosis system at the Village was also damaged and is in the process of being repaired.  We hope to have the Village water system working soon which will be a relief, and will allow us to avoid the cost of water deliveries. 

 

On a very positive note, our school will resume at the Haiti Home for Children on Monday.  School will take place outside because, as we previously reported, the HHC school buildings were damaged.  

 

The preschool at the Children's Village will also start Monday.

 

These are small but important steps in regaining a sense of normalcy for the children.  

 

And finally, an update on the little school we started in the rural area south of Port au Prince.  (Our Canadian friends will remember this, as your Christmas fundraiser is covering a good portion of the cost of this new initiative... thank you !)  The house we are using for this school is fine, and those children will resume classes on Monday, too.

 

Again, we can’t thank you enough for your prayers and support.  Together, and with God’s grace, Haiti will come through this terrible tragedy. 

Gladys

February 5, 2010 -- See World Vision Slideshow

February 4, 2010 --5:55 p.m.

Hope Hospital continues to be a key resource for people injured in the earthquake.   

Given the overwhelming demand for care, obtaining medical supplies is a significant challenge.  Hope Hospital is well known in Port au Prince and the staff is very experienced.  This has enabled them to access necessary supplies, however this task requires a great deal of effort and planning in the current chaotic environment.   

We earlier reported that the Haiti Home for Children (HHC) – our orphanage on the north end of Port au Prince – had been damaged in the aftershocks that rocked Haiti in the week after the first quake.  We have not yet had a full update on HHC due to continued challenges communicating with Haiti, and the fact that our staff is extremely hard pressed by the needs around them.  

However, recent reports suggest that most of the damage was to the school building at HHC, although this has not been confirmed.  We will keep you posted as we get news.  

In the midst of the relief efforts, Gladys Thomas (founder and director of the Foundation) and her staff are beginning to think about the mid- to longer term implications of operating in post-quake Port au Prince.  At this point they are identifying possible opportunities, after which they will prioritize the projects to determine which are most needed and most feasible given available resources. 

One major concern is the number of people who will need ongoing care as a result of injuries suffered during the quake.   

Hope Hospital is an acute care facility, with an emphasis on pediatrics and maternity, not a rehab facility.  In order to help people with longer term needs, the Foundation is assessing the possibility of establishing a rehab centre on land next to Hope Hospital.    

On the childcare side, given the very significant increase in the number of children needing homes, the Foundation is evaluating the prospect of expanding its orphanage capacity at the Children’s Village.   

Another initiative the Foundation has long planned is to have accommodations for volunteers at the Children’s Village.  The combination of an enhanced need for volunteers, along with the significant destruction of guest house capacity in Port au Prince, now makes this a pressing concern. 

The Foundation has grown over the past 30 years through a special mix of bold "steps of faith" combined with prudent planning.  Gladys and her staff have asked that we pray for them as they wrestle with these significant decisions regarding the future of the organization, so they will be able to discern what they are being called to do, and when to move forward.   

Once again we would like to thank you for the outpouring of concern and generosity over the past 3 weeks.  Your assistance has allowed the Foundation to be a source of care and comfort in Port au Prince.   

Because of your faithful support, the staff in Haiti can now be thinking about the future, and how the Foundation can build on its 30 year legacy of making a difference in Haiti.

February 3, 2010 -- See Hope Hospital (Hopital Espoir)
                                    on Doctors' TV

February 2, 2010 -- See Interview with Gladys Thomas

January 29, 2010 -- 6:45 p.m.

The following story appeared in Boston.com. 

"This is Like a War Hospital:"  Seeking Hope in Haiti

                      Laura Blank photo
Widline, 13, waited for treatment at Hospital of Peace in Port-au-Prince. Her father was killed in the first earthquake. 

By Laura Blank
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti -- Flies swarmed around the garbage outside the hospital. Injured patients lay on benches, beneath makeshift tents, and on the concrete outside La Paix Hospital, or Hospital of Peace. Their bandages were old, and for some, the wounds had bled through the gauze and remained unchanged.

Despite the seemingly hopeless outlook, it appeared things had improved from last Tuesday.

"The day after the [first] earthquake, I was here," said Jhonny Celicourt, a disaster communications officer with World Vision in Haiti. "This yard was full of corpses, and the sidewalk was covered in blood."

