Haiti for a Year

Our New Public Health Team In Training

2010-11-29T14:36:00.004-05:00

Our new public health team in training! 24 Community Leaders. Ages 21-42. 12 Villages. 12 Schools. These last four months regarding the public health program were busiest for the community health nurses who were further editing the manual and putting together power-point presentations and skits for the public health lessons and also for Patrick, the programs director and Sarah, the new

Brown Medicine Magazine - A magazine for alumni & friends of The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University

2010-10-19T14:20:00.000-04:00

Brown Medicine Magazine - Haiti to Hollywood

The New England Association for Healthcare Philanthropy

2010-10-08T08:30:00.002-04:00

I've been invited to give the opening keynote address at the annual NEAHP Conference in Newport, VT on March 13th. I haven't quite decided what I'd like the talk to hit on yet but I'm beginning to brainstorm some ideas. It's so great to see that an organization like this exists! Below is a little more about the NEAHP and the website where you can learn more! The New England Association for

Talk at Roger Williams University

2010-10-07T16:46:00.003-04:00

Polina and I after the presentationLast night was my presentation at Roger Williams. It was my first time ever visiting and put simply, I couldn't have been more impressed with the coordination and maturity of the students who both organized the event and those who attended. A few days after I accepted one of the Do Something Awards on VH1, I was emailed by a young lady from RWU who was

Dinner with Dr. Paul Farmer and Wyclef Jean

2010-10-05T15:26:00.003-04:00

Me with Dr. Paul Farmer and Wyclef Jean Me with Edwidge Danticat, Haitian authorLast night was incredible. I received an invitation last week from the office of the president of Brown University inviting me to dinner with Dr. Paul Farmer and Edwidge Danticat. I nearly jumped out of my seat. Though I’ve been sick for the last several days, I pulled myself out of bed and

Upcoming talks

2010-09-24T14:31:00.002-04:00

When I first began learning about Haiti back in high school, I was given the book Mountains Beyond Mountains by 6 people. After reading the book, my first thought was " I want to meet this man!" When I was on my way out of my high school library, the librarian saw the book under my arm and asked me how I liked it. When I told her that I loved it and would love to meet either the author or Dr.

2010-09-07T19:07:00.003-04:00

jetBlue has generously sponsored my next 5 flights to get me to Haiti. Since they do not fly directly to Haiti, they will fly me to Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic. I am still fundraising for the short round trip flight from Santo Domingo to Port au Prince (~$250). Please consider donating. Every little bit counts! I am currently working with American Airlines to have them become my

2010-09-05T09:53:00.003-04:00

Hope for Haiti, Brown University student team up to bring medical know-how to Haiti-Naplesnews.comBrown University medical student Will Perez, center, teaches a first-aid lesson as part of a public health program during the summer of 2008 in Haiti. The students of the program and Perez visited a local clinic to practice their CPR and Heimlich Maneuvers skills. Perez has since teamed up with the

Fast Company Magazine Article-October 2010 Issue

2010-09-03T08:22:00.002-04:00

Med Student Pioneers Political Medicine in Rural HaitiIt’s the morning before Will Perez leaves for Haiti. The Providence, Rhode Island, medical student has been busy. For one thing, there’s school. But that’s just the beginning: Perez has also helped set up a Haiti-U.S. study abroad program; organized earthquake-relief efforts for Brown University; and is setting up a range of public-health

Hope For Haiti Partnership

2010-09-02T08:04:00.005-04:00

My blog is back! Though my official website is now up at www.willinhaiti.org, I will continue to use this blog as a way of updating you on any work that I'm doing in Haiti. I've recently partnered with a large non-profit in Les Cayes, Haiti to bring my public health training programs to another 50,000 rural Haitians from 40 villages and 10,000 students from 40 schools.By collaborating with Hope

Brown Medical School Concentration Program

2010-03-08T08:22:00.001-05:00

A. Project Title Public Health Education and Training Program for Haitian Youth in Rural Haiti B. Cross-Disciplinary Content My concentration involves an amalgamation of academic disciplines including public health, preventative medicine, epidemiology, education, anthropology, sociology, infectious disease, international relations, public policy and private sector

Salsa for Haiti

2010-02-11T18:56:00.000-05:00

Brown's Response to Haiti

2010-01-31T09:15:00.004-05:00

3 weeks after forming the Haiti Relief Response Committee at Brown, we have raised tens of thousands of dollars, collected thousands of pounds of in-kind donations, sponsored several fundraising events from bake sales to dance competitions, held vigils to remember those lost, created a website and sent half a dozen doctors and nurses down to help in Haiti. Our plans include both short term and

