Mwen p'ap janm bliye nou - I will never forget you

I went to the beach for my last day here in Haiti. As I walked in the sand along the water’s edge, I turned around to see my footsteps of where I'd been.

Today's been full of moments like that; reflecting on what I've been a part of these last three and a half months. What a pleasure it has been to work with all the talented and caring practitioners that have rotated through since I've been here as well as working with all those in the U.S. who keep this going smoothly. The staff here is fantastic as well and their skills are perfected daily. The scope of those skills has grown in my short time here as well. I will miss them.

On Friday night we had a goodbye party and we all got to go to a little restaurant in Verrettes, a nearby town. The little restaurant is named #1 and it consists of one room with three tables that were pushed together, a hodgepodge of options for chairs, and dim lighting augmented by some candles we brought. The current rotation, all our Haitian staff, our house staff, and some friends from the hospital all joined in the festivities. There was Kompa music, some dancing, a choice of chicken or goat for dinner, and some touching speeches from people. Many of our Haitian staff reflected on the tragedy of Jan. 12th followed by heartfelt expressions of gratitude at what the Hanger Clinic has meant in their lives as well as their countrymen. How humbling it is to have a part in all of this! I am so thankful for my time here.

Looking back at the footsteps I see the waves gradually lap up on shore washing them away bit by bit. I know with time, my memories of Haiti will not be as prominent in my mind as they are now. But, I will not forget this season of life. I do hope that my impact in the clinic would be absorbed as the Haitian staff moves closer and closer to running the clinic independently. And, what's left in its place is the beauty of a top-notch prosthetics facility in the heart of Haiti. To all who have made this possible by your selfless efforts, contributions, and hard work:

Thank you.

Mwen p'ap janm bliye nou - I will never forget you

Posted by Hanger Ivan R. Sabel Foundation at 1:49 AM

It’s in the little moments that life is lived

For the first time since I’ve been here, I am dreading Monday.

Tomorrow brings the start to my final week here in Haiti at the Hanger Clinic. These three months have enriched my life and I wouldn’t give them up, but the ending of something great in life is always hard. But, it’s the sadness you feel that lets you know that what you are leaving meant something. What’s uplifting about this though is that what we’ve done here will continue on. Jay Tew saw the creation of the clinic and initial training of technicians, etc., I was able to see the honing of the skills and carry on what Jay started, and Vern, the new lead prosthetist, will take over from here. I know he will do a fantastic job and the patients will definitely be well cared for.

Earlier today I said goodbye to my last group at the airport. The current rotation of volunteers we have now will be staying one week longer than me. The group that left today was made up of some wonderful guys from the German prosthetics company Medi, who has donated prosthetic components and shoes to the clinic. We had fun these last two weeks and I let my hair down just a bit too. For example, at the end of one of the days last week we had a typical Haitian downpour. It had been one of those hot, sticky, humid days. When the storm hit, all the patients were gone and work was done so we reverted to our childhood selves and went out and played in the rain. I can’t remember the last time I had so much fun. Here’s a picture of us soaking wet and having a ball:


People told me before I came that this experience would change my life and it has, but I’ve discovered that life changes everyday. I am not the same as I was yesterday and neither is anyone else. It’s in the little moments that life is lived. It’s that second when a patient you are walking with finally lets go of your hand and takes her first steps unassisted. It’s the goodbye wave as a patient drives away on the back of a motorcycle towards the rest of his life. It’s a smile from a grateful patient, a giggle from a child, experiences shared with colleagues, and the formations of friendships. This has been another season of life, one that I am grateful for and will look back on fondly. I still have one more week here and it begins with a dreaded Monday.

Posted by Hanger Ivan R. Sabel Foundation at 10:32 PM

Passing the torch

Three months ago almost to the day, I was sitting on the same flight that I am now waiting for Vern Hostetler, the soon-to-be new lead prosthetist, to arrive on. I was enthusiastic, excited, and not sure what to expect. In many ways that seems like yesterday, but in other ways it feels like a distant memory. So much has happened since then. I have been blessed to be a part of the provision of hundreds of prostheses here in Haiti for mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, children, and friends. Our work here has touched far more people than just those we see in our clinic.

