Thursday, Jan. 12: Day 3

 Triage under the tent in the village of FondPaul

Today the medical team took it on the road and visited the nearby village of FondPaul.This is a more remote village at the base of a mountain where we have held clinics in the past. Again, we saw a lot of the same types of illnesses we typically see (dehydration, parasites from unclean water, malaria, malnutrition, etc.). There were a few more unusual cases today - a little girl with a bead stuck in her ear, sitting right on her timpanic membrane which likely have required surgery to remove back home. Fortunately,  it came loose by irrigating the ear, a true miracle and answer to prayer according to one of our nurses. There was also a 17 year old girl with H.I.V. who had a heart rate of 200 when she was examined. She was immediately hooked up to I.V. fluids, and within an hour, her heart rate was down to half that.  She stayed most of the day receiving her fluids, and was down to 88 by the time she left. It was discovered that she had very little food, so she was given received a number of snacks (granola & protein bars), and we sent her home with more oral rehydration solution and food. At the end of the day, Charles and Arden (my dad), walked her back to her home, where she will soon die. Even though in the end, we could do nothing to change her terminal prognosis, rehydrating her and feeding her helped her to feel better, even for just a little while. Sometimes, that's all you can ask for.  

 Erin Yoder, R.N. investigating a family's health issues with the help of a translator

 Ed Green, R.N., pulling dead skin off a little girl whose wrist was burned when a pot of hot, boiling water fell on her.

 Stacey Torrens, R.N., giving medicine to a baby, disguised in peanut butter.

Marcel Pichot brought his guitar along to play and teach the kids some guitar basics. Bichard, John Delet, John and Woodline enjoyed his company today.

 Solar Supervisors Allan Rainey (Sonlight Power) and Larry Wooster, with helpers John Rico and Merlens. These young boys so desperately want to be involved and included, and appreciate the opportunity to learn something. Today, the inverters (the hardware and brains of the solar panels) were installed (shown to the right). All of the exterior wiring has now been finished, and tomorrow we will light up the system to run the orphanage on solar power.