Photos-Jimani

First Week
Just arrived at the airport in Santiago. The guagua (taxi van) that we would spend many hours in is behind us.
Trainloads of Sugar Cane
On our way to Jimani with a team of 8 to help earthquake victims. This is a random town with a store that had a toilet.
Darren sorting out donated supplies to take to the surgery area of the hospital.
This was the main hospital in Jimani. It was full, but the chaos had gone down quite a bit by the time we got there. The Dominicans running the hospital didn't have much work for us to do, so we left them some supplies we brought and moved on.
In searching for a place to help, we came across a small orphanage that we spent some time at. Left to Right: Darren, Robin, Lauren, Laura (in white shirt), Erika & Chris (great profile).
Chris and Andy acted as jungle gyms.
Erika bonds with a kid.
Darren gave "motorcycle rides". This wasn't the orphanage that we had heard of that really needed help so after playing with the kids we moved on.
This was our hotel the first night in a town just outside of Jimani. The room was basic, but I slept great. The fan worked wonderfully.
Lauren brushes her teeth the next morning in the community "bathroom".
A small batey on the way to Jimani
The countryside as we were driving in to Jimani.
The ER/Triage unit. Nurse Laura is in the middle taking care of a patient.
Checking a patient's chart for their medication and what needed to be done.
We finally arrived where we were needed the most. It is a clinic with a brand new orphanage (yet to open) run by The Jimani Project organization. This is the orphanage building used as the general hospital staffed with volunteers from all over the world.
The chapel, transformed into a post surgical ICU for really sick patients.
Darren and a Spanish volunteer (yellow vest) helps Dr. John (in bandana) dress wounds in the Minor Procedures Room.
Lauren and some of the Doctors discuss a patient in the ER.
This "hospital" had the best view of any other hospital I've seen.
Across that lake is Haiti.
Chris, Darren, Robin and Erika at the end of the day.
Robin translates medication instruction into Creole for Dr. Lauren.
This is the main clinic on the grounds that was used for operating rooms. It is about 300 yards away from the orphanage building where the patients stayed.
Patients in the ER/triage area.
Families stayed together.
The helipad was used several times. Behind the helicopter in the background is the big, brown tent that Whites (from Santiago) donated.
Looking the other way from the helipad you can see how far the other building was from the main building.
This little guy was all smiles.
Robin gave the two brothers a couple of stuffed bears. They loved Robin.
I believe his name is Calvin. His right leg was amputated above the knee and he was a tough little guy.
Mixing antibiotics for a sick patient.
One of the sadder things to see was the fear these earthquake survivors felt when a aftershock shook the hospital. They all evacuated the hospital, dragging beds and cots. It was chaos and a glimpse into what they experienced in the first earthquake.
The good news is that the building was built to meet California earthquake codes and wasn't going to come down, but the Haitians don't trust any building anymore. So most of them spent the night in the field.
The frustrating part was that the hospital was just starting to become organized when they all ran out. The bright side was that all the rooms were able to be thoroughly cleaned for the first time in over a week. We later learned the aftershock registered a 4.0 and was located closer to the Dominican border than the first quake.
The supply room, getting organized after the boys put the bunk beds together.
Fermin buying mangos from the side of the road.
You can carry anything on a moto. And you can't go far without seeing a broken down car.

2 Responses to Photos-Jimani

  1. Judy Young says:
    January 27, 2010 at 6:57 pm

    I’m Darren’s Mom. Thanks for the pictures. It gives me an idea of where he was and what he was doing.
    God bless you all.
    Judy Young

  2. Patrice Wassmann says:
    February 2, 2010 at 6:56 pm

    I will be on a medical team (Vermont Haiti Relief) arriving in Jimani around 2/19 to work at Good Sam Hospital, was delighted to find your blog! Perhaps we will meet! I am a neonatal and labor and delivery RN. God Bless you!

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