Sweet Angelina--Sept 2019

 

Angelina-- July 2019 (Photo by John Carroll)

Haiti is a dead place. At least that is what a Haitian friend of mine told me this morning.

You may remember Angelina. I posted about her in July.

Angelina is the 21-year-old girl with neurofibromatosis who has a large fibroma on her back.

We found a physician to accept her in the States.

We found a medical center to accept her.

We found a host family to accept her.

We obtained the local physician’s medical letter detailing Angelina’s medical condition.

We filled out the $165 dollar online visa application for the American Consulate in Port-au-Prince.

We obtained the physician’s letter of acceptance.

We obtained the medical center’s letter of acceptance.

We obtained the host family’s letter of acceptance.

We obtained the letter of the organization flying Angelina to and from the United States.

And all of these letters were sent as part of the application process stating that Angelina would not be a public charge in the United States.

And Angelina had an appointment for her visa interview at the American Consulate in Port-au-Prince today.

Angelina and two men got on motorcycles this morning and headed to the Consulate early this morning.

But they found Port-au-Prince’s streets blocked to most cars this morning.  With rocks and barricades. And they saw a car without license plates shooting out the window at random people.

They risked their lives for Angelina this morning but when they got to the Consulate, they found that it was closed for visa interviews.

So sweet Angelina with her horrid neglected fibroma got back on the motorcycle and headed home through the very dangerous streets of Port.

Haiti is “dezod” (disorderly) and “pa gen lavi” (has no life) according to one of the men on the motorcycles this morning who were transporting Angelina.

Who can disagree?

 

John A. Carroll, MD

www.haitianhearts.org