Monday, January 25, 2010

an even greater need for St. Vincent's School

We have got to get St. Vincent's School up and running again.  Started by Sr. Joan, it was the only school for the disabled in Haiti.  They also had a brace shop, an eye clinic, and physical therapy, which I think others were able to access as well, and they had a few guest rooms for visiting doctors and mission workers. With all these amputations due to untreated wounds, the need is going to be great for the school, the shop and clinic, and for braces and prosthetics.  

You can read more about the situation for amputees here:
In Haiti, Many Amputees Have No Place to Go (NY Times)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/jan/21/haiti-doctors-warn-amputee-crisis
http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/22/updates-on-the-crisis-in-haiti-2/


St.Vincent's was destroyed along with the rest of the Episcopal schools and churches in the area.  Pere Sadoni and most of the children and staff got out alive, thanks be to God, but I've heard there were at least six deaths (both children and staff).  I hope the man with whom I talked in the brace shop made it out, too.  He had undergone extensive training abroad and could have stayed in a lucrative position elsewhere, but he chose to come back and serve these children in Haiti. I'm reposting one of the pictures I took of him last summer in the brace shop (see post on St. Vincent's from last summer for more information).


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