The Do Something Award

2010-01-18T21:06:00.003-05:00

The Do Something Awards...celebrating and empowering the most outstanding young world-changers...Athletes have the Olympics. Singers have the Grammy’s. World-changers have the Do Something Award.Since 1996, Do Something has honored the nation’s finest young world-changers. Do Something Award Winners represent the pivotal "do-ers" in their field, cause, or issue and are rewarded with a huge

1 Week Later

2010-01-18T20:31:00.002-05:00

It's hard to believe that it's already been 7 days since the earthquake hit. Miraculously, people were still being pulled out alive as of this morning. The death toll is somewhere between 100,000-150,000 in Port-au-Prince alone. 24 Americans dead and 25 more are presumed dead. I must confess that I haven't watched a single thing about the earthquake or it's aftermath on the news. I tell myself

A Letter From Brown's President

2010-01-16T12:54:00.003-05:00

Dear Members of the Brown Community,The distressing situation in Haiti following the massive earthquake has left us all searching for ways of getting involved to bring aid and comfort to the people of Haiti. The urgent need for virtually every category of assistance calls upon us to respond quickly and decisively. Our community has responded generously and thoughtfully to humanitarian emergencies

A Doctor In Haiti

2010-01-16T12:52:00.001-05:00

This is from Dr. Merline Milien, whom I've had the pleasure of working with on several occasions in Haiti.On a flat mattress and a small blanquet francise and i are lying on the drive way of the Haitian academy where we spent the nights since the earthquake, just like everybody at port au prince, cabaret and all over the big south of HAiti. People used to be in the streets, walking, working,

A Fighting Chance

2010-01-14T22:32:00.003-05:00

Many of you are well aware of my public health work and have been following my blogs since the first day I stepped foot in Haiti. My public health training program has grown, our work has spanned from Tuberculosis treatment to water sanitation to bed bugs and malaria. Our clinic is expected to see more patients than we can possible handle as people continue to flee the city and make their way to

To Do: Fix Haiti

2010-01-14T22:31:00.000-05:00

http://brownmedicinemagazine.org/pdfs/Brown_Medicine_Spring_2006.pdfPages 16-18

Click Here to view the Brown Medicine Magazine article on my year in Haiti

2010-01-14T22:27:00.003-05:00

Brown Medicine Magazine - A magazine for alumni & friends of The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University

Unsettled

2010-01-14T21:57:00.006-05:00

The truth is, I haven't slept more than an hour at a time these last few days. My mind is running wild. I can't keep my eyes dry and my heart aches in a way I haven't felt since my first day on the ground in Haiti. I don't know what to do. I'm lost and trying to make sense of the situation. The people I care so much about and to whom I have dedicated my life to helping, are dying before me. This

Life On The Stateside

2009-07-23T17:42:00.000-04:00

It’s been 2 months since I’ve been back to the states. I’ve settled into my new apartment on the east side of Providence just up the road from the Starbucks I used to study and work at during my undergrad. I’m living in a beautiful 3-bedroom apartment with two fellow med students who I went to Brown undergrad with. I don’t have a car, so I walk everywhere—to the grocery

Leaving Haiti

2009-04-30T08:33:00.003-04:00

I left Les Cayes two days ago and when I landed in Port-au-Prince later that morning, I boarded a bus to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, where I am now. This weekend I´ll be in Santiago and Puerto Plata, DR and next week I´ll be traveling to Bavaro. After 2 weeks in the DR, I´ll be catching the bus back to Haiti and from there will fly out to Puerto Rico for 11 days to visit family that I

Finding A Cure For Malaria

2009-04-24T08:43:00.000-04:00

PH Graduation--2nd Generation

2009-04-23T08:54:00.001-04:00

Last Wednesday, we celebrated the graduation of the second generation of public health agents. There were 11 students to enter the course and there are 11 certified agents leaving it. The new group will be taking on additional public health responsibilities including weekly water testing and treatment, combating the rat and mouse problem in the village homes, reducing the standing water pools on

Public Health Presentations

2009-04-22T08:01:00.000-04:00

As a final project and a last requirement before graduation, I have all of the public health students form groups of 3, choose a topic that we covered in the 3 ½ month course and put together a 15-20 minute presentation. Each presentation had to consist of at least one large poster, a two-page written essay or fact sheet and a short skit. Each person in the group had to talk for at least 5

