Posted: Tuesday, July 27, 2010 10:06 pm

MMDR sees continued struggles in Haiti

It’s been over six months since the Haiti earthquake and much of the devastated area remains the same according to David S. Vanderpool with Mobile Medical Disaster Recovery of Brentwood.  For many of the volunteers whose hearts and minds remain focused on Haiti, the worry is that rainy season and hurricane season are upon the island.

With the rainy season comes dysentery which just compounds the threat of Tetanus, both of which have strong potential to be fatal. 

Additionally, according to Vanderpool, “Parts of Port au Prince are experiencing cholera, which is a gold rush era disease that we don’t think about any more and it is rampant.”

Immediately following the earthquake, many arm and leg amputations were performed to save lives.  Infections were easily suffered with the lack of antibiotics and the unsanitary conditions.  Victims of amputation are also shunned by society and retreat to their homes and beds.  MMDR has purchased a machine to create prothetic limbs for these victims.

“These amputees are shunned by society.  For example, school children cannot go to school,” said Vanderpool.  “Some are even getting bed sores and dying from that.  We are hoping with prosthetics they will be up and moving around and get that much better.”

MMDR is collaborating with Baptist Hospital to provide patient education.  Mothers need help on how to properly care for their children.  MMDR provides hygience kits that also include hygiene booklets in the Creole language.  Volunteers from the Early Bird Sunday school class at Woodmont Hills support MMDR with their time by making these kits.

These are just some of the challenges that MMDR is attempting to address on a daily basis.  Some of their goals include bringing more Tetanus shots to Haiti and providing consistent medical aid to earthquake victims. 

Medical attention is needed for conditions that are as a result of the stress and challenges of the earthquake victims.  Gastroesophogeal Reflux Disease (GERD), insomnia, high blood pressure, and nightmares are just some of these side effect diseases.

Starvation is a continuing problem.  The United Nations is continuing to feed the tent city families, however, they are only providing food every two weeks.  MMDR works with a local organization to feed one of the many tent cities weekly with locally purchased food.  Each time MMDR delivers the meals, they are working through a local organization so that the food is delivered to Haitian citizens by their fellow Haitian citizens.

“We hand it out through a local church group.   We want to enable Haiti to help itself,” shares Vanderpool. “About 750 people are fed once a week.  We take enough food to try and last a week.  We bring spaghetti sauce, cooking oil, rice, beans, herring and more.”

MMDR is also working diligently to provide mobile clinics where they have identified hot spots in and around the city.  They have worked to set up locations where they can return each week to provide ongoing medical care. 

“There is a tent city outside the presidential palace,” according to Vanderpool.  “Youth With A Mission (YWAM) is working out of a police department and we go in as their medical team.”

Carre Four-fey is the closest inhabited are to the epicenter of the earthquake and was already the poorest area in Port au Prince.  This is another area where MMDR travels weekly.

Vanderpool said, “The pastor said ‘our church will be given to you for the next two years for medical attention’.  We see 250 people every week.”

Another touching story involves the town of Thomazeau and a Haitian American from Boston named Bobby.  Before the earthquake, Bobby moved back to Haiti to give back to his home country.  It is extraordinary what Bobby has accomplished in opening an orphanage which now houses 43 children.

“We tend to the children first and then the the town – about 200 villagers,” said Vanderpool.  “People are notably, visibly better.”

One other ministry that MMDR has begun is teaching English to the locals. 

“English is one of the best business skills you can havin in Haiti, so we teach English classes at local churches,” explained Vanderpool.  “We put the classes together on Tuesday nights.  The ESL initiative helps us see people in Haiti have hope just by them coming to class.”

MMDR is a non-profit organization that is working all over the world to make a difference. MMDR has a constant need for items in their hygiene kits including toothpaste, toothbrush, shampoo, soap, and washcloths. If you would like more information, would like to help or would like to make a financial donation to MMDR, check out their website at www. mmdr.org.   You can send any donations to MMDR at 5409 Maryland Way, Suite 214, Brentwood,TN 37027.