Today, as we neared the hospital, cries could be heard from inside the hospital as patients lay in the heat, in pain, and attended only infrequently by the few medical staff who were working at this hospital. Many staff had flown in as volunteers from countries around the world; others were Haitians returning to their workplace after the earthquake devastated their city, but still, their numbers were not enough.

Our team had come with a doctor and a large truck full of medical supplies such as gauze, bandages, syringes, and crutches to help resupply the overrun hospital.  Dr. Lesly Mishaud, a physician with World Vision in Port-au-Prince, said the hospital normally has enough beds for about 40 or 50 patients, but since the earthquake, workers have been attempting to care for 200 to 300 patients.

We could not have predicted a second quake would hit, and we do not know what will happen now.

One young girl, Widline, lay on a dirty mat on the floor inside the hospital courtyard Tuesday. Her blue flowered dress was pulled up above her knees so that her right leg could be bandaged, and her arm rested on her forehead, protecting her broken hand from reinjury.

As we approached, the petite 13-year-old looked away. She didn’t smile, and her mother stepped up to speak with us.

Estancia started to speak quietly, telling us her story. Last Tuesday, at 5 p.m., she was outside of her home when the earth started to shake. The three-story building that she lived in with her husband, Enorve, collapsed, killing him. In addition to Widline’s injuries, Estancia's other children were suffering head and foot injuries. One of them was in serious condition.

"I’ve lost everything," Estancia said. "All I want now is for my children to recover."

As she spoke, she pointed to her clothing. It appeared to be the same clothing she was wearing the day of the quake, a dirty green house robe and a yellow bandanna wrapped around her hair. She had nothing left to go home to, so she and Widline had been staying at the hospital every night. 

As the medical supplies were brought into the hospital, we continued walking through the courtyard. Medics from Spain were treating the open wounds of one man with antiseptic while nearby a child lay on the floor crying. A medical team surrounded him in an attempt to ease his pain.

"This is like a war hospital,” said Dr. Reginald Lubin, a volunteer with World Vision.  "It’s not clean, there are bugs flying around, and the biggest challenge still seems to be how to handle trauma care for the most serious injuries."

With the supplies delivered, we made our way to Hopital Espoir, the Hope Hospital, to deliver our second load of supplies. Gladys Thomas, the hospital administrator, welcomed our team with open arms and joyful eyes.

"We are suffering, our patients are suffering," she said. "But we must do what we can to relieve the suffering."

Several neighbors entered the hospital yard and lined up, ready to form an assembly line to help bring the supplies in quickly. Within 20 minutes, the supplies had been delivered, and the staff circled around to say a words of thanks.

A man stepped forward, and in deep, rich baritone, began to sing the first few strains of an old Christian hymn, "How Great Thou Art."  Hospital staff and volunteers joined in, and soon our team was singing along with them. The moment of silence and reverence brought tears to my eyes after a long day.

It was nearly 5 p.m., exactly one week after the earthquake, when the staff began to say a prayer of thanks for the supplies they'd received today. One week later after the first quake, despite the overwhelming devastation of their city, they marked the somber moment with singing and prayers of thanksgiving, refusing to remain in mourning but instead looking for a ray of hope amid the rubble.

January 29, 2010 -- 10:15 a.m.

Hope Hospital continues to be fully involved in providing medical care to the people of Port au Prince.  Treatment is being provided at the hospital and in the community. 

 

The following report was provided by Dr. Susan Partovi, one of the volunteer doctors working with Hope Hospital.  It gives a small glimpse into the kind of work the Foundation is doing in Port au Prince:

 

 

Hope Hospital is completely filled with ortho cases [broken bones].  It is so crowded that some patients are sleeping outside in the driveway using sheets as tents. 

 

I soon discovered that Gladys (my latest role model and director of the organization) sends a “mobile clinic” team to areas that aren’t getting medical help. 

 

The team consists of a doctor, a translator, a driver/emergency medical technician, and 2 nurses.  We stock up with meds and supplies and head off from the hospital.

 

Basically every park or open area has been transformed into a small tent community, or else people are sleeping in front of their houses thus making a “street community”. 

 

My first day we went to a small tent community at Circle Bellevue.  We set up our “clinic” using the truck bed as my table and pharmacy.  The translator went into the community to tell the people we were there to do medical work. 

 

I was expecting mostly wounds and respiratory infections, but we’ve seen almost everything: broken limbs, high blood pressure, stomach pains, infected wounds, body aches, headaches, insomnia, allergic reactions (from the dust), people feeling weak and dizzy, suffering from heart palpitations….