Two weeks from now I will do what I've seen so many of the wonderful practitioners I've gotten to work with do. I will get out of the Hopital Albert Schweitzer (HAS) vehicle, walk to the green airport awning, and fly back to a world so different than the one I've been living in for the past three months. I will no longer say hi to Van Goat in the morning, walk past the chickens and the roosters who have a broken sense of what time it is, past ducks bathing in puddles from the previous night’s storm, or walk past goats and horses. I'll also no longer be able to say "good morning" and "how's it going" in Creole to our amazing staff at the clinic. I also don't foresee having over 40 people at my office each day in the states either!

I've had the pleasure of working with practitioners from all over the U.S., Switzerland and Germany; all coming together to make a difference here.

I have gotten to see so much here too. I’ve seen patients getting to the clinic on the backs of horses or on motorcycles with crutches and prostheses in tow. I’ve seen first steps of children and first steps in years for some adults. I’ve seen smiles on faces and what restored hope looks like in person.

I have been given such a gift in being part of this clinic. Now, it's time to share that gift and pass the torch on to another. These next two weeks will be bittersweet.

Posted by Hanger Ivan R. Sabel Foundation at 3:58 PM

A new kind of "slug bug"

"Blanc! Blanc!"

That is what I frequently hear being called out by children here as we pass, especially in more rural areas. It's basically yelling “white person” which I've discovered encompasses those of Asian descent, Indian descent, Middle Eastern descent, etc. Basically, a non-Haitian. At first this was a bit disconcerting for me to be called out as a white person; however now, it's so common to me that I think it's time we introduce the American game of “slug bug” to the mix. I can just see it now, one kid yells out “blanc” and slugs the other kid who bemoans the fact he didn't see us and call it out first. :)

One of my patients here who is 4-years-old was fascinated with my hair when we were casting her. I think she was more interested in my hair than the measurement and the molding process. Although she no longer plays with my hair, she does seek me out to say good morning and to give me a hello kiss. So cute! Having kids in the clinic adds such joy! I love the times when I walk towards the back to do an adjustment for another patient and walk past the kids sitting at a table enthralled by their coloring books and crayons, or random bouts of laughter that I hear from another part of the clinic, or the sound of one of our little guys who has discovered the hours of fun one of our rolling stools can provide. They are balls of seemingly endless energy! It's also great for them to have other kids with limb loss around to play with as well as getting to see adults with prostheses. It is such a unique setup here in Haiti and this “blanc” is grateful to be a part of it!

Here are some unrelated but no less interesting pictures.

This is one of our technicians walking with a patient after an adjustment:

And this is what we found inside one of our bags we use for Wednesday clinic in Port-au-Prince:

Posted by Hanger Ivan R. Sabel Foundation at 12:58 AM

The onset of August & some sadness

It is just a change of the date on a calendar but somehow the onset of August has brought with it some sadness. My time here will be over at the end of this month and I feel I just got here. It continues to be a blur of prosthetic legs, first steps, and lives changed - including mine.

I know the person who left in the middle of May is not the same one who's returning in three and a half weeks. I don't think I can put words to the change. I may not know for weeks or years to come. But this experience has enriched my life and allowed me to be a part of something amazing! For that I will always be grateful.

In an effort to be positive, I've been trying to think of things I'm looking forward to upon returning. Although I've been able to send letters out with practitioners, I welcome getting back to the regular correspondence with my grandma. Family, friends, a full weekend without work, running water, and twenty minutes without sweating - uh “glistening”, are things I'll enjoy. I already have a plan to go out for some yummy Mexican food with a dear friend upon my return and I must admit I'm really excited to see Toy Story 3 (I'm a bit of a Pixar junkie).

However, I know the minute the van pulls away from Deschapelles, and the distance between me and the clinic grows, the ache in my heart to be back will escalate. But, that is three weeks from now and many more prostheses away.

