In 2011, from October 22 - 30, St. Mary's parishioner and nurse, Mary Carrlson, was part of a team medical mission trip to Carcasse. This was Mary's second trip to Carcasse.
Ten people made this trip including:
2 doctors
2 pharmacists
1 pharmacy technician
2 registered nurses
1 pediatric nurse practitioner
1 physician assistant
Pat Labuda, who founded Health and Education for Haiti, also accompanied the
team.
One doctor has volunteered every year for 15 years. The pharmacists and pharmacy tech were from NIH
and worked with Frank Nice who donates the money for the pharmacy and
medications. The physician assistant was the wife of one of the pharmacists,
and the nurse practitioner has also volunteered a few times in the past.
Mary writes that her second trip to Haiti was not like the first trip.
"It was a
very different experience this time because I was able to see more clearly the
faces of the people, to recognize them, and to feel their friendship. It felt good to be back.
As we were driving into Carcasse, we were greeted by school
children singing welcoming songs along side the road. The day was dry and sunny
and the voices of the children carried across the cliffs and over the view of
the ocean. They were led by the
seminarian that had been our driver and was also a very enthusiastic and
endearing musician. The children very
proudly sang a welcome song in English.
We all got out of our trucks, listened and applauded. As we approached
the town, my memories from my first visit began to return. How had I forgotten so much?
This time,
instead of being stunned, I was able to take in my surroundings, adapt to them
much more quickly and relax and enjoy the beauty of the landscape with it’s
colorful wild flowers and palm trees and clear, sharp sunlight.
The clinic location and setup was the same as before and
many of the same health care providers and interpreters had returned.
Having had the experience of the previous
year, I felt I was better able to assist those health care providers who were
new to Carcasse. The clinic began as
usual with people lining up at 8 AM. Many walked for hours to get to the
clinic. All who wanted care were seen
and advised, medications prescribed, and referrals made to local hospitals as
needed for surgeries. The clinic closed at 5:00 PM and the ocean waited for all
those who wanted to cool off before dinner.
One day, Pere Verdieu asked that I and another nurse visit
the school, instruct the classes on dental hygiene, and distribute
toothbrushes. As we entered each class
we were greeted with a song of welcome.
The children were shy but their voices rang out and they smiled such
beautiful smiles! The teachers took
great pride in presenting their classes.
After we left and were walking back, the other nurse wondered out loud
“How did they get that school built?” I answered that my church, St. Mary’s
built that school.
I just want to pass along the thankfulness the people of
Carcasse feel toward St.Mary’s. They
seemed to know all about us and it made me think about how you could get to
know them better so they can have “faces” for you. Perhaps you could read some books about the
history of Haiti, Haitian culture and customs or maybe learn a few Creole
phrases.
Anything that increases your
knowledge of Haiti will bring you closer to them.
I want to end by letting you know that the people of
Carcasse are very grateful for your support. Their lives are improving in ways
that they never thought possible. There
is a Haitian proverb “Men anpil shay pa lou”, “With many hands the load is not
heavy.”
Mes anpil (Thank you very much).
"
Beautiful School! 
Beautiful School Children!
