Year-end Gift to Support Kelby’s Kids in Haiti

“I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord.

Those who have known Kelby through the years, understand that a long-awaited dream has become reality! For those who have recently become friends of Kelby's Kids, Inc, the Lord has been working out the details of Kelby’s move to Haiti for many years.

Jeremiah’s letter from the Lord (Jeremiah 29) sounds a lot like what the Lord was speaking to Kelby’s heart as he waited for the Lord to prepare the way for him to move to Port Au Prince and serve the medical needs of Haiti’s children.

Jeremiah 29:10-14:  This is what the Lord says: “You will be in [Reed City] for [twenty-five years]. But then I will come and do for you all the good things I have promised, and I will bring you home again. For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In this days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. I will be found by you,” says the Lord. I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes. I will gather you out of the nations where I sent you and will bring you home again to your own land.”

We can all be partners with Kelby as he provides desperately-needed medical care for children in Haiti. We have opportunity to support Kelby (and ultimately Kelby’s Kids in Haiti) through:

  • prayer (the most powerful tool in the hands of the Lord)
  • financial support (Kelby is fully reliant on the support of all of us)
  • sharing the story of Kelby’s work in Haiti (share Facebook and blog posts with others)

As 2016 ends, it’s not too late to support Kelby for the first time, or with an additional year end gift. All contributions that are postmarked on or before 12/31/16, are recorded for 2016 tax credit.

Please consider a year-end gift to support Kelby’s Kids, Inc and provide for the children of Haiti.

Until no child dies.

Barb Frahm, Secretary/Treasurer

 

Click here to support Kelby's Kids with a tax-deductible, end-of-the-year gift.

 

A little housekeeping about making donations. 

PayPal is a convenient way to give automated monthly gifts. There is a fee for Kelby's Kids to accept a PayPal account but we gladly pay the fee since it makes it more convenient for you to give.

Stripe is another way to give through the website. They, too, charge Kelby's Kids a fee. It's a bit more than PayPal (so, if it makes no difference to you, please select the Paypal option).

Sending a check by mail through your bank is free to you and Kelby's Kids. Please contact your bank or credit union about setting up the free BillPay service to mail a check to Kelby's Kids, P.O. Box 57, Reed City, Mich. 49677-0057. 

Please contact me (Barb) if you have questions about giving through electronic transfer or about any of the giving options listed above.

 

It's beginning to look a lot like..... Christmas?

It’s so hard to believe that it’s the 4th of December already.  Each day the reel feel temperature is still between 95 to 100 degrees or more.  It certainly doesn’t feel like winter or Christmas to me.  Although Christmas is still happening in Haiti!  They are starting to decorate the class rooms and you see Christmas trees and decorations on the street for sale.  But even if there is no snow and you don’t have electricity in your home to put Christmas lights on your tree, many of the people of Haiti are excited for the real reason for the season because they know that is where the real hope is!

A little Christmas display at the local grocery store (the Police truck was $285 U.S.)

A little Christmas display at the local grocery store (the Police truck was $285 U.S.)

Well, I guess I should catch you up on Jean.  I went back to the Hospital on Thursday morning and a doctor still hadn’t seen him since he was admitted.  They did manage to dress his infected wound after we got there which was about 45 hours into his stay.  So who knows what else it picked up after got to the hospital (people kept offering me a chair and even though my back hurt from standing around waiting, I was not willing to set on anything in his room.  It was pretty bad).  We tried to figure out what needed to be done.  The guy in the bed across from him was encouraging him to be patient and stay for the surgery.  Jean wasn’t too sure he wanted to anymore.  I asked my translator what had happened to his roommate.  He said that he got poked in the foot with something in the hurricane and he got an infection in his foot.  He stated that he has been in the hospital for 2 months now.  His wife showed me pictures of the before and after.  He did have an infection in his foot but the surgeon had totally degloved the top of his foot and up into his leg right after he arrived.  He had bugs crawling on the dressing so I know there was bad stuff going on under the dressing.  I said that is never going to heal without a skin graph.  He said that he was scheduled for one tomorrow.  Given my limited experience at this hospital already, I said “how long have they been telling them that?” and when it was translated everyone in the room erupted in laughter.  So, I imagine for some time now.  I also noticed they had been working with his arm more than his leg.  I asked what had happened with that and they said that his IV had gone bad and they were waiting for the swelling to go away.  I asked when it happened and they said 2 days after he arrived.  I told him that he most likely had gotten compartment syndrome in his arm and I was sorry but his arm was never going to be the same again.  With that Jean said, “I’m not having surgery, were leaving!”  I said good plan, lets go!  So with about another hour worth of work we signed him out AMA.  Which really should have just been AAbecause he hadn’t actually been seen by a doctor as an inpatient.  So, I took all of his medications we had bought and we took him home.