So, I will be grateful for the time I have been given and let each new day be another day to touch lives and just another change in the number on a calendar.

Here's a photo of the water tower for Deschapelles on yet another of the beautiful days that I have come to love here:

Posted by Hanger Ivan R. Sabel Foundation at 3:31 PM

Christmas in July

It may be in the 90s or more with high humidity that causes me to “glisten” profusely as I work (we girls don't sweat, right?), but it is Christmas of sorts here in Haiti for the Hanger Clinic. A container with much-needed supplies was released from customs today and is on its way to Deschapelles; all made possible by countless peoples' efforts, donations, and prayers! They may be big cardboard boxes but they contain precious materials with the power to change lives— boxes full of first steps after months of sitting or relying on crutches, boxes of renewed hope at the possibilities the future can hold, and boxes of new beginnings.

I always enjoy Christmas and as a child looked forward to what was in those colorful packages. But I can truly tell you that today was substantially better than any box under a tree.

Kim, Bradley, Ron, Esnel, Jude, Ian, Diane, Jay, Eric, the staff at SPS, and countless others – Santa's got nothing on you! Thank you for making this possible!!

Here's a photo of Ronnie, one of our staff, in front of just a portion of the boxes and contents that were released today:

Posted by Hanger Ivan R. Sabel Foundation at 6:22 PM

An inside look at Kay Hanger

There are six of us in Kay Hanger now – two girls and four guys. One American, one German who now works in Switzerland, and four Swiss. The quantity makes the shuffle for the showers in the evening quite an event to see. Like an orchestrated dance the guys float in and out of the bathroom, to their rooms in sequence. We girls are fortunate to only have to split between the two of us and it works well as long as the water isn’t being used in the kitchen which makes our shower not work. What can I say; being a girl has some perks – even in Haiti.

This may not make sense unless you know that we only have running water three times a day. From 6-6:40ish in the morning, sometime midday when we’re not at the house to take advantage of it, and 6-6:40ish in the evening. In the morning and evening we get a warning of sorts that the water is about to come on because just before the water, the electricity goes off for a minute or so while the guys in engineering switch generators. In the morning, the slowing of the fans is usually enough to wake me and if not, sounds of running water seem to. We leave the shower on so the excess water can be collected for use when we don’t have running water, which leads to one of the most unique, ingenious toilet flushing systems I’ve seen. Here’s what it looks like:

So, after doing your business (or before if you’re that prepared) you pump water with the blue plunger-like device through the tube that is attached to the inside of the toilet tank with plastic zip ties. After about ten to twelve good pumps, you get rewarded with the honor of flushing.

Tonight, like clockwork, the lights dimmed, fans slowed to a stop (reminding us how much of a blessing they are), then, the return of electric power and the familiar discussion of who would be first in the shower began in a mix of English and Swiss-German. The first two each went off to their respective cold showers. Another luxury not present here is hot water. It’s usually not too much of a loss since the weather is so hot but I must admit, there are mornings I have to psych myself up to jump in that shower.

P.S. Last Thursday #11, tonight was #12

Posted by Hanger Ivan R. Sabel Foundation at 10:53 PM

Haiti Hanger Clinic; a multi-national effort

We have become trilingual here in Haiti with my new crew which is a team from Switzerland. I can now say such useful words like screwdriver, ballpoint pen, and peanut butter in Swiss-German, Creole, and English. Yes, my language skills will definitely come in handy when I am stranded in a foreign land and my life depends on the ability to find a pen to draw a picture of a screwdriver covered in peanut butter. :)

Tonight, four of us played a card game with a Swiss deck that only has 36 cards. They are quite colorful. Here are some photos: I am so impressed with the team’s ability to practice using English to talk to our translators who translate what they say into Creole.

Getting Haitians back up and walking at the Hanger Clinic is a multi-national effort now. And, in a pinch, I can always ask for a screwdriver!

