by Amanda Scanlon

Over the past month we have had 4 Pediatricians from UMASS’s Global Health Program here with us at Be Like Brit in Haiti. They have worked endlessly in our clinic seeing our children for their wellness check-ups, vaccinating all of our children, and completing an entire inventory of what we have to determine what we need and how we might be better able to use our resources. They have also spent several days at clinics run by other missions in the area. We can’t thank Sara, Adam, Anna and Janice enough for the work they did while they were here. We look forward to future visits from the UMASS doctors.

We asked them to share with us some of their reflections on their experience while they were here. So this week’s blog comes to you from the Doctors who were here for the past month.

Reflection from Janice:

Our time at Be Like Brit was full of cute kids, laughs and dance parties. In addition to all that fun, we enjoyed spending our time serving at the community clinics of Mission of Hope and Haiti Arise along with working in the BLB clinic. Working and living alongside the 67 kids at BLB was such a fun experience! Not only that but it was such a joy getting to know each of the kids over the month. It is clear that the kids at BLB have the love and support that they need to blossom and shine. It was a blessing to see that translate into kids who love reading and kids who are not afraid to recite poems and sing songs in front of a crowd! It was also wonderful seeing how BLB has been improving the surrounding community from the houses that have been built to the strong network of caretakers and employees from the community that work to improve the lives of the BLB kids. I feel very lucky to have been part of such a beautiful experience here in Haiti! I will truly miss all the wonderful kids and their joyful spirits, smiles and laughter! 

Reflection from Adam:

As I had two prior opportunities to travel to this wonderful country before, I leapt at the opportunity to come to Haiti as our UMass Pediatrics residency program and BLB form a new partnership. I had some notions of what we would be seeing and the limitations often implicit in caring for people in resource poor areas and was thrilled that the 67 children at BLB are likely some of the physically healthiest in Grand Goâve. Luckily, the children waited for us to arrive before a seasonal viral infection ran through their place so we were able to meet a score of them for fevers and cough. And, just like any other healthy, safe, kids, as soon as the fever falls they are back running around and trying their best to run the place.

Being able to do clinical work at some sites of BLB's partner organizations it was a mixture of gratification and frustration. The majority of people had simple needs which could be provided but one gentleman in particular who needed urgent hospital care couldn't go get it for a myriad of reasons and we were not equipped to provide anything close to what he needed on a simple mobile clinic. Overall, however, I left feeling hopeful because with proper investment, planning, and just direction, from Haitian leaders (and those concerned about Haiti's fate) the kids of BLB, the Grand Goâve community, and hopefully all of Haiti will have a bright future.

Reflection from Sara:

I feel fortunate that we got to stay almost 4 weeks at BLB because it really gave us more time to get to know the children. I feel like we are just now hitting the “sweet spot” of knowing who everyone is and seeing their silly personalities.  Earlier in the week, we were trying to wrap up our final physicals on the children.  Trying to prevent a peanut gallery from forming has been quite a difficult endeavor each time the clinic door swings open—when they see us in there working, playful, giggling, masses just start flooding in!! For every patient we typically have, there are at least 3-4 other children hanging around, bursting with curiosity.  Having a few ‘spare’ kids around worked to our benefit, as they could be the ‘runners’ to go grab the next patient on the list—and, wow, did they fulfill their duties with enthusiasm!  One particularly dazed teeny girl was dragged into our clinic, led proudly by an older boy, and we asked “Was she sleeping?!” To which he replied “yes!”….They take their jobs seriously! Perhaps we should have specified that ripping children out of their blissful sleep was not necessary, but these enthusiastic helpers clearly did not want to disappoint!

The allure to hang around the clinic only increased after they learned that they could hear their own heartbeat with a stethoscope (thank goodness we have several extras!). Before long, our clinic was bursting at the seams with stethoscope-wearing, eager, boisterous little bystanders, pretending to be our assistants.  This became all the more adorable when some of the younger boys started singing the hand washing song we taught them our first week here (set to the tune of Taylor Swift’s “shake it off”)—“lave men”.  Such a precious moment!

The other day, we took a walk to the river with some of the children, which gave us the opportunity to see more of the surrounding community.  When much of our time has been spent within the walls of BLB, seeing the raw realities of those families who live all around us was a reminder that there is more work to be done, and more people that still need to be reached. We passed homes made of tarps and scraps of metal, we saw toddlers bathing in muddy water, we saw children with tattered clothing. Seeing how healthy, educated, clean, and nourished our BLB kiddoes are makes us all grateful and optimistic about their futures. But for each BLB child here, there are hundreds all around Haiti who may not have adequate housing, sufficient food, access to medical care, or quality education. BLB is a symbol of hope, of what can be for the next generation of Haiti….but yesterday’s walk around the community is a reminder that the job is far from over!

Thanks to all the amazing Haitian BLB staff here (and Madam Amanda!) who took such great care of us during our stay, and made us feel so welcome.  

Thank you again to Sara, Adam, Anna, and Janice for their hard work and quality time that they spent with us here at Be Like Brit. They truly showed us their care and concern for the people of Haiti. Thank you for helping us help the people of Haiti by working with us at Be Like Brit!!!