by Debbie Paul

One year ago, when my friend and I started the Hand Therapy Clinic at the Northwest Haiti Christian Mission on the northern coast of Haiti, Haitians were still reeling from the effects of the earthquake just a few weeks earlier. The Mission had graciously accepted our offer to come and start a hand therapy clinic and we had done so in two consecutive trips, my friend in March for a week and then me in April. It was and is our goal, to get the clinic started and then spread the word and recruit other therapists from all across our country, to keep the services going in the clinic. We did this by writing our stories and sharing them with our national associations, speaking engagements locally and internationally and by having our stories published in our alumni magazines and newspapers. I am, we are, so pleased to say that we have had 7 trips into Haiti in total since the earthquake in January of 2010, providing hand therapy services in the little hand clinic at the Northwest Haiti Christian Mission.

It had been 10 months since I had been to the hand clinic when I went back on Feb. 26th, and in those 10 months, 3 other therapists had since been to the clinic, treating patients and leaving their own mark on the clinic. To be sure on one wall, all of our names are written on duct tape and stuck on the wall near the Hand Therapy sign, a testimony of our having been there. This time for me going, as a "returning short term missionary" was very different from my first trip. I was more relaxed. I knew more or less what to expect. I knew about the airplane ride, the open back track ride over dirt roads to the clinic. I knew the staff at the Mission and I knew where my clinic was this year. I had great anticipation of seeing improvements to the country and I did see what I was hoping for. Up in the north part of the island, which is considered by many to be the poorest part of Haiti, life had a feeling of normalcy. People coming and going to markets, children in uniforms going to school in the morning, roosters crowing before sunrise, and always the pleasant smells of outdoor fires as Haitian cook their meals.

I was able to follow up with patients because of my friend's meticulous notes with attached photos and phone numbers of the patients, by having my interpreter call the patients and have them come into the clinic while I was there. It is very exciting to think that with a little planning and minimal record keeping, we therapists can communicate with each other and even be able to tell the patients when to come back to see a visiting hand surgeon. I have to also confess to thoroughly enjoying seeing upwards of 30 patients a day because of minimal record keeping. But don't let those numbers frighten you. Each day flew by. The Haitians are a very grateful people. And, they have a sense of humor. And there will always be some surprises. There are some different problems in Haiti because it is a different culture. For example, nerve compression down both arms from carrying everything on top of their heads.

Do you want to have a very exciting experience? Do you want to do something totally different? Do you want to experience a new and different culture from what you are used to? If you can give one week to run the hand therapy clinic from Monday through Friday, I am sure you will come away feeling you did something very worthwhile and in the process got something for yourself. If you have questions, want to talk on the phone (603-964-9459) or want to email me with questions (OTDebbie@aol.com) I would love to tell you more. You can also check out the website for the mission and learn more about it by going to www.nwhcm.org. I am thrilled to say we have another therapist heading into the mission mid April. Think about it!

I am here and I would love to talk to you………..Blessings, Debbie Paul OTR/L, CHT