You Can Feel The Tension In The Air

2009-04-18T12:48:00.008-04:00

Elections are right around the corner and threats of manifestations and riots are hitting the streets. All white people are advised to stay indoors and those who are not a part of the riots are recommended to stay off the streets and keep the distance.Politics in Haiti is a scary topic. With over 50 political parties, corruption seems to be the only thing tying them all together. When news spread

Turning 23 in Haiti

2009-04-18T10:23:00.004-04:00

I woke up yesterday, first a little bummed to not have my family or closest friends here with me, but when I stepped out my door to a beautiful, bright and shiny day, it was hard to stay feeling sad. The reality is, I could have done any number of things for my bday. I could have taken a trip out to the beach in Port Salut, or the breathtaking waterfall in Camparrin, a day in Port-au-Prince or

It's My Birthday!

2009-04-17T06:55:00.001-04:00

I've got 1000 water balloons and can't wait to use them! We're going to have a massive water balloon party!

My Little Buddy

2009-04-13T16:25:00.002-04:00

This is Roberson, the 5 year-old boy who we believe to have cerebral palsy. He lives in the next village over. I first met Roberson and his mother, 5 months ago when a concerned neighbor asked that I help find him a new place to live. His mother was newly pregnant and was forced to abandon him every day to work the fields in order to put food in their mouths each night. Roberson, paralyzed from

What If There Is No Doctor?

2009-04-10T16:58:00.003-04:00

Last night, I was awakened from little pebbles being thrown at my bedroom window. My windows, with their metal shutters give a small pebble the sound of a large rock. I jolted out of bed, recognizing the call as an emergency. My entire public health team knows that throwing pebbles at my window if it is late at night is code for an emergency. I threw on a shirt, flip-flops, grabbed my flashlight

S.O.S. For Haiti

2009-04-09T12:45:00.002-04:00

On August 15, 2009, Susan Midgett will be participating in the "Escape from Alcatraz Sharkfest" open-water swim in San Francisco Bay, CA, to raise $100,000 for an adequate medical and dental clinic at Vilaj Espwa (Hope Village) in Les Cayes, Haiti where I work. With architects already working on putting together blueprints from my design, and with the help of Susan raising funds, the new medical

Toy Trucks

2009-04-09T07:08:00.003-04:00

These children make the best of everything they have around them. Using scrap metal from old oil drums or coffe cans and the caps of water bottles as wheels, I've seen cars, buses, trucks and even motorcycles designed by some of the boys.Other popular toys that I see all the time are kites made from plastic grocery bags with string from rice bags, little home-made, sun-dried clay animals and

An Afternoon Away

2009-04-07T16:37:00.003-04:00

It was one of the longest mornings I've had in a while and instead of going for another cup of coffee as I would usually do, I thought that today was as good a day as any to learn how to ride a horse. Fr. Marc has two of them on property; one is a wild one and the other is a very calm and peaceful one. I chose the wild one and had a blast! Before today, I had never even touched a horse let alone

Tarantula!

2009-04-06T09:05:00.002-04:00

This was a nice midnight surprise in the kitchen.

Walking the Streets of Les Cayes

2009-04-04T17:15:00.002-04:00

Les Cayes is one of the largest cities in Haiti. Located in the southern department (southwestern region) of Haiti, it has been my home for the last year. Though I don't live directly in the city, I am only a 10-minute drive away. I live a mile off the beaten path in a village known as Castel Perre where the houses are made of straw and mud and the roofs covered with palms. I drive to town at

Demonstrating Scabies Treatment

2009-04-03T07:34:00.003-04:00

One of the boys volunteers to get scabies treatment while Gedna and I show the PH team how to apply it. (I should be wearing gloves)With 15 of us working, we treated over 200 children for scabies in just one night! Though there were only 15 children found to have live scabies, over 200 were either living with or in close contact with those 15, so we treated them all.