It's not a very good picture but it gives you some idea... You can see half of his house in this picture.  The tarps are very dark colors so the heat is intense.  And there are more like this all around him so there is almost no breeze.&nb…

It's not a very good picture but it gives you some idea... You can see half of his house in this picture.  The tarps are very dark colors so the heat is intense.  And there are more like this all around him so there is almost no breeze. 

Friday I went and started an IV on Jean to give him more of the IV antibiotics that we had taken with us.  We went into his little 5’ X 9’ tarp house so he could lay down.  I started an IV on him and then cleaned and redressed his wound.  I am not sure how hot it was inside but I know my forehead was dripping faster than his IV.  When his IV was finished, I walked outside and when the cool 95-degree air hit me I felt like I had just stepped out of the shower, I was very wet!  I can’t imagine that being my home.  I will continue to work with Jean with oral medications and dressing changes and hopefully we can get his leg healed up soon!

Sunday was the day the election results from last Sunday were to be released.  There was not much on the news about the unrest.  Sherrie said “come here and let me show you something.” We went up on the roof (4 stories up) and she said do you see all the smoke.  They don’t usually burn much on Sunday mornings and they also do most of their burning in the evening to chase the mosquitos away.  I think those are Manifestations (demonstrations) and think we better stay close to home.  You couldn’t even see the second rim on the mountain side near us the smoke was so thick.  So we went out the back gate to the neighbors for our second Sunday in a row in a small house church.

Monday was a fairly calm day and election results were finally announced late in the afternoon.  So, Tuesday we had a Manifestation day.  The schools in Haiti don’t get snow days but we do get demonstration days!!

I had a visit from my little buddy from a couple weeks ago (the 4-year-old son of nearby missionaries).  He looked so much better and was doing great!  It sounded like his Pneumonia was totally gone!!  It was good to see him back to normal after being so sick and was blessed that the Lord had allowed me to be a small part in helping him feel better.

I know most of you have seen this little guys picture but I haven’t yet shared his story with you.

This little man is just over a year old and only weights 14 pounds.  His legs are very small and he is unable to even try to stand up at all.  His belly is rather distended and he probably has a bad case of worms which are taking all his nutrition that he is getting through the baby feeding program.  We had started him on a very careful regimen of medications for the worms and parasites a week ago.  In small children, you must be very careful how you kill the worms.  Once they have a lot of worms, if you were to give them a full does of medications it would kill the worms.  It will also most likely kill the child.  As the worms are dying they will ball up trying to protect themselves and will cause a bowel obstruction that will most likely be fatal for the child.  Once we get the worms taken care of we will see if we can put some more weight on him.  If not then we can look to other issues but with the complete lack of clean water it is the most likely cause…  In Haiti it’s all about looks.  There is very little education on the things that we can’t see that can hurt us very badly.  I have shared pictures of the ravine with you.  People wash clothes and bath in this water and some of the children play in it.  I had a mom bring me a 2-month-old yesterday that had diarrhea.  I asked what she is eating/drinking.  She said she still breast feeding but also some water.  I picked up the baby bottle that was setting next to hear and could see the dirt floating in it.  We had a long discussion on how important clean water is for out babies.

