Team Park Ridge Safely Home...

Thank you so much for your prayers and support. The full Park Ridge team made it home this weekend. It was no small challenge getting 16 people out of Haiti. With no commercial flights - we had to come out on 3 different planes - one of them being a Cessna 205. We've got photos too....

I will be updating the blog all week with photos - and the "rest of the story" now that we have solid internet access.

The trip was such a blessing to our team and to the 100's of people who had surgery at the hands of the team.

We did well over 100 surgeries in our time in Haiti - and only 2 amputations (one was a finger). The Park Ridge team was very focused on limb salvage and often worked well into the night to ensure world-class care was being given to the people of Haiti.

The mats were an incredible success - I'm eager to get those pictures up as well.

A huge THANK YOU to the many supporters who made this trip possible!

Please check back in daily - downloading photos/video as I type -

J

Day 4 - The Heart of Haiti

Today was another significant surgery day for the team. Word is getting out that the Hospital has operating rooms with expert surgeons. Our teams have been very busy late into the night doing far more than orthopedic cases.

Instead of team photos and video today – I’ll share an excursion several of us went on as we wanted to go deep into the areas around the hospital to be sure everyone had what they needed to survive. We were moved to connect with families living amid the rumble - moving on as if little was different from how their lives were pre-earthquake.

The Haitian people are as resilient as any I’ve ever come across. We've truly seen the heart of Haiti...

(Click on photos to open them larger)

Day 4 - When the dust settles...

Most of the team was up all night - surgery cases till 2:30 am. Dr. Coston took a 1 day old infant (hand-bagging all the way) by small boat to the USS Comfort - he got back just before 3 am - he's now starting the first case in OR 1. The team is fighting for every life they can.

Hospital is becoming more of a walk-in clinic - the halls are getting more and more packed - we have tent city on the Adventist University just up the street - 13,000 people there - more and more of them are making their way down here for urgent care type needs.

Very full surgery schedule today...

Our hospital administrator (Andrew) is at the airport trying to get a military flight home to be with his family in Loma Linda for a much deserved break - he's gone 24/7 since just after the earthquake.

I'm leaving for the airport to pick up 300 cots and surgical supplies - we are working to coordinate the Florida Hospital crew which arrives Friday.

Rita and Suzanne are doing well - we've got video to post from them -

As the dust settles - I'll get back into photo/video mode - off to the airport now...