Posted by Hanger Ivan R. Sabel Foundation at 11:23 PM

Rainstorms in Haiti

I both love and hate rainstorms here in Haiti.

Let me preface this by saying that I have always liked rainstorms when experienced from the comfort of my home. Our whole family would count the beats between a big lightening bolt and the thunderclap that followed. Then, we'd practice dividing by 6 to figure out how far away the lightening was. It always seemed like God's fireworks to me; the way a bolt streaks across a previously black sky is just awesome to watch.

Here in Haiti thunderstorms do not disappoint. They will come up fast and dump copious amounts of rain in a short span of time. I love how the air cools after a storm; a pleasant relief. I've been cold a few times here (which is far fewer than spaghetti and hot dog meals - Tuesday lunch was #10). Each time I've been cold involved rain or once having wet hair and then going into a rare air-conditioned room.

The downsides to rain are muddy, rutty streets and the addition of humidity in the air. After a big storm the night before, the next day can be extra hot and sticky. Our patients suffer the worst of it. It takes so much extra energy to walk with a prosthesis and they will sometimes be drenched with sweat after physical therapy. But, this doesn't dissuade them or dampen their spirits.

Posted by Hanger Ivan R. Sabel Foundation at 9:34 PM

Remembering the tragedy that changed Haiti forever

Six months ago this Monday -- that is when the earth shook and lives in Haiti were forever changed. Loved ones were injured or killed; there were people sleeping in tents outside for fear of returning indoors with the aftershocks; and now countless new amputees are facing a new life with limb loss. Both the emotional and physical scars are a daily reminder to people here who lived through this immense tragedy.

The six month anniversary has brought some renewed media interest of prosthetic care here which is fantastic. Since the Hanger Ivan R. Sabel Foundation is run on donations, any way of getting the word out about the lives we are changing by providing free prosthetic care is certainly beneficial. It's always fascinating to me to meet journalists who spend their lives going to various countries reporting and being in the midst of situations we generally see from the comfort of our living rooms. For me, it's very surreal to be of any interest to people like that. However, I'm very thankful they get to spend some time seeing the difference we are making.

Days are flowing one into another here for me. Another talented team of practitioners will soon say goodbye to Deschapelles and to the wonderful work they've been a part of. Soon, their names and short messages will be added to our wall of those who have come before. We have a turquoise blue wall in the lab where all the people on previous teams sign as they leave. Jay Tew’s block is at the top left corner; a cornerstone of the clinic here in both the physical location of his signature and legacy he leaves.

The current team has been fantastic and has such a great sense of humor. They have left the Hanger house a unique gift – a goat. So we now have a Hanger Haiti mascot named Van Goat. He's a cute little goat that gets to spend his days helping manage the grounds of the Klinik Hanger and his nights trimming the grounds around Kay Hanger; a fun little addition to life here.

Posted by Hanger Ivan R. Sabel Foundation at 10:42 AM

Apple pie on the menu

I can’t believe it has been another week here! Somehow the days are blending together now. Deschapelles, Haiti is no longer a foreign land with strange new experiences, but rather, my home. The rocky streets lead me to where I work or past friends’ houses. The goats, pigs, turkeys, cats, dogs, horses, cows, and confused roosters are no longer an oddity-although I did clock the rooster crowing at 12:55am this morning. Ok, that rooster’s a bit odd :)
Even in a vastly different environment, similar social events occur. For example, many of the girls here get together periodically for a "girl’s night". So, last night we piled into a work pickup truck and went to a nearby town for dinner. It was just fun to giggle and hang out. These women are all involved in extremely important and rewarding projects here ranging from reforestation projects, nutrition, midwifery, and public works projects like rebuilding roads or cleaning out clogged canals so farmers get much needed water to crops. But, we are all still women in need of some time to just be girls.

A highlight of the evening was getting to stop by the one grocery store within a few hour radius of the hospital. I am so excited because I bought the fixings for an apple pie and I’m going to make it for our little 4th of July get together on Sunday.

