News – Page 36 – Haitian Island Ministries

Hi everyone,

Wow, our world has sure changed over the past few weeks! Without a doubt, none of us have ever seen anything like this and hopefully, won’t again.

Haiti’s first positive Coronavirus case was reported March 16 and, like other countries, they have shut down too. Flights and the border with the Dominican Republic are shut down. As far as we know the only people getting in are healthcare personnel from other countries, and especially Cuba. Cuba has a long history providing help to Haiti, and we have worked with Cuban doctors, sending patients to them or one of their facilities for tests or x-rays.

As with any disaster in Haiti (and this disaster comes just behind good news, as they have no new cases of cholera) people are just going to die — most because of a lack of care and knowledge. Hopefully things we have told them and taught them come into play as they did with cholera.

We also know there are times when people can’t help or give. We understand that, especially now. Since all schools in Haiti are closed, as are most other business, any funds we receive will go into the nutrition programs and nothing else. And it won’t be for just kids; we will just feed whoever shows up until it is gone. We know this goes against our “social distancing” practices, but we feel that we cannot let the kids go hungry. We plan to have food cooked, and then they can pick it up and leave. They would just starve if ministries shut down these programs.

Terry had the transplant, is home, and doing fairly well. We had to stay in St. Louis for two weeks, in the hospital for eight of those days. She has been having problems with kidney function and some counts are not coming up as quickly as we want, But having been through this once, we have some idea what’s next. Her hemoglobin and hematocrit are very low, which causes her to be very weak, and since the chemo destroys everything, her immune system was weak as well. The only times she gets out is for a trip to the bone marrow clinic and back home.

It is a time for us to pray:

for each other and each of us be as careful as possible,
for doing the things each of us have to do, including getting out,
for a cure,
for those who have lost jobs,
for those who have lost loved ones,
for Terry,
for our friends in Haiti, and their needs,
and for all of you.

Hi everyone,

We finally have a date for Terry’s stem cell transplant. She has more testing to be done before then to make sure everything else is in good shape, and then for us be in place by the end of February.

She will have another line placed in her left chest the morning of March 2, chemo later that day after recovery, chemo the 3rd and then transplant the morning of the 4th. This chemo is not the same as they have been giving her though; this one kills all her cells before putting new stem cells back in. It also causes her hair to fall out, so in getting ready, she had it cut very short. (Not as short as mine, but close.)

Because she had such a bad time with it before, they are going to admit her March 8th, when all blood counts usually bottom out, and keep her until at least the 18th, or when the levels start going back up.

But even then, she can’t have visitors, flowers, be around dust (I need to get to work!) and she won’t be able to do anything at all.

We know you pray about this, and we know your prayers work because things could be so much worse. If any would like to keep up with how things are progressing, and you have email, send us a note.

We appreciate all your cards and prayers for Terry and the help and prayers you offer for our friends in Haiti. We love you guys.

School finally started in Haiti, although all the kids haven’t returned yet. I guess if I were a parent there, I might keep my kids home a little longer too. There is also the worry some have moved, since Haiti is such a transient country, and some go live with other family who may be a little better off than they are. Because it is so late in the school year, they may not come back at all.

We also decided to match the gift of a pig, by buying one to go with it and plan on making it a school project. We think it will be a good lesson in helping others for the kids. Next month we will go into more detail on how we are going to do that and who gets the first offspring.

There is still no solution to the political problems there, so the peace they enjoy now, may not last for long. A large part of the country still wants the president to resign and he says he isn’t going anywhere so it isn’t over.

Update: Carnival celebrations have been cancelled, following street violence and firefights between police and the army outside the national palace. The protests are over police pay and working conditions. The government cancelled Carnival in Port-au-Prince “to avoid a bloodbath.” Protesters had burned dozens of Carnival floats and stands, saying they did not believe the country should be celebrating during a crisis.