a1900: Healing Hands (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: John Wilson <pit.boss@sympatico.ca>

I am a daily follower of the Corbit mailing list and would like to share a recent    experience.

 I was filming a story in Dominican Republic on a young man that lost his leg while on vacation a few years back and how this event affected his life. Afterwards I decided to visit some friends in Port Prince area when I happened upon a group of tired and exasperated angels.

I found on the web a clinic called Healing Hands for Haiti that offered two meals and a pool that was in Port a Prince and very reasonable at $35.00 US a day. The accommodations were clean and with a well kept swimming pool. The food was Haitian and excellent along with a very pleasant staff, I highly recommend anyone needing accommodations to stay hear.

 When I arrived I discovered a team of Americans were working out of the clinic building prosthetic limbs and teaching health care. Since I had just worked on a story on a Canadian losing a limb in DR this was incredible. I spent the next 24hrs filming these people at work.

 Like a lot people I didn't have a very positive view of Americans, but after this experience I am embarrassed of my ignorance and the world's need to bash them.

But would appreciate it that they would stop booing the Canadian anthem at hockey games.

 The medical workers paid out of there own pocket for the opportunity to work 16hr days under conditions that would frustrate any normal human to quit and go home.

The greatest frustration that I sensed was whether or not they were doing anything that was a benefit to Haiti and the over whelming problems it has. I witnessed several moments of individual isolation where these people were just trying to grasp the intensity of the situation they were experiencing. Two of the workers stayed up all night to build a leg for a young man that didn't show the next day. They were so upset that they had made plans to track him down. He finally showed up with his wife and the limb was attached and after lessons on the use of the limb was walking on it.

The clinic needs pro tools to operate properly. The oven that is used is not the right size or standard for it's intended use. The tools on hand generally are old and for commercial use not industrial. Like most things in Haiti people make do with what they have and learn to adapt. Problem is this is a very special task that these people are performing and they need very specific tools not to have them must be so incredibly frustrating.  I was amazed at how they would work around there problems to find a solution. Never once did I sense that they would give up but would work until they finished the task at hand. The quality of the work amazed me especially considering the battle for time and equipment. These people were absolutely amazing in their cause to make a difference in the lives of the people coming to the clinic seeking their help.


We arrived on the night before the last day of the clinic, which was only to be a half-day. We shot footage of next half-day activity and interviewed some of the medical workers that were up to it that evening.

They all had a sense of sadness that they weren't making a difference to Haiti. My response was that they weren't here for Haiti but for the individuals that walk miles possible or traveled all night to arrive at this clinic to receive their help. The world will not save Haiti only the Haitian people can save Haiti.

If this gets posted on the Corbit list and anyone out there can help out this clinic, of which I am sure there are many more just like it, a lot of people will benefit from it.

 All I seemed to run into on this trip were Americans trying to make a difference in the lives of people. They were paying out of there own pockets not through any government agencies or large corporations with hidden agendas. These people that the world loves to bash have definitely gained my respect.



John Wilson
P.S. I thank the people at Healing Hands and hope that they never give up.