My grandma taught me to make apple pie and many fun afternoons were spent with her rolling out the crust with the little design in the top part, slicing the apples really thin, and waiting patiently as the aroma of the cooking pie filled the kitchen. Those much-honed skills of pie creation will hopefully prove fruitful here in Haiti.

The clinic is running wonderfully and I have an excellent team here! We have one gentleman who runs a fabrication facility for Hanger so he is well versed in all technical areas and is teaching the Haitian technicians lots of useful tricks like neat ways of making their work more efficient and conserving materials by making fewer mistakes. One gentleman is amazing at modification and has been working with the technicians on modifying. The third practitioner is a computer wiz and has made my life so much simpler by teaching me some things that have made sending needed computer files back to the US much easier. We’re having a blast making a difference!

The rotations coming in and out in two-week periods kind of remind me of when I was a camp counselor. You have the pleasure of getting to live and work with some great people, get used to them, and then they leave and you get a new group. Each group has its own strengths and adds so much to the patients’ lives here. I occasionally get to hear from practitioners who came in the past and I don’t know of one that hasn’t been touched by what they’ve done here. The patients capture your heart and their smiles warm your soul.

I cannot put into words how cool it is that right now, this is what I get to do, and this amazing experience has become my day to day life!

PS: Breakfast today= #9

Posted by Hanger Ivan R. Sabel Foundation at 9:40 AM

Tears of joy

For a girl, I've always considered myself tough. I was a little tomboy growing up. I was the only girl on my roller hockey team, loved camping, I was always running around outside, and I even worked on a 1960 Morris Minor with my dad as a teen. But, I found tears in my eyes today when I saw this: Now, it may not seem like much to you but this is a patient standing who has not walked since she was 5-years-old! She is 21-years-old now and came into the Hanger Clinic walking with flip-flops on her knees.

Here we are today before wearing her prostheses:Jay saw her previously and she underwent surgery to release tightened tendons from years of being on her knees. 16 years – that's how long this vibrant young woman waited to walk. Her proud smile was a glorious addition to yet another amazing day in Haiti.

Oh, and for the record, I still love to camp, hike, etc., but I sure enjoy getting dolled up and being girly now too. Girls are allowed to cry too, right? And tears of joy are just one more benefit of getting to be here.

P.S. Friday night = #7, Tuesday morning for breakfast = #8

Posted by Hanger Ivan R. Sabel Foundation at 9:16 AM

Another productive day!

31 molds, 5 practitioners, 4 fittings, 3 locations, and one tired but satisfied team. We worked hard today!

Tonight most of the team didn't get back from Port-au-Prince until near 8pm. Traffic getting out of the city was crazy. I am so thankful that I don't have to drive here.

The main road that we take 2 1/2 hours each way to and from Port-au-Prince is called a highway here. But, it's a paved road (most of the time) that's only about a lane and a half wide and has no lane markings at all. Pot holes creep up out of nowhere, ready to jar unsuspecting passengers whose car is unable to swerve at the last minute. Other hazards are various types of livestock, other vehicles, and seemingly randomly placed "Polis Kouche". Polis Kouche translates as 'sleeping policeman' and it is what Haitians call speed bumps. Neat name for them I think.

Posted by Hanger Ivan R. Sabel Foundation at 10:11 PM

World Cup fever!

At random times during the last couple of days loud shouting pierced the once peaceful silence of Deschapelles. It originated from a nearby basketball court at a field behind our house. So, I went to check it out even though I knew the cause of the cheers - football (or soccer to us in the US).

Under a makeshift canopy of banana and coconut tree leafs, with a tap-tap's radio blaring the announcers every word, was a huddle of a mass of people. Here's what it looked like from afar:
The closer I got, the more people there seemed to be. Here's what it looked like closer up:
Now, I am only 5'3" tall so I never got to see a screen but some of the kids made sure they got to see by climbing into a near-by tree. Here's the kids:
The World Cup has been a huge topic of conversation and entertainment here. In the lab, the schedule of games is posted and an exuberant announcer's voice fills the plaster room from a radio on the counter top. According to our technicians, most Hatians' favorite teams are Brazil and Argentina. In the streets of Port-au-Prince yesterday, one could have easily assumed that Haiti had adopted one of those country's flags with so many being sold or displayed.

