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In the wake of the 7.0 magnitude earthquake that hit Haiti on Tuesday, January 12, Trinity Wall Street will be providing updates, as they are received, from partners and friends in Haiti.
Update, January 21, 12pm: The Rev. Canon Oge Beauvoir is quoted in a Wall Street Journal article about the Haitian Episcopal Church's response to the earthquake. Canon Beauvoir and Bishop Jean Duracin have organized a camp for displaced people in Port-au-Prince that has served 3000 people so far.
Update, January 17, 9:45am: Sister Promise Atelon, SSM, reports that her family in Haiti, including her brother and sister, are fine. Sister Promise is a member of Trinity's pastoral team. Staff member Veronica Ortega also reports that her stepfather has been found, after last being heard from right after the earthquake struck.
Update, January 15, 4:10pm: Maggy Charles reports that she has spoken with the Rev. Canon Oge Beauvoir, her father, and others in Haiti who confirm that her mother is alive. According to reports, Maggy's mother's house in Port-au-Prince was destroyed by a neighbor's home that collapsed on to hers during the earthquake. Her mother escaped unharmed.
Update, January 15, 2pm: Trinity staff member Alfredo Dorcely reports that he has heard from most of his family and friends in Haiti. "My uncle lost his house," Alfredo said, "but they made it out before it collapsed." Alfredo's family in Port-au-Prince are currently looking for another cousin who they have not been able to contact yet.
Update, January 15, 10:55am: Trinity staff member Veronica Ortega has had word that her father, stepmother, and sister are alive, although her sister, Cybil, was injured in the earthquake. Cybil contacted Veronica via facebook, where she has also been commenting on what she's seeing in Port-au-Prince: "My house personally is gone, I've been sleeping outside sense then," one status update reads. "My family and I are safe but I have friends who went to school and hasn't come back. I already know what that means." She also offered to try to make contact with others in Haiti, since her phone was working at the time. The offer brought in a flood of facebook wall postings with phone numbers and home addresses from people looking for family in Haiti
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"Cybil is 19 today," Veronica said. "This was her first visit home since leaving Haiti two years ago [to go to school in Massachusetts]."
Veronica continues to wait for word on her stepfather, who also lives in Port-au-Prince, and who last contacted Veronica's mother right after the earthquake struck on Tuesday.
Canon Beauvoir reported that he and his wife are safe and staying in a displacement camp organized by the Bishop of Haiti. Canon Beauvoir is providing leadership at the camp, which is holding roughly 1,000 people. The Sisters of St. Margaret are also there helping people.
He described grim conditions.
"It is hard to get food and medicine because everything is closed," he said. At this point, they have water, but the camp only has access to one water tank, and the water is running lower.
There is a single truck that takes the injured to the hospital and the dead to be buried. The hospital has been turning back some of the injured. "They can't take that many," said Canon Beauvoir.
At the time of the earthquake, Canon Beauvoir and his wife were in their home. "I thought the house was going to crash," he said, but they managed to escape without injury.
"For the first time I was certain I faced death. I was certain we were going to die."
Bishop Duracin's home was destroyed and his wife was injured. She has been brought to a hospital run by Partners in Health, one of the few still open. "The Bishop has nothing left," Canon Beauvoir reported.
Before the line failed, Canon Beauvoir described a litany of buildings that had "crashed" – the seminary, the convent, the university, the trade school.
"It's scary," he said.
Update, January 14, 1:05pm: Trinity efforts to contact family members and Trinity partners in Haiti continue. Updates will be posted here as soon as they are available. Please use the comments section below to post information, questions, and thoughts about family, friends, and partners in Haiti.
Update, 1:20pm: The Rev. Canon Oge Beauvoir's daughter reports that she has heard, through family members, that Dean Beauvoir and his wife, Serette, are alive and have gathered with other Port-au-Prince earthquake survivors at a university football field.
Update, 11:50am: The Sisters of St. Margaret report on their website and via Twitter that their convent in Port-au-Prince was destroyed in the earthquake but that the sisters who resided there have been found and are alive.