Toothbrush Distribution

2009-04-02T08:03:00.003-04:00

Every three months, the public health team gathers together to distribute toothbrushes, toothpaste and dental floss. With 15 public health workers, it takes us a little over an hour to distribute the supplies to the 540 children in the area. This distribution program, is quite possibly the most difficult and serious of all the distributions when it comes to organizing my workers. Toothbrushes and

Distributing TB Meds

2009-04-01T09:01:00.003-04:00

Fritz and I, showing the new public health students how to perform directly observed therapy (DOT) for our Tuberculosis treatment program.Every Monday and Thursday, the PH team travels with cups, water and their Tuberculosis (INH) meds to track down the over 100 children in the area who have tested positive for TB. The directly observed therapy (DOT) program that we use requires the public health

A Burden of Disease

2009-03-31T08:18:00.004-04:00

Waterborne pathogens are microorganisms (bacteria, parasites etc.) living in water capable of causing human disease such as Schistosomiasis, Hookworm and chronic diarrhea. These diseases are the most prevalent infections of poor people, affecting over one billion people living in developing countries. These people, who lack access to affordable clean water and sanitation systems, are

Seeing Patients at Klinik Espwa

2009-03-30T22:29:00.002-04:00

Teaching the PH Team CPR and AR

2009-03-30T11:15:00.003-04:00

2009-03-29T18:19:00.015-04:00

Having the PH boys practice some of their first aid skills...bandaging invisible wounds...treating imaginary burns... I can't explain my facial expression so please don't ask! First and most important...clean the wound Delince applying a bandage Gedna, treating Jean Roody, one of the public health students

Some PH Photos

2009-03-29T16:33:00.013-04:00

Teaching the public health boys how to use a microscope...Weekly public health meeting...This was the first meeting where all the public health members including the students met together. As part of their graduation requirement, I've decided to have the students join forces with the public health vets in tackling some of the PH programs. We split the 11 students up into four teams, putting the

A Few Things

2009-03-27T09:53:00.004-04:00

This is a photo of me with Choupi, one of the painters at Espwa. He's the one who painted the 4' x 4' family portrait for me back in September. In this picture, we're holding up some of his abstract pieces. Choupi is 18 years-old and is employed by Espwa as one of the child monitors who organizes trash pick-up and leads are youngest children (under 7yrs-old) to school in the morning. He is

Seeing patients

2009-03-27T01:04:00.003-04:00

A Boy Murdered

2009-03-22T20:52:00.003-04:00

I can't get the image out of my head. His face before and after. I have a photo of him sitting in his cell, curled up in the corner with a sling around his left arm and bleeding, the result of what other inmates had done to him after he had been placed there for robbing a boy at gunpoint for a telephone and 100 gourdes (US$2.50). The gun was fake and no one was hurt. Haitians don't take kindly to

Working 'Round The Clock

2009-03-22T19:50:00.003-04:00

We've had great electricity for the last two days and almost nonstop internet access. It has been such a treat that I find it difficult to sleep knowing that I could be online researching, writing and answering the load of emails that await me. Thanks to the insanely strong Haitian coffee, staying awake hasn't been an issue. There is so much happening that if it wasn't for writing it down on this

The Rainy Season Has Begun

2009-03-19T13:12:00.002-04:00

For the last 5 nights, we've had rainstorms. It's like clockwork, when the sun goes down, out comes the rain. The dirt roads turn to giant mud puddles as the rock roads form rivers and sometimes lakes, making it impossible to pass. For this reason, a rainy day in Haiti is much like a snow day up north. School is off, people can't make it to work, crops are flooded and most are afraid to leave

A Big Update!

2009-03-16T10:30:00.001-04:00

A lot happened in the last five weeks. I will be splitting it up into several sections to make it more manageable.New Espwa Medical Center DesignAfter being approved by the Espwa Medical Director, reviewed by the Espwa’s founder, director and several visiting doctors, including the founding director of non-profit Medical Missions of South Haiti, the medical center that I designed for Espwa and

Ringworm and Flouride

2009-02-09T09:14:00.002-05:00

Last week, the public health team completed their second mass treatment of scabies. The first time we did it nearly 3 months ago, 450 children in the village needed treatment. This time around, we were down to just 44 cases of scabies! If a child had scabies and shared a bed with anyone else, they were all treated. If there were more than a handful of children with scabies in a single house,

Delegation and Training

2009-02-02T02:00:00.004-05:00

In case I've yet to show a picture of the clinic, here it is. My new design for the public health center will be roughly four times larger, 15 rooms, 2 full baths and a courtyard waiting area. This is the southern children's village, the first 20 homes that we remodeled. Now, my team is working on the northern 15 houses. Ronique, one of our best sketch artisits and Gedna, one of the public