Argentina played today against South Africa and the cheers were abundant.

All coming from a field in Deschapelles, a half a world away from the football action, but you couldn't tell that from talking to people here.

Posted by Hanger Ivan R. Sabel Foundation at 11:59 PM

Hard work pays off

Below is a look at the hard work that takes place at the Hanger Clinic in Deschapelles, Haiti. To date, more than 350 Haitian amputees are walking tall with new prosthetic limbs created at the Clinic.

Posted by Hanger Ivan R. Sabel Foundation at 1:40 PM

A new week

Tonight was #6.

Today was the beginning of another week and the first day for the new rotation of practitioners. They're already doing wonderfully! We even fit one bilateral above-knee amputee patient today with foreshortened prostheses. Foreshortened prostheses are shorter, starter legs that don't have knee joints in them yet so the patient can get their strength and balance before progressing on to higher prostheses with knee joints. The rooster has already welcomed the new guys too.

In Creole lessons this evening I learned a funny (to me at least) phrase. It's "tet poul" which translates to mean literally "chicken head". It refers to the feelings of being lightheaded, tipsy, dizzy, or drunk. I'll never look at someone stumbling out of a bar the same way again.

Oh, and Esther, I know you're reading this so Happy Birthday my friend :)

Posted by Hanger Ivan R. Sabel Foundation at 12:30 AM

A one-of-a-kind art project for a one-of-a-kind clinic

It's rainy season here and we've had rain every evening so far. My rain boots are coming in quite handy. All the roofs here are corrugated metal. In the lab it amplifies the sound and makes the storms seem worse than the really are. In the house, the rain always sounds so peaceful. I love thunderstorms. The lightening and thunder are like God's fireworks.

Yesterday and today after work and my Creole lessons, I got to help paint the clinic a bit. There is an awesome mural project going on in our clinic right now. Local artists are funded through a grant to paint murals. Each of the patient rooms has its own theme. The pink room has birds and flowers, the blue one has some sea creatures on one side and a beautiful mountain scene on the other, the yellow has market/street scenes complete with an amputee wearing prostheses, the green room has jungle-type animals, and the purple has sports scenes-also with amputees. Here are some photos:

The new patient area and returning patient areas have welcome signs with amputees pictured.

On one bottom corner of the welcome area, one amputee has a yellow shirt and blue shorts, thanks to my mastery of kindergarten where I learned to paint within the lines. Here's my contribution: The murals just add to this place and continue to reinforce my view that there is no other prosthetics facility like this anywhere in the world. Klinik Hanger in Dechapelles, Haiti is one-of-a-kind.

Posted by Hanger Ivan R. Sabel Foundation at 10:42 AM

A look inside "Kay" Hanger

Posted by Hanger Ivan R. Sabel Foundation at 4:15 PM

Little by little, the bird makes its nest

For the record, Saturday night was #5.

Today was the start of another week and the beginning of my second week of Creole lessons. After work, I walk down the rock-strewn road and along a path to the school. It's in a concrete building with screened-in sides. I sit at a cute little biwo (desk), in the plastic chez (chair) and learn all I can from the animated instructor at the chalkboard. Now, I can say things like, "If your leg hurts on the bottom or here (and I point), put on more socks. If the prosthetic leg feels tight, remove a sock". Thankfully, we have interpreters in the clinic and we don't have to rely on my Creole skills but I still use what little I know quite a bit!

Even with some shared language, there are times when we have to work together to communicate what's needed. A while ago I was looking for a specific tool in the lab. I've always called it a deburring tool. It's used to round a rough edge on a piece of plastic especially after it has been cut. The techs and I went back and forth as I attempted to describe how it looked, what it did, etc. I even attempted to draw a picture. Finally, one of them said, "Oh, se General!" They had named it the General. Funny name, I thought, until they brought it to me and showed me that it was labeled General-which must be the brand name. Similarly, razor blades are called Gillett here.