The Rev. Canon Oge Beauvoir, a former program associate with the Trinity Grants Program, serves as dean of the Theological Seminary in Port-au-Prince. Telephone calls to Dean Beauvoir have not been able to get through as yet.
Ali Lutz, Trinity parishioner and former manager of congregational development, now works with Partners in Health, a non-profit organization that works with communities in Haiti to provide medical care. Ali is currently in Boston, where she is based. She said that as of Wednesday morning, they had accounted for most of their staff in Haiti and that because communication is so difficult in the capital, they had heard from most via email. "The situation on the ground is very, very dire," she said. "So much of the infrastructure and buildings in the capital has collapsed. We're trying to mobilize our internal resources and connections with the Dominican Republic to get as many supplies as possible, and have hospitals ready to receive patients that will be flooding in from Port-au-Prince."
Sister Promise Atelon, Sister Gloria Shirley, and Sister Ann Whitaker, who part of Trinity's pastoral team, are members of the Sisters of St. Margaret, a religious order which has a convent in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. As of 9:30am, the SSM website was reporting that no contact has been made with the sisters currently residing in Port-au-Prince.
Trinity staff member Veronica Ortega has family in Haiti. Jim Prophet, Veronica's stepfather, is in Port-au-Prince and called his wife after the first of what seemed like three shocks hit the city on Tuesday. "He said that the foundation of the first floor of their house had cracked, but that the surrounding homes were demolished," Veronica said. Veronica's father also lives in Port-au-Prince, but she has not been able to reach him yet.
Maggy Charles, manager of program development for the Trinity Grants Program, talked to her father, who lives several hours outside of Port-au-Prince, but had not yet heard from her mother in the city. "We never had an earthquake," Maggy, who grew up in Haiti, said. "We have hurricanes. The houses in Haiti are built to help with hurricanes, not earthquakes."
Photo courtesy of @marvinady via Twitpic; photo links to Twitpic
Comments
Prayers have been and will continue----Will help in any way Barbara Dyson Massey-----bmasseyrn@yahoo.com
Barbaea Dyson Massey on January 13, 2010
We know Bishop Duracin and his wife are alive ( Praise God), but we are trying to get word about his son James, who graduated from Sewanee last spring, and the Bishop's daughters. If you have any information on James, please contact 931.598.1884 or kmack@sewanee.edu. In prayer, Kay MacKenzie, The University of the South
Sonia Kay MacKenzie on January 13, 2010
Has anyone heard from Jude Harmon or Mallory Holding or heard reports about the seminarians at the Episcopal seminary in Port-au-Prince or about the children at St. Vincent's? I'm also very concerned about my friends from the Parish of the Annunciation in Darbonne, Leogane, where I spent the summer doing field ed. Any information you can pass along would be wonderful.
Sarah Randall, SSM on January 13, 2010
We are so relieved to hear that Dean Beauvoir is doing OK. We are concerned about the state of Trinity church (l'Eglise St Trinite) in Port-au-Prince. Any idea if it has been damaged?
stella Vincenot-Dash & Jean Michael Dash on January 13, 2010
Although I live in Boston and Duxbury MAssachusetts, I have been a long time supporter of The Sisters of Saint Margaret in Haiti and some of my children have done volunteer work there with the Boston nuns. Please keep us all posted as to what you are hearing and what we can do for the mission. Thank you
Ruth Gardner Lamere on January 13, 2010
The Episcopal Anglican Church of Brazil stands in solidarity with people in Haiti. Prayers and thoughts are with all victims. Our country is offering support trough our troops who are there as UN Peace Force. We were noticed about 11 deaths within the troops. Brazil government is sending 14 ton of food and US$ 10 million for relief. Eight planes are sending bringing food and medicines to offer support for help rescuers. Revd. canon Francisco de Assis da Silva Provincial Secretary
Prayers for Haiti on January 13, 2010
eager to hear of wellbeing of our beloved La Petie Chanteurres Music School. Paryers from my Maine church to all. Ann Chase
Ann Chase on January 14, 2010
any knews about the children in St. Vincents in Port au Prince? Or, the clergy there?