 

Some we help on the spot, some are taken back to Hope Hospital for treatment.

 

We worked until about 4:00 pm the first day and I thought we were almost done, until the nurse showed me the list of people yet to be treated, and it turned out we still had 2 pages to go.  

 

While we were treating a woman with an abscess on her leg, a little girl came by with a toy car made of a water bottle, with bottle caps for tires.  It made me smile. 

 

Later that day we saw a mom with 2 kids (4 and 2 years old), and were told her baby had died in the earthquake.  I just didn’t know what to say except “sorry”. 

 

So far, I haven’t seen or heard any bitterness or violence.  What I’ve seen is people trying to get back to life… selling food and sundries on the street, children playing games, street cleaners working, and people coming together looking for some sense of normalcy.    

January 28, 2010 -- 9:00 a.m.

We continue to get brief updates from Haiti, however communications are limited because Gladys Thomas (founder and director of the Foundation) and her staff are exhausted by the extreme pressures of the past 2 ½ weeks.

 

In a recent e-mail, Gladys mentioned an additional concern in Port au Prince: security. 

 

As food, water, medical supplies and other necessities are accessed by the Foundation, the potential exists that our facilities will be targeted by looters, who (often violently) steal such valuable items and sell them at exorbitant prices. 

 

Along with protecting the supplies needed to help those injured or rendered homeless by the quake, authorities in Port au Prince are doing what they can to ensure that staff and patients at the Hope Hospital, and children and house moms at our orphanages are safe.

 

Gladys reports that the local police have stationed officers at the hospital around the clock.  As well, in addition to being actively involved in relief and supply efforts, members of the military from various nations are keeping a watch on organizations like ours as they assist with security efforts throughout the city.

 

While we appreciate the efforts of the police and military in Port au Prince, we also ask for your continued prayers for the safety of the Foundation’s children, patients and staff, as well as that of all Haitians suffering after the quake.

 

We haven’t had an update on the Haiti Home for Children (HHC) since we heard last weekend that this building was damaged during the aftershocks.  (HHC is located at the north end of the city near the airport, several miles from the Village and the hospital.)  We believe that the children and house moms remain safe, and would appreciate your prayers for them.  We will provide an update on the HHC situation as soon as we hear something.

 

We are deeply grateful for the outpouring of prayer and generosity for Haiti.  We regularly pass on to the staff in Haiti the depth of your concern.  They appreciate and are encouraged by your prayers and efforts to help.

January 26, 2010 -- 1:50 p.m.

Hope Hospital continues to be heavily involved in providing emergency care for people injured in the earthquake. 

 

The hospital has 50 in-patient beds and an outpatient clinic.  However, given the number of people needing care and the lack of medical facilities in Port au Prince, at any given time there can be up to 1,000 people at the hospital seeking medical attention.

 

To cope with this overwhelming need, the Foundation is arranging relief medical personnel from other countries, with these teams also bringing in new medical supplies. 

 

A team of doctors and nurses from a major trauma center in Los Angeles is scheduled to travel to Hope Hospital later this week.  Before the earthquake, these doctors used to be involved with a medical facility in Port-au-Prince run by the Daughters of Charity.  However, tragically, the Daughters’ facility was destroyed in the quake and one of the nuns lost her life.  With the loss of that medical center, this medical team will work out of Hope Hospital.

 

January 22, 2010 -- 6:30 p.m.

Communication with Gladys in Haiti is difficult at best.  Testing is slow, the satellite phone isn't working, cell lines are overloaded with calls, and the connections for phone lines and computers are lost in seconds.  Nonetheless, we are getting bits and pieces of news to share. 

Gladys reported that 50 air mattresses and x-ray film are arriving tomorrow, and Sunday a new crew of doctors and medical supplies are expected. 

A medical team from Tulsa is leaving tomorrow and will be available to Gladys if she needs them also. They are traveling in with the Salvation Army.

In a brief phone conversation last night, Gladys said, "I've never seen so much sadness."  She said children in the streets are crying for their parents, and mothers are crying for lost children.  Gladys's voice was ragged; she was choked up and weeping as she talked about what she was seeing.

January 20, 2010 -- 7:15 a.m.:  E-mail from Gladys Thomas, President, FEH

We are all OK after this strong aftershock.
 