Probably my favorite Creole phrase I've learned is a Haitian proverb: piti piti zwazo fe nich. It translates: little by little, the bird makes its nest. Basically, it takes one step at a time to accomplish anything. I'm frequently reminded of this when patients get their prostheses and start their therapy. Little by little they stand, take some steps and, after a lot of work, usually most of them end up walking without crutches by the time they leave.

Later this week a radiant patient who has been courageously taking those steps will be discharging to start her new life with prostheses. She lost both her legs above-the-knee as a result of injuries she sustained in the earthquake. One of Jay's last days here, she walked about a half mile up hill from L'Escale, the community where many of our patients stay, and finished by walking up the ramp at the clinic. Here's a video of that:

Little by little she worked on her goal, her “nest”. What an honor it is to see her progress so well and to have had a small part in her success.

Mondays here in Haiti are always someone's beginning. That makes it exciting to get up Monday mornings and see what the week has in store for us all.

Posted by Hanger Ivan R. Sabel Foundation at 12:16 AM

Momentous milestones & pink polka dot rain boots

For those of you who are following the blog: tonight was #4. If you don't know what that means, well, you'll have to do some reading :) My first solo week as lead practitioner went quite well and included such momentous milestones as sending my first text message in Creole, having an important business conversation as a goat ate nearby, and my first experience adjusting a socket so someone could adequately squat as low as some Haitians are able to when performing daily tasks here.

The week ended today with a wonderful display of teamwork for the good of a patient. Now, normally, I'll admit, I wouldn't be the happiest camper if I was still at the office at 10pm working on a Friday night. But, tonight there was nowhere else I would rather be. Five of us chipped in to get the absolute best possible result for a patient whose life will be greatly impacted. Smiles and jokes abounded, Haitian music played on the radio in the lab, and we all worked on portions of the project together.

I have always been proud of my profession, but tonight I was part of a team that changed a man's world. We're so fortunate to get to do what we do.

Another neat event this week for me personally was the arrival of a care package from home. A woman who works at HAS had to travel back to the U.S. for a funeral and offered to bring something back for anyone who needed it, so my family was able to ship her the care package and she brought it back to Haiti. Such a treat! The care package included some cute pink polka dot rain boots (which already came in handy now that we're at the start of rainy season), other miscellaneous goodies, but three letters/cards were the true treasures. One from each of my parents and one from my grandma! On the last rotation a practitioner from Raleigh mailed letters to my grandma for me and I got one from her this week in the care package. Through the kindness of others and this blog I still get to correspond with her. It's definitely one of the myriad of things I am grateful for right now.

Posted by Hanger Ivan R. Sabel Foundation at 2:17 AM

Day 1 as "Gwo Boss" aka "Big Boss"

I made it through the first day as 'gwo boss' which translates big boss. We've got a great group of talented practitioners who have already started learning Creole from the techs and are jumping in teaching them too.

Today we saw patients that came up from Port-au-Prince as well as some patients who live nearby. There were quite a few patients leaving L'Escale and others arriving to take their place. L'Escale is a small housing complex on the HAS grounds that provides temporary housing for our patients as they go through the rehab process. Port-au-Prince is a two-and-a-half hour ride away so it's wonderful for our patients to have a place to stay.

We had a heavy rainstorm this afternoon and now the air is cooler. It's been a very nice, relaxing evening. Oh, and tonight was spaghetti with hot dogs yet again. I'm going to keep a running tally so if you see a random number on future posts that will be the hot dog spaghetti meal count. It's currently at 3.

Tomorrow I get to get up and provide more prosthetic care in Haiti. How neat is that!

Posted by Hanger Ivan R. Sabel Foundation at 10:37 PM

An exciting adventure with a grand purpose

On the way to Cange today I sat on the passenger side with the window open. There is a section with a paved road and as we drove along I felt a pang of remembrance of my childhood.