Just another day

2009-01-30T21:17:00.004-05:00

Today was a good day. I woke up early to get some more writing in for my autobiography. After two years, I’ve written over 500 pages and though it will need some serious editing, I’m happy to be nearing the end of it. If anyone out there is an editor and would like to help me out, that would be great! I hope to finish the first draft by May and find an advisor and editor. This book will be for me

Marathon Pics and The Do Something Award

2009-01-30T10:11:00.003-05:00

Suturing in the dark

2009-01-28T20:05:00.000-05:00

Tonight was my first time ever suturing someone by myself. It was a rush. I’ve sutured dozens of times since being down here but only under the supervision of another doctor or with the assistance of a nurse. I’ve done scalps, feet, ears, arms and bellies. I’ve done running stitches, interrupted stitches, vertical and horizontal mattress sutures. All of those times, it was always the doctor who

Volunteers, presents and a baby

2009-01-28T08:33:00.002-05:00

Here's the last visiting group to come down. They just left yesterday afternoon after being here for a little over a week. From Top to Bottom, Left to Right: Me; Claudette, X-ray tech; Cassandra, physical therapist; Neville, student volunteer; Moe, nurse manager; Dawn, clinician outpatient counselor; William, student volunteer; Shirley, nurse manager; Dr. Cynthia, nephrologist; Dr. Todd, family

2009-01-27T19:31:00.002-05:00

It was a busy day. I woke up early to get in my morning run. I decided to just run to Robenson's mother's house. I wanted to give her the news that La Charite is willing to help care for Robenson. When I arrived, she ignored the sweat all over my face and greeted me with a kiss. She had been preparing some rice over a fire and asked me if I was hungry. On any other day, I would have copped a

2009-01-26T18:50:00.003-05:00

Robenson Joy having some oatmealAll cleaned up on my bedI found him naked, covered in bugs, sitting in the dirt in a dark corner. When we walked into the house, no one was in sight. The mother was off to work and the neighbors were busy doing laundry. There was no one in the two room hut and I would have turned around and walked out had I not heard what sounded to be light knocking. I looked

2009-01-24T04:02:00.002-05:00

Jean Remie, one of the artisans, made me my very first shingle that's now hanging on my door. Recently, several of us, representing NGOs, clinics and public dispensaries in the Les Cayes area began meeting monthly to coordinate efforts. Several of our visitors from the health team that will be here for 10 daysTaking blood for a rapid malaria test Checking out the malaria test results I went to

Public Health Team Generation 2

2009-01-17T23:24:00.003-05:00

Woosman Joseph--16 years-old Woodlin Placide--16 years-old Patrick Charlit--15 years-old Jonas Deslise--20 years-old Jeff Constant--16 years-old Jean Roody Felix--17 years-old Estenal John--17 years-old Erickson Alexis--14 years-old Enock Senat--16 years-old Daniel Justin--16 years-old

Sick again--New Public Health Center--Public Health Team recruits

2009-01-17T06:25:00.003-05:00

After being sick for nearly a week with Shigella, a bacterial infection that can be contracted by drinking contaminated water or passed through feces (someone not washing their hands and then preparing food), I’m happy to say that I’m back at work and going full force ahead. Bloody diarrhea, incessant vomiting, no appetite, continual migraines, high fever, muscle aches and joint and eye pain are

Public Health Team Sports New Gear

2009-01-10T07:52:00.002-05:00

Sante Piblik, "Public Health" in Creole. Equipped with new shirts, hats, backpacks, lab coats and watches, the public health team is official. These uniforms wouldn't have been possible without the help of generous donors in Rhode Island who had the gear made special for our team.

Long Long Overdue

2009-01-10T07:41:00.000-05:00

The marathon went well. It was quite possibly the most physically and mentally challenging thing I’ve ever done, but I’m glad that I did it. When I arrived in the Grand Caymans the first night, Fritzner was not there. He never arrived on the 4pm flight, 3 hours earlier. Enlisting the help of the race coordinators and strangers I met on my flight, I spent the next two days and nearly $100 in

Guest Post

2008-12-05T09:23:00.002-05:00

The following is a guest post from a freelance writer who is looking to add to her writing portfolio. She prepared an article entitled "Third World Public Health Issues" for my site and included her by-line (with a link to her site) underneath it. She tried to come up with something that seemed like it would fit my audience as well as was something she knew enough about to write fairly

Public Health Team Gives First Lesson for 300!

