Details from NPH Staff who are working to find volunteer bodies in Haiti.  Very sad news.... you won't recognize the names but we know most of them.  Read below what is expected of those who come to volunteer.  We got a team of Italian doctors in last night who had large suitcases with no backpacks, sleeping bags, supplies, or water.  One went to a hotel for the night because he said he preferred not to sleep in an orphanage.  Thank God they are here, but I think they're in for quite a shock.  It is really really bad, but you can read all of that below....
Love,
Kristin

Hello Friends,

After driving by night to Kennedy Airport January 12th, and flying to the Dominican Republic  January 13th, Conan and I arrived to Haiti this morning in the helicopter of the President of the Dominican Republic. This ride was due to the reputation of NPH in the Dominican Republic, NPH Italy, a reputation enhanced in the DR by Andrea Bocelli not long ago.

 

Our first tasks were the medical evacuation of one of our American volunteers, the medical evacuation of one of our Cuban doctors and the evacuation of the body if one of our American visitors. The search still continues in the rubble for another missing American volunteer, Molly.

 

We also had 18 funerals today. One for John who works at our St Luke program. We miss John very much. He often stopped to at my door to tell me the milestone of his developing baby, which delighted him no end. John ran our computerized language lab. Another was for Johanne’s mother. Joanne is one of the Directors of the St Luke program. All the others were of unknown people who were sadly rotting by the wayside.

 

Other sadnesses…the death of Immacula, our only physician assistant, who worked at our huge outpatient side of our hospital. The death of ALL but one of Joseph Ferdinand’s brothers and sisters, the death of the husband of Jacqueline Gautier as he was visiting a school which fell and all the students (all died), the death of our ex-pequeno Wilfrid Altisme who was in his 5th year of seminary for priesthood. Other stories of deaths of people who are dear to us keep coming in.

 

We spent the rest of the time managing the countless people with serious and severe wounds, coming to our hospital. We are doing our best for them, under trees and in the parking lot with ever diminishing supplies. We will work throughout the night and beyond. No stores are open, no banks are open. Diesel is running out. Will be out in two days if we don’t find a solution, which will mean no power at all. The hospital is without water since there is some broken line between the well and the water tower.

 

Structural damages to the hospital seem superficial at first glance, but about half the outer perimeter walls have fallen. The old hospital in Petionville is in ruins, and teams of workers, led by Ferel, and been digging for Molly non-stop around the clock.

 

WE HAVE NO INTERNET. OUR PHONES DO NOT WORK. IF A CALL DOES GET THROUGH WE CAN’T HEAR OR BE HEARD. Robin has internet access through a satellite. I asked her to send this message for me, and to read my emails and answer them as best she can for now.

 

Please continue to pray for us. We pray for you too.

Fr. Rick Frechette

____________________

Dear Friends and Family,

I want to thank you on behalf of Fr. Rick, NPFS, the St. Luke team and our entire family here in Haiti for all your prayers, concern and especially support during this most difficult time. Fr. Rick has asked me to send something to update everyone. I am the point of contact person here in Haiti so please try not to contact him via email because I'm answering both emails! At this time there is no regular internet, electricity for internet or for computer or phone charging. Fr. Rick is at spending most of his time at the hospital and organizing search/rescue teams with Nebez and Augusnel (of St. Luke). The phones lines are also not yet reliable. It will be easier for us to keep things with a good flow if all information goes through myself and Monica Gery.  At this time, all interviews need to go through me. Fr. Rick cannot do them.

This morning Fr. Rick, Dr. Pilar Silverman, Conan, Vern Conaway and I arrived in Haiti via special helicopter arrangements made by the First Lady of the Dominican Republic and by Vern. The state of the country is beyond words. The past few years of hurricanes were nothing compared to the scope of damage done with this earthquake. The government has advised no one stay inside as aftershocks were still hitting the country today. People are literally sleeping, well really just sitting in groups, on the streets tonight. Electricity is cut, Water is running out and so is food. We are almost out of medical supplies. 

The child patients at St. Damien Hospital in Tabarre are all outside on the grass under makeshift canopies and we are hoping to get tents soon. Two emergency centers have been set up in the driveway of the hospital - one for children and one for adults. The other hospitals are also overloaded and running out of supplies as well. We are almost out of supplies and we have many offers of donations that can be sent if people confirm it with me first. As far as we know the large donations of meds, etc., have to be sent the same as usual and pass through port authority or the airport and customs. Please do not send containers or large donations UNLESS you have arranged with prior - we don’t have the staff or time to track down things that have not been pre-arranged. If your office has arranged with me already to send containers or donations please make sure to address them as follows, and please include a donation letter and a facturation detail or we will not be able to start the process to get them out. We also would need the original bill of landing and paperwork fed-exd - but we can try with scanned copies to us to start the process:

Nos Petits Freres et Soeurs

c/o Fr. Rick Frechette or Maurice Solomon

117 Ave. Panamericaine

Petionville HAITI

West Indies

The children and staff in the orphanage are all fine. They were together outside on the basketball court during the earthquake, slept outside last night and probably will continue to do so until we know its safe for them indoors. The children who live in our rented houses in the St. John Bosco program (formally the extern program) are okay. We are not yet sure of all the ex-pequeños (hermanos mayores) and all of the children living with family. We have lost several people so far including John our know-how-to-do-anything-electronics man from St. Damien, an ex- pequeños Solita Badio and her baby,  two younger brothers and one sister of Joseph Ferdinand our Intranet Projects Manager, many extended family members and I fear the list will continue to grow as the days go on.  Fr. Rick already did 15 funerals this afternoon and I've been told there are just bodies lying in the streets in Port au Prince. Our Father Wasson Center has indeed collapsed and it’s a very sobering experience to stand next to it. Our volunteer Erin Kloos has been evacuated to the US after being pulled from the Fr. Wasson Center rubble after a 12 hour search and rescue. A visitor Rachel has been evacuated to the US with a broken arm and we are still searching for Molly Hightower. Please pray for Molly and please pray for the countless men who have been searching non-stop for almost 56 hours now.