I am blessed to have a wonderful father who was a teacher from the time I was in late elementary school on. So, that allowed for two solid summers of piling into our old, big, black suburban with a tent and supplies in the back, headed off to see America. I got to see many of our nation’s national parks, state parks and a large portion of Canada as well. We camped almost every night with an occasional motel stay to do laundry and freshen up. One time I got to go swimming at a hotel and then we went up into the Grand Tetons and it snowed! So, we have a photo somewhere of me still in a swimsuit and jeans with snow around me.

We did a ton of driving on these trips. Many hours spent looking out the passenger side with the window rolled down and wind on my face.

Now, the scenery is different, the people I'm with are different, and I am different. But I am still on an exciting adventure – this time with a grander purpose.

A lot of things are on my plate now that Jay's leaving. But, for a small section of time today, I had the opportunity to just look out the window, let the wind kiss my face, and savor this time I have here in Haiti.

Posted by Hanger Ivan R. Sabel Foundation at 1:16 AM

A send-off for Jay Tew

Today was bittersweet as it was Jay's last day at the Hanger clinic. It was full of goodbyes, warm embraces, the occasional shared remembrances and final photos. Here's one I took of him with the Haitian staff:


I know Jay is torn -- he is really looking forward to being back with his family but he has also grown so close to his surrogate family here.

Tonight there was a get together in Jay's honor and for a therapist leaving at the same time. From the large attendance you could tell the impact Jay has had here. There were even a couple of patients there which I know was special for Jay.

Jay left some big shoes to fill and no one can be him. He has substantially contributed to the creation of a top-notch prosthetics facility here in Deschapelles and I plan on seeing to it that we continue to excel in providing prosthetic care to the wonderful people of Haiti.

Needless to say; Jay will be missed here. We'll be in touch though.

He may be leaving Haiti for now, but Haiti will never leave him.

Posted by Hanger Ivan R. Sabel Foundation at 12:30 AM

Another view of Haiti

This morning the whole team got up before the rooster to hike to the top of nearby hills to see the sunrise in its pink and orange brilliance over mountains on the other side of our valley.

I left to head back a bit early so I could make it back in time for the morning time slot that our house has running water. I got a bit off the trail on some rocky, sparsely vegetated terrain. I was a bit flustered trying to get back to the path when I saw a beautiful pink flower growing from a crack in the rocks; such beauty in the midst of a seemingly harsh hillside environment.

The patients I get the pleasure of working with each day here are like that flower. The beauty of their smiles just radiate! Yet, so many have suffered so much. My heart breaks to hear how one of our patients was the only one in her family to be pulled from the rubble alive or how another was the only major injury in her family (losing both legs above-the-knees) only to be abandoned by her husband and left with her four children to care for with no home or means of support. Yet, in the midst of such suffering there is the beaming smile of pride when she returned after making a lap around the block here-and it was a feat worthy of celebration! Rocky terrain, sweltering heat, humidity, an upward grade heading away from the clinic, a downward grade coming back and all on two above-knee prostheses, crutches for balance, and pure determination. Amazing!!! And a triumphant smile. To compare that smile to a flower is like comparing an expedition to the top of Mt. Everest with our little morning hike. It pales in comparison.

Posted by Hanger Ivan R. Sabel Foundation at 11:04 PM

Photo updates from Jay Tew & Anna Avakian

Business phone calls Haitian style

Dancing with mama while doing floor exercises at the Hanger Clinic

A patient at the Hanger Clinic kicking the soccer ball around

Hanger practitioner Ryan Russell on Sunday en route to a rare beach day in celebration of Jay's last week in Haiti

This was taken in Cange on a beautiful mountain tree top veranda area of the hospital where hearts were breaking after Jay broke the news to two of his patients Carmen and Mike that he's leaving Haiti. They responded in what has come to be the usual question, "When are you coming back?"
Carmen and Mike continue to do wonderfully.
At a weekly appointment at the Cange clinic

Posted by Hanger Ivan R. Sabel Foundation at 11:47 AM