Nancy Malloy+ on January 14, 2010
Praying for Haiti and its people. Know anything about Children and staff at St Vincent? I spent a summer there and still have them in my heart.
Heyda Martínez Amherst MA on January 14, 2010
How do I get in touch with Sister Marjorie Raphael? Is she OK? She and my mother went to college together and I met her when I worked at Eye Care in 1981.
margot adam langstaff on January 14, 2010
I've heard that Fr. Jean-Elie & Jamine Charles and their daughter, Jamine (Minou) and family have survived the earthquake. That's all I know. It was reported to me on facebook by a someone in Haiti who was with Minou when the earthquake struck. Sisters of St. Margaret's website is also posting information - something there about Sister Marjorie Raphael. Has anyone heard from Fr. Jacques Deravil from Montrois or how Ste. Croix hospital, church and school have faired in Leogane?
The Rev. Letha Wilson-Barnard, Minnesota on January 15, 2010
I would like to get in touch with my father REV. Joas Clerville, he is a pastor in Faucher- grand goave, however he was hospitalized in leogane as of monday the last time i spoke to him. If anyone knows where he is. His children in the US are very worried. He has a church in faucher name' Eglise du Nouveau Testament in Colber region de faucher and he lives in the house next to the church.
Rebeca Deratus on January 16, 2010
The Prayer chain of st andrews Episcopal Parish in Madison Ct has linked in prayer for the sufferers in Haiti.
grace crawford on January 16, 2010
My prayers to all in Haiti and to the staff members who have family there.
Tamara Rodriguez on January 16, 2010
Trying to find out if our friend Maxandre Bien-Aime, Director of IMN in Darbonne, Leogane, is safe. There's been no contact. If anyone knows anything, please contact me: cynthia@kids4good.org Thank you!
Cynthia McGann on January 16, 2010
Response to blog #12 Praise God, Glory to his name, there is no one like HIM. I Look up to the hills, where is coming my help. My help comes from the LORD. .My father Rev. Joas Clerville is alive and well.
Rebeca Deratus on January 18, 2010
I am a LICENSED PRACTICAL NURSE and my sister is a MEDICAL DOCTOR. We are both interested in traveling to PORT-AU-PRINCE HAITI AND OFFER OUR HELP to the m medical team at the scene. Do you have a group going to HAITI soon?My email address mjr2959@gmail.com.Please contact me if we can be of help.Thank you
Magalie Jean Raphael on January 19, 2010
Below please find a report from a friend of mine, Dr Dean Lorich, who went to P au P on the 14th and has just returned. This underscores the state of the infrastructure and operations on the ground: Kev, Thanks much appreciated. I believe we went in with a reasonably comprehensive service we wanted to provide acute trauma care in an orthopedic disaster. Our plan was to be at a hospital where we could utilize our abilities as trauma surgeons treat the acute injuries involved in an orthopaedic disaster. We expected many amputations however came with a philosophy that would reasonably start limb salvage in what we thought was a salvageable limb. David Helfet put a team together which included: 2 orthopaedic trauma surgeons 3 orthopaedic trauma fellows 2 highly skilled anesthiologists 1 general surgery trauma surgeon 2 synthes reps who were also scrub techs 1 trauma nurse practioner to do triage 2 OR nurses Our equipment including a huge amount of anesth medications and equipment, ability to construct 150 ex fix both small and large, OR equipment including scalpels etc, OR soft goods, splint material, OR prep material. We also had a plan of physician and equipment replacemnt that was dynamic where w/i 24hrs we could bring in what was necessary on the Synthes private jet. We thought the plan was a good one. We were incredibly naïve. Disaster management on the ground was nonexistent. The difficulties in getting in despite the intelligence we had from people on the ground and david helfet's high political connections with Partner's in Health as well as the Clintons only portended the difficulties we would have once we arrived. We started out friday morning, got a slot to get in friday that was eventually cancelled when we were on the runway to be rescheduled the next day. We diverted to the DR and planned on arriving in P OP saturday. Once on the ground the hospital we had intelligence that was up and running with 2 OR's General Hospital was included severely in the earthquake and not capable of running functioning OR's as there was no running water and only a limited electrical supply on generator. We quickly took our second option Community Hospital of Haiti. We found approx 