We worked all day yesterday as soon as we arrived from the DR after traveling all day and all night. 10 pm we got home and a major aftershock woke us all up running at 6 am. We had decided to sleep in the house though houses are crumbled all around mine. 
 
Late last night I was at the Village where the children were camping out with their housemoms and 17 volunteers from the US.
 
The disaster is beyond words. 
 
AT exactly 4:45 pm yesterday afternoon we had a moment of thanks, praise, and prayer in the hospital courtyard where people from the street joined in.  We ill try to post pictures on Facebook ( feh haiti gladys thomas) later.
 
At this time we are 7 in my house getting ready to go back for another day of work.
 
Thank you for the prayers and support. Keep it on, and God bless.
 
Gladys

 

January 19, 2010 -- 11 p.m.

Great news from Port au Prince !
 
We just received word from Haiti that Gladys and her team of 17 workers have arrived safely in Port au Prince.
 
Gladys's son, Mark, a med student and part of the team, sent word that the team arrived safely and spent most of the day working at Hope Hospital.
 
He said that everyone is OK, just very tired. 
 
Thanks to all our friends who were praying for the team over the past few days. 
 
As we mentioned in our last report, the road through the Dominican Republic to Haiti is very dangerous with numerous instances of looters hitting aid convoys, so having the team safely in Port au Prince is a great relief. 

We'll send more news once Gladys gets back to us.
 

January 19, 2019 -- 9:30 a.m.

Gladys Thomas, President, Foundation for the Children of Haiti, and Dr. Mario St. Laurent, a pediatrician and member of the USFCH Board of Directors, are with the Foundation’s medical team from the US in the Dominican Republic (DR). They brought with them from the USA a large shipment of medical supplies to be used by Hope Hospital.  We expect the team to leave DR today for Port au Prince

 

Please pray for safe travel for the team.  Apparently the road through the DR to Haiti is very dangerous with instances of looters holding up aid convoys. Some aid convoys bring with them security personnel.  We don’t know Gladys’ plans in this regard, but it is possible that our prayers may be the team’s “security force."  

 

Also, please pray that the border between DR and Haiti remains open, because it is an important route for aid to flow to Port au Prince.

 

As noted in previous updates, the Foundation’s links with other aid agencies will be critical during the relief effort. 

 

Organizations with access to supplies often lack distribution capabilities.  Given that our Foundation’s facilities in Port au Prince were miraculously spared serious damage, we have the capacity to offer direct relief aid through Hope Hospital and our 3 orphanages. 

 

This cooperation between aid groups is becoming a reality which is helping Haitians in need:

 

“Save the Children” delivered a load of food to our Children’s Village yesterday, along with a large supply of bottled water. The water supply system at the Village was damaged during the quake, so we are extremely grateful to Save the Children for this provision. 

 

Cure International sourced most of the medical supplies being brought in by our team from DR, and we thank them for their partnership.    

 

Another very positive development yesterday is that the hospital staff was able to procure 300 gallons of diesel fuel to operate electrical generators, allowing the hospital to resume full services. 

 

Please pray for our Haitian staff.  Many have suffered losses of friends, family and property, yet they continue to serve the needs of others.

January 15, 2010 -- 6 p.m.:  E-mail from Gladys Thomas, Pres., FEH

All the children at Haiti Home for Children (HHC) including Adeline, the Supervisor, are safe and doing OK. The little ones are still very scared and traumatized with each aftershock. Everyone sleeps outside so far in fear of the shocks. Still no news of a few more employees. Will update you as we know more.
 
Lots of supplies have come in that I will be taking with me and up to 12 other people and my kids going along via the DR on Monday. Mario St. Laurent, a pediatrician and Board member, and his son are also going.
 
CROSS International sent $10,000.00 to the Dominican Republic via CURE Int'l for us to use for medical supplies. We will have someone taking care of the purchasing and establishing a liaison between the DR and PAP. Praise God for that gift and the possibility of getting the needed supplies.
 
Many have already died at the hospital. Natalie, administrator of the hospital, and the rest of the staff are doing the best they can, but they are emotionally breaking down. Keep them in your prayers.
Most of us have not slept since the news.  Pray, Pray.
 
Damaged areas in the hospital are being repaired so that we can consolidate. Some major poles need repairs near the operating room areas.  Pray for fuel as well as we need that for the generators. Natalie was trying to get some from Maurice our board member, but only one gas station was open. I will try to get some from the DR as well as gas for the anesthesia machine.
 
