Broken--August 2016

 

Charles (Photo by John Carroll–August 23, 2016)

A close Haitian friend of mine told me today that he and his 10 million Haitian brothers and sisters recently got upset.

Just a few days ago, gasoline went from $38 Haitian dollars per gallon to $44 Haitian dollars per gallon. (This is roughly $3.60 US per gallon.)

Now this doesn’t mean that 10 million Haitians have to pay more at the pump because most of the 10 million Haitians don’t have cars to put gas into. But they have to pay considerably more for tap-tap rides which, besides walking, is the most popular form of public transportation.

And my friend complained that the Haitian government gave no reason why the price of gas went up. This really seemed to bother him.

Haiti is broken just in case you didn’t know. It’s people are getting trounced on. All the time.

See baby Charles above. Charles was carried into clinic today by her stuttering father. They live a long ways away. Multiple tap-taps today had to cost them dearly.

Charles is a little over one-year-old and weighs 7.9 pounds. Yes, just a little under 8 pounds. She is alert but literally skin and bones.

Father states that Charles’ mother died three months ago of a “breast infection”. She never breastfed Charles because of her infection. Father has no job and sits at home and takes care of his only child. He usually has no money for milk formula (or for transportation).  So he crushes bananas and spoon feeds this fruit to Charles.

Charles, of course, has severe marasmus. So we wrote a “letter of reference” to a pediatric hospital in Port and strongly encouraged father (along with supplying tap-tap money) to take Charles in the morning so Charles could be admitted to the hospital’s malnutrition room.

Doesn’t it seem bizarre to read that there are babies like Charles starving to death? Can this be? It makes me wretch. When I see babies like Charles, I work in some state of temporary denial or something. If Charles does not make it, we can thank the dire socioeconomic conditions in Haiti which determine the health and “brokeness” of the majority of the population.

Charles (Photo by John Carroll–August 23, 2016)

John A. Carroll, MD

www.haitianhearts.org

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Broken (Updated)--August 2016

Charles (Photo by John Carroll–August 23, 2016)

I posted about Charles here.

As you know Charles is one year old and weighs about 7.9 lbs. Her mother is dead and her father is his “primary care-giver”.

We sent Charles to a well-known NGO pediatric hospital yesterday for admission to the malnutrition room for her severe marasmus. However, Charles and her father showed up today and her father told us that they had no space for Charles. They are full of malnourished babies from all over everywhere and there is only so much they can do.

So we all just stared at Charles who was wearing a pathetic blue bonnet. And Charles stared back. We were at the moment of truth and we all knew it.

I knew I had to call Chris to save another baby for us. Chris and her wonderful husband Hal run an orphanage (or a “creche”– I can never remember which) here in Port. Maria and I adopted Luke from their orphanage. And they frequently take in babies who can no longer be fed by their parents…babies just like Charles.

Chris answered her phone immediately and I told her quickly about Charles. As usual she did not make me beg and said she would take Charles. We agreed on a safe drop off place for Charles and her father and my assistant deposited them in the generous hands of Chris this afternoon.

So Charles has a chance now. His father does not want her adopted and we all respect that. Her father will visit and watch him grow.

Even though Haiti is broken and one sees the unthinkable here, Haiti also brings out the best in people. Suffering exists but challenges goodness to prevail. Thank you, Chris and Hal.

 

John A. Carroll, MD

www.haitianhearts.org