750 pt in the hospital upon our initial eval, the hospital had running water, electricity and 2 functional OR's Our naivette did not expect that the 2 anesth machines would not work, there would be 1 cautery for the hospital, autoclave that fit instruments the size of a cigar box, no sterile saline, no functioning fluoro and no local staff only a ragtag group of voluntary health providers who like us had made it there on there own. To summarize we had no clue the medical infrastructure of the country was so poor. As we got up and running in the OR and organized the patients for surgery we communicated our new needs back to Synthes and more supplies were loaded for a second trip - these included battery operated pulse lavage, a huge supply of saline, soft goods in the OR. This plane landed as planned sunday pm, equipment was loaded on a truck and subsequent hijacked between the airport and the hospital. At the hospital we had zero security despite promises form NYPD and NYFD to provide that to us. Our philosophy was to work like this was a marathon run the OR's around the clock with the idea that we would have a defined extraction time of 11pm tues. The plane that extracted us would come in with a new medical staff compliment to replace us. Equipment included urgent things to maximize issues that were nonexistent in the hospital that would enable us to provide better and more efficient care: 2 portable anesth machines 2electrocautery 2 portable monitors for the pacu 2autoclaves Replacement exfix Things that didn't arive with the previous flight That planes slot was cancelled by the military at 6am tues. We also previously had seen daylight in the remaining patients monday night haviving completed approx 100 surgeries. However on tues morning we found a huge # of new patients. The hospital was forced to undergo lockdown closing its gates to the outside and outside crowd becoming angry. We also noted tues morning that many of the patients we were operating on were becoming septic. We finished operating at noon tues, the last surgery our group assisting an obstetrician on a caesarian and resuscitating a baby that was not breathing. We decided as a group the situation for us at the hospital was untenable supplies were running out, team was exhauted, safety a huge concern, and no extraction plan with resupply. We decided to make our way to airport thru the help of a hospital benefactor. Jamaican soldiers with M-16 were necessary to escort us out with our luggage as the crowd outside saw us abandoning the hospital. We made it to airport on back of a pickup track, got onto the tarmac, hailed a commercial plane that carried cargo to montreal and had private jet pick us up there. The issues we were unprepared for and witnessed were 1. The amount of human devastation 2. The complete lack of a medical infrastructure in the country 3. The lack of support of the haitian medical community 4. The complete lack of any organization on the ground. Noone was in charge, we had the first functional up and running hospital in the P OP area yet noone and I me NOONE came to the hospital to assess what we were doing, what we were capable of doing and what we would need, to be more efficient. The fact that the military could not or would not protect the resupply equipment on sunday or let the tues flight come in says it all. 5. Lack of any security at all at the hospital I would take away that disasters like this need organization on a much higher level than we had with the clear involvement and approval of the military from the beginning. Currently there is Noone obviously running the show and care is in chaotic at best. MD's are coming in country with no plan of what the are going to do. Surgeons that expect to just show up and operate are delusional as to what there role would be as without a complement of support staff and supplies they would be of limited or no value. I hope this helps. We all felt as though we abandoned these patients and that country and feel terrible. Our role now being back in NY is to expose the inadequacies of the system to the media in the hopes of effecting a change in this system immediatly. We feel that the only way to really help now is an urgent programtic change and organization in the support of the medical staff on the ground and what is critically needed to expeditiosly bring in. Cherrios on the tarmac are not getting it done on these patients which clearly would be savable if good care could urgently be provided. Please share this email with everyone and anyone you find might help. Good luck Dean
Kevin Hughes on January 23, 2010
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