The UN Helicopter

The UN Helicopter

Today Jo (a long-term PT here from England) was able to celebrate huge victory as the UN helicopter came to pick up three of the patients with spinal cord injuries here at Hopital Albert Schweitzer. The patients were being transferred to St. Boniface in southern Haiti where there is a rehabilitation center for folks with spinal cord injuries. We were all waiting for the sound of the helicopter which came around 9:30 am. It was an amazing site as we heard the hum of the chopper blades as the UN helicopter began to descend onto the precise coordinates of our soccer field.

Jo had worked so hard to confirm the coordinates with the Germans who were the last group to land a helicopter here. People from all over our compound and beyond ran to see what the excitement was all about. Suddenly a brown cloud of dust engulfed us all as the helicopter gracefully settled on the soccer field. It was a beautiful machine. The rear doors were opened and patients were transferred from the open bed trucks onto the helicopter. It was beautifully coordinated.

We even had time to take pictures and meet the pilots, Alexander and Vladimir, who were from Russia. Alexander was recently in Afghanistan and was now sent to Haiti for a “vacation” job. Vladimir will be taking over Alexander’s position in a month. The pilots were very proud of their work and pleased to be in the service of humanity. Had a blast practicing what little Russian I knew from my PT work back home. Once the patients, wheelchairs, and other equipment were loaded, Jo jumped in to care for the patients and they were all off! As fast as they had come, they were just as rapidly on their way to St. Boniface! An amazing morning for sure! For patients who have spinal cord injuries, life becomes a death sentence as there are only two rehabilitation centers in all of Haiti – IF you can gain access. What an amazing gift of advocacy Jo has given these patients. The rest of our day was spent working with patients on gait training in the prosthetics center. An awesome day altogether! Today was about providing others with the gift of hope. From the valiant coordination efforts of Jo to our Dream Team here in the Hanger clinic we bring hope to others. It is hope that makes us live, just as the Haitian proverb states: Lespwa fe viv.