2008-12-02T06:41:00.004-05:00

Webert, distributing toothbrushes. Webert and Fritzner work in the girl’s home, taking names and doing general health exams.In the children’s village, the team took down the names and ages of all the children living in each house, while at the same time, doing a general health exam of each child, noting who had scabies, ringworm etc.The public health team giving their first public lesson to a

2008-12-01T09:05:00.001-05:00

Today is World AIDS Day. Today is dedicated to raising awareness of the AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of HIV infection. AIDS has killed more than 25 million people with an estimated 33.2 million people living with HIV making it one of the most destructive epidemics in recorded history. Despite recent, improved access to antiretroviral treatment and care in many regions of the world, the AIDS

It's not too late!

2008-11-30T07:42:00.000-05:00

TO PLEDGE, simply email me at willinhaiti@gmail.com with your pledge amount per mile or a flat rate pledge.TO MAKE A DONATION (CHECKS), please make checks payable to:Theo’s Work, INC.2303West Market StreetGreensboro, NC 27403Memo: Will’s Medical MissionTO MAKE A DONATION (CREDIT CARDS)You can also donate using a credit card by visiting Pwoje Espwa’s website at freethekids.orgYou can follow up

Public Health Team Graduates

2008-11-29T06:37:00.010-05:00

When I started the Public Health Education Program back in July, I began by teaching five bright and highly motivated boys, ages 16-20, who were residents of Castel Pierre Village, information about a variety of issues pertaining to public health including hygiene, sanitation, nutrition and water quality along with testing, treatment and prevention strategies aimed at reducing the incidence of

TB Treatment Programs

2008-11-23T15:26:00.003-05:00

This post is for the man working in Gonaives, Haiti who contacted me regarding where he can send patients with active TB. The organizations I have found to be the most helpful and the most equipped in handling active TB patients in your area are PIH in Cange, GHESKIO in PAP, Missionaries of Charity in PAP and Hospital Albert Schweitzer in Deschapelles. If you're interested in any of these places,

Surgery

2008-11-23T13:36:00.004-05:00

In the pharmacy, reading up on what to do with a Filariasis patient. Going over the list of available meds on the first day of clinic. Learning how to work the ultrasound machine. Fritz and I in the lab. I'm running a hematocrit while he checks for sickle cell in a blood sample.Assisting Dr. Saydjari on a minor hernia.

2008-11-23T13:30:00.000-05:00

For the last two weeks, we were visited by a group of four doctors (2 family practitioners, an ER doc and a general surgeon), a nurse practitioner, nearly a dozen nurses and technicians and a handful of civilian volunteers. With their help, we saw 800+ patients, held 3 mobile clinics in areas even more rural and seemingly unreachable than where I’m stationed and performed two dozen surgeries.

Update on Lixier

2008-11-23T12:30:00.005-05:00

Our baby boy with hydrocephalus has been back in Haiti for nearly a month now and doing well, until last week, when his mom paid us a visit. She was worried that Lixier's shunt was infected again. The shunt was infected once already while he was still in the states but they were able to replace it before he returned to Haiti. An infected shunt in Haiti is a death sentence. The only pediatric

I promise I'll respond

2008-11-07T03:11:00.002-05:00

Since the start of my blog, five months ago, I have raised tens of thousands of dollars, made unbelievable contacts and networked with other non-profit and non-governmental organizations from around the world. On average, I receive 100-150 emails from you all regarding each of my posts. As I have very limited access to internet and not much spare time in a single day, it will some times take me

$12,000 Raised So Far!!!

2008-10-31T01:02:00.003-04:00

Thanks to the help of many, I've received $12,000 in pledges thus far for the marathon that I'm running in an effort to fund much of the work I've been involved in these last 5 months! If you can pledge any amount at all, please do so! We're a long way from the $60,000 goal!If you pledged:$1/mile x 26.2 miles ($26.20), it would take 1,832 pledges to reach my goal.$2/mile x 26.2 miles ($52.40), it

Back from the Dominican Republic

2008-10-30T20:20:00.002-04:00

On Friday, I caught a flight to Port-au-Prince and then took a bus to Santo Domingo where I stayed for five days. After five months, I'd be lying to myself if I said that living here is a piece of cake. Everyday is a struggle. I'm currently leading 12 programs that are covering everything from disease treatment and prevention to hygiene and sanitation to public health education. I'm well aware of

TB Treatment Begins

2008-10-20T19:01:00.002-04:00

I've just finished doing the TB skin tests for all of our new children and those that somehow slipped through the cracks in previous years. Starting Monday, my public health team will begin distributing INH prophylactic drugs to the 145 children and adults that tested positive on their PPD tests. (The PPD is a special skin test for tuberculosis. There are many different names for the PPD,

