CLINIC 4: “The Saddleback of Limbe”

Thursday, January 11, 2018

For the first time, the GLSC Haiti Medical Mission served a church in Limbe that has 3,000 members and hosts three services on Sunday.   Again, the people were waiting patiently while our talented bus driver, Roner Jean (aka RoRo) threaded a narrow alley way and a right angle backwards with the bus, to situate us between the church and the Sunday school rooms that were transformed into provider service areas.   With the news of an optometrist, many of the people were waiting to see the eye doctor.  The church is in the center of Limbe, and the marketplace was immediately outside the church doors.  All day long, fires burned and the air was somewhat polluted with smoke, which with the constant dirt, must aggravate everyone’s eyes.

Set up was simple because the bus and truck were able to be parked right next to the Sunday school rooms.  Triage was located in the church, and patients were able to wait in the shade of the sanctuary before sitting in the alleyway of the Sunday School rooms, were the heat was not relieved by any breeze.  

Dr. Jimmy Beasoleil saw many, many patients on Thursday.  With the adjustable glasses, readers and his own supply of glasses, many patients received improved eye sight throughout the week, but most significantly in Limbe.

Dr. Bright provided many different kinds of care, including obstetrics, gynecological and even steroid treatments for keloids scars. Keloids are raised, discolored scars that are the result of an overactive wound healing response, and are more prevalent in darker skin color ethnicities.

While the patients in Limbe were mostly healthy, there were heartbreaking moments.  Nancy Korb triaged a young woman whose parents had died and was alone, facing a swollen throat and an inability to swallow food, making her underweight.  Through the translator, the young woman confessed to Nancy that she was so sad and frustrated and that she sometimes wanted to end her misery by killing herself.  Nancy held her hand and looked compassionately into her eyes and told her to see our doctors.  The patient needs thyroid surgery, which has been arranged at Good Sam Hospital, although the date is uncertain because the specialized surgeon required may need to wait for a team coming in March.  Please join us in praying for her and that the surgery would bring relief, the ability to eat and a longer life.

Sherri Orr also told us of an end of life case that arrived at the end of the day with Pastor Henry, a prior partner at Cedan, where we did not serve this year.  The woman had anal cancer that was no longer treatable.  However, Sherri noted that Dr. Dan Ng and his translator McKendy Cadet provided compassionate care and support while delivering this difficult diagnosis.  Janet Musto, a first time GLSC member volunteer assisted Dr. Ng while we were in Limbe, refreshing her operating room skills from past employment.  Janet served in the provider room at the first three clinic seeing adult patients with a range of ailments from “pain all over the body” to fungal infections and more.