Thank you so much for all the comfort and love. Will keep you posted as I have more info.
 
Blessings,
 
Gladys

January 15, 2010 --noon:   E-mail from Rebecca Hackworth, Pres., USFCH

I just got back from India Thursday night. I was traveling with Gladys Thomas who is the director of our mission in Haiti. We have a hospital there that is packed with patients. The wall at the back is weak, and the engineer is coming to try to secure it for us. The children in all 3 of our orphanages are safe for now, and they have enough food for a few days. There is no gas available, but we have until now had enough fuel to keep our generator at the hospital running. We know panic is beginning to set in, and we know safety and supplies will be a major issue soon for our children. Please keep Haiti in your prayers. Gladys is going in with supplies and a medical team through the Dominican Republic on Monday if not before. Mario Saint Laurent is a doctor on our USFCH board and will be going with her along with several others.  I have gotten a thousand email about Haiti at least and I will answer them as soon as I can. Gladys got about 3 hours sleep in the last 52 hours.  We were on separate flights out of India, and her flight was delayed 12 hours at the airport, please ask God for supernatural strength for her and her staff!  We’ll be keeping updates on our website at www.usfch.org as we are able!

January 15, 2010 -- 11 a.m.

    Gladys Thomas, President, Foundation for the Children of Haiti, is in the United States and has put together a team of ten people to fly to Haiti via the Dominican Republic on Monday.  Among those going with her is Dr. Mario St. Laurent, a pediatrician and member of the board of directors of USFCH.   Gladys is most grateful for the donations that have come in so generously in response to the earthquake crisis.  Because of your support Gladys and her team plan to take 500 pounds of much needed supplies with them.   

    Gladys has been in phone contact with her daughter, Natalie, who is at Hope Hospital, and was told that Haiti Home, the orphanage for the older children, is fine.  Hope Hospital is running but out of supplies as of today.  Because they are out of gasoline for the generators, they are not able to make full use of the equipment such as the x-ray machine and the water purification system.  Mattresses from the hospital have been taken outside for people who are fearful of being in a building.   

    World Vision and Cross International have been in touch with The Foundation for the Children of Haiti (FEH) and will be assisting us.  Those organizations have long-standing association with FEH/USFCH and great respect for the proven ability of FEH to use resources wisely and share them with others as needed.   

    If one word might be chosen to describe the loss of life and devastation, it might be the one used by Gladys:  heart wrenching.  Please pray for strength of spirit, mind, and body for all who are touched by this crisis. 

January 13, 2010
      Gladys Thomas was not in Haiti at the time of the earthquake, but she is on her way there today.  We are relieved to know that she is safe and so is her family in Haiti.  Each of the projects is staffed with responsible, mature supervision.  Gladys's sister is at Haiti Home, a very capable doctor runs Hope Hospital, and the mommas at the Home for Disabled Children are the most dedicated people you could know.

    The following e-mail arrived this morning (1/13/2009) from Rebecca Hackworth, President, United States Foundation for the Children of Haiti (USFCH):

Gladys was able to connect with Haiti through her Facebook account and  to communicate with her daughter, Natalie.  The hospital had some flooding but is up and running and is packed with people!  The Village is okay; they have food and the children are scared but okay.  One of the walls on one of the buildings collapsed but otherwise all is well.  Natalie’s husband is going to try to get her out to the orphanage on his motorcycle to check on the children there.  The workers bought groceries this weekend; and if we can get enough gas for the generators, things will at least move forward for now.  The medical director at the hospital is a gem, and Gladys is confident they are organized to help as many people as possible.  I know she appreciates all of your prayers – so much need awaits her it is hard to fathom.

    While we do not know at this time the impact of the earthquake on the projects, personnel, and children, it is safe to say that there will be extraordinary expenses.  Your donations will be greatly appreciated! 

    We do know that Gladys Thomas and Foundation for the Children of Haiti will be inundated with requests for help from individuals and other organizations.  As in prior emergencies, not only will the needs of our children and personnel be met; but we will be distributing our resources in all ways that we can. 

I    f you would like your donation to specifically support earthquake relief, please write "Earthquake Fund" on your check or on your PayPal donation. 

    We will post further news as it comes to us from Haiti. 

    Checks may be sent to:

        USFCH
        P.O. Box 521171
         Tulsa, OK  74152-1171

    PayPal is available on this website.