Food and Nutrition Program

2008-10-05T21:45:00.000-04:00

One of the projects that I’m fundraising for by running this marathon includes the addition of more nutritious foods to the children’s diets. I’ve recently begun collaborating with an organization called Global Nutrition Alliance. The organization strives to bring focus to the nutritional value of food rather than its number of calories. I am working on putting together a most accurate picture of

Family Portrait

2008-10-05T21:34:00.001-04:00

Choupy, one of our most talented artists at the orphanage painted this family portrait for me from a photo I gave him from graduation. Though it looks nothing like us, the 4' x 4' painting is beautiful in person.

Things are moving forward

2008-10-04T08:06:00.000-04:00

The Tuberculosis testing and treatment program is off the ground. Within the next week or two, I hope to have all of the children who test positive receiving INH treatment. Dr. Cynthia, a nephrologist from Maine and the Medical Director of the clinic along with Dr. Jerry, a pediatrician from Alaska helped me to plan out and execute the first part of the TB program during their 8-day visit from

Running Update

2008-09-28T06:50:00.000-04:00

My new running partner is Fritzner Phanor. He's 22 years-old and has been living at the orphanage since he was 13. He was one of the first boys I befriended when I moved down to Haiti and we've been inseparable ever since. Throughout these last four months, I've worked with Fritz every morning Mon-Fri, doing public health training and teaching him about various testing, treatment and preventative

New Email Address

2008-09-28T00:18:00.002-04:00

Hi Everyone!My Brown email address has been canceled because I am deferring a year. Please use my new email willinhaiti@gmail.comThanks!

Searching for a dentist

2008-09-27T06:32:00.000-04:00

Fr. Marc (founder of Pwoje Espwa orphanage) came to me with a problem. Several of the children in the village are suffering from horrible toothaches and we have no way of easing their pain besides giving them some ibuprofen. He asked me to go into town to find someone who can help. The next morning, I hopped on the dirt bike with my right-hand man, Fritzner (the boy who’ll be running the marathon

A Shooting Star

2008-09-27T06:29:00.000-04:00

It’s 3am. I woke up from the sound of my fan going on and off which means that our batteries are wearing out and soon there will be no electricity at all. When this happens, it’s best to turn everything off and save what little battery we have left for when we really need it. I’ll post this message as soon as the internet is back upOnce awake, there’s no way I’m getting back to sleep. I turned

What is it?

2008-09-13T17:22:00.001-04:00

I’m awake again. It’s about 1:30am. There is no electricity, so I’m just running on the remainder of my computer battery. By the time I post this message, it will be a day late.I can’t remember a time in my life when I have fought so hard to sleep. I always considered myself one of the lucky ones—someone who could fall asleep under any circumstances, be it loud noise, extreme heat and even on an

It was a long day

2008-09-11T00:19:00.003-04:00

I can't sleep. I woke up with the fan on me this morning which is always a great start to the day because it means we have electricity. At 5am, I was at my computer typing up the day's lesson plan for my public health group. The lesson topic this morning was "Prevention vs. Treatment." Every weekday morning, from 8-11am, I teach 5 of the older boys at the orphanage about various diseases, testing

Water,water everywhere, but not a drop to drink

2008-09-02T14:50:00.006-04:00

For the last 12 hours, we've had non-stop torrential rains that have flooded the children's homes and parts of the village. At the same time, our water tanks have run dry and our wells polluted. The river has risen nearly 10 feet and homes are several feet under water. The people I talk to can't remember a time when it rained this hard for this long. Though rainy season can sometimes consist of

Running for Haiti (runningforhaiti.blogspot.com)

2008-08-31T22:52:00.002-04:00

Hey Everyone!Check out my new blog at runningforhaiti.blogspot.com!As you know, I've been training for the last 2 months for the Cayman Islands Marathon on Dec. 7th. I will be running this marathon both as a dedication to the children I work with and as a fundraiser for the work that I'm doing in Haiti. Pwoje Espwa, the organization I am working with is saving lives daily. You can help contribute

Time for a little update

2008-08-21T16:14:00.000-04:00

There has been so much happening these last three weeks that I hardly have the energy to write about it all so I will do my best. First thing’s first. I’m back in the states and when I’m not meeting with deans, doctors or prospective volunteers about Haiti, I’m spending as much time as possible with my family. It was just recently my best friend’s, niece’s, mom’s and brother’s birthday. So, I’ve

Still no internet

2008-08-02T13:08:00.002-04:00

I just rode into town on the motorcycle to put up a quick post letting everyone know that we still don't have any internet and that I'm doing fine. I'll be leaving Les Cayes on Monday to begin a day-long journey to Deschapelles to visit the Albert Schweitzer Hospital. Providing all goes well, I should be back in Cayes by Wednesday afternoon.A quick update on Lixier, the baby boy with

Going home

2008-07-27T13:55:00.001-04:00

While we have had electricity, the internet has been out for the last week after our satellite mysteriously fell out of the sky. I’m in town at a hotel using their wireless now just long enough to let everyone know that I haven’t fallen off the face of the planet. I’ll send out an update as soon as we get our internet connection back. I’ll be flying into Boston on Aug. 14th for the birthday of

Bringing ballroom to Haiti!

2008-07-22T08:03:00.002-04:00

I decided to get a bunch of the kids together to teach some Salsa and Merengue lessons. Seeing as how we were a little short on girls, most of the guys were forced to practice with each other. They didn’t mind much though. For about two hours, the place came alive with Latin music that could be heard from down the road. It didn’t take long, however, until the music changed to hip hop and the kids

2008-07-21T08:22:00.002-04:00

Yesterday, a bunch of us ignored the T-storm warnings and embarked on an hour trip out to see my first waterfall. As you can see from the picture, it was beautiful. There's a 25 ft and a 50 ft jump off point on the rockwall into a deep pool of cold water. It was a great day with great weather. When I wasn't swimming, I spent most of my time just sitting on a rock trying to take note of everything

2008-07-19T21:54:00.002-04:00

Weber, spraying one of the children's houses with insecticide. He helps out around the clinic and wants to be a doctor. He'll be joining the public health team I'm putting together.

Bed bugs and Malari

2008-07-19T19:48:00.002-04:00

We’re about 75% done with the bed bug project in the southern village of the orphanage (20 houses). I have a group of five dedicated boys who wake up early each morning to help me with the spraying and caulking of the houses. Most of them are in the English class that I teach, so we use the time working together to practice their English and my Creole. The work we’re doing is not easy but we keep

Thank you!!!

2008-07-18T12:24:00.000-04:00

Thank you to the Ridgewood YMCA for bringing 650 toothbrushes and tubes of toothpaste, 100 bottles of shampoo, 10 brand new soccer balls and thousands of pens and pencils for the schools!Thank you to everyone who has donated to help me with the work that I’m doing! With your help, I’ve raised enough to buy a vaccine refrigerator for the clinic, ringworm and scabies medicine, and enough

Updated Wishlist

2008-07-12T10:05:00.004-04:00

*AAdvantage Miles-as many as possible*Public Health Van- $15,000*Public Health Dirt Bike/Moto- $3,500*Daily vitamins for all of the 640 children- $50/week x 52 weeks= $2,600/year*Treated window screens for the children’s houses- $100/house x 35 houses= $3,500*Toothbrushes $1/each x 640 children= $640*Water quality tests for bacteria $5/each*Medicine of all kinds (email me for an updated list of

2008-07-12T09:53:00.002-04:00

Lixier after surgery. The battle is not over for Lixier but his surgery would not have been made possible without the help of many, including Pwoje Espwa and St. Joseph's Hospital. Thank you!

2008-07-12T08:16:00.003-04:00

Mark, Dora and Bruce helping out at the clinic. Dora is a gastroenterologist and Bruce is a cardiologist. Mark's going to be studying premed at Loyola in the fall.

Good News x 3

2008-07-12T08:15:00.000-04:00

1-Lixier’s surgery was a success. He and his mother will be spending the next 30 days in the states so that Lixier can get the proper follow-up treatment he needs. I saw Lixier’s father the other day in town. He couldn’t stop thanking me for everything we’re doing for his baby boy. I can only imagine how difficult it must be for him to remain in Haiti while his wife and child are away. He misses

Baby Update!

2008-07-04T14:52:00.004-04:00

The baby boy (Lixier) with hydroencephalitis was just approved for his Visa last night! He and his mother will be leaving for the states on Saturday and Lixier is scheduled for surgery on Monday at St. Joseph’s Hospital. It was a long and stressful process but it looks like things will work out after all. However, surgery is only half the battle. His follow-up care will be crucial in helping him