This week my friend Stacy from HERO Ambulance called and asked if I could help her get some equipment from another organization.  She said that an organization had left Haiti and there supplies and equipment were available to get.  So, we headed over to a very large, very beautiful home were a very disturbing scene was found.  This organization had come down shortly after the earthquake to do relief work.  When they got bored with the project they simply walked away.  We found medications, medical supplies, and equipment laying all over the floors of this house.  Conservatively, I would say there was probably at least $250,000.00 worth of medical supplies and medications laying on the floor.  All of them brand new and unused.  Now this could have been a real gold mine for us but since they left over 2 ½ years ago, now everything is covered in dirt, the rats have been living in it, and all the medications are now expired.  It was just sickening to see the waste and disregard for the needs of Haiti.  There is no reason for this kind of behavior.  They could have made 1 or 2 phone calls and everything would have been picked up and thousands of people could have been helped with this.  We salvaged what we could of the equipment and a few supplies.  The next day a dump truck would arrive and it was all going to the dump to be burned.  This is unfortunately a good example of the waste and miss use of funds from some large organizations and those who are contracted by government aid programs.  If you really want to help people, give it to the little people who are one the ground, living with, and helping people every day.  Not the people who never actually get out of there helicopter and meet the people where they are hurting right now.

I ran into this girl in the Ravine the other day.  She reportedly had boiling water spilled on her (Sometimes these things can be from Voodoo).  It sounded like she was about 20+ days out from the burn and they have been following up in the hospital.  It looked surprisingly good for where she lives but she did have a little bit of infection going.  I will be following her to be sure that her infection doesn’t get any worse.

Last night one of the school teachers came to the school to ask Sherrie for help.  Junior, his little 1 year old son, was in the hospital and not doing well.  He stated that he was born prematurely and he was told he was dead before he was ever born.  When he was delivered, he was actually alive but he has had medical complications ever since.  He said that the baby has water in his chest and needs surgery.  He said that he is out of money now and he needed money for the surgery.  I asked him what his diagnosis was and what the surgery would do and he wasn’t really sure.  They never give you diagnosis in Haiti, they just keep ordering tests and medications.  We are working to see what’s going on and be sure that this surgery is a good idea and what the true underlying cause is.  I really want to go to the hospital to see him and try to figure out what’s going on but if I do then they will know that there is “an endless supply of money” linked to this patient and we will be back in the same situation as we were in with Jean.  I have some suspicions as to what may be going on but we need to wait for word from the hospital (if they know).  We need to know what conditions they are treating him for and if it is something that can or can’t be cured in Haiti or anywhere.  Last night I asked him to go back to the hospital and have then write down his diagnosis and what kind of surgery they were going to do.  He called a couple hours later and stated that they had been transferred to another hospital.  This leads me to believe that they did not have a diagnosis and were just grasping at straws and decided that if someone was asking these questions they better transfer him before something happens to him.  Please pray for Junior, and his parents, and that we will be able to get a diagnosis, that we will be able to get him the care that he needs, and that it will be available in Haiti.

Be sure to continue to following my blog.  I have a story that has been coming together for a while but I want to be able to share it with you in its entirety.  Everything should be complete by next Sunday's post!

As always, I am humbled by your willingness to partner with me in my work, showing Gods love to the kids in Haiti, and providing hope though good health!  It is such a blessing to be able to serve not only the kids but anyone who is truly in need.  But the need is so great here.  Please pray for discernment for me in my decisions.  Not only the medical decisions I make continually as I work but also the decisions for further care somewhere else, which is often expensive and sometimes without positive results (as seen with Jean and Juniors experiences).  If I helped everyone I came in contact with that has a need, I could probably empty the bank account for this ministry in an hour or two.  It’s difficult to say no so much, when all you really want to do is help!

Could you tell this cute little face "NO"?

Could you tell this cute little face "NO"?

Until no child dies…

Kelby

Going Down South

Well how are all yall doing?  I just finished a fantastic week with a team from Alabama!!  It’s been a very busy week but a very good week!  I will try to cover the highlights without making this too long.  I think I have learned a little more creole this week but with a bit of a southern drawl!

Monday morning, I was able to get some more tests ordered for Laura so that we could get everything done for the doctor in the U.S.  I have not seen the results of those tests yet since getting home but will be working on that more tomorrow.

Part of the board of directors for Christian Light School (CLS) was here for several days and it was nice to be able to meet some of them and get to know them.  We had some great conversations and I look forward seeing them again soon.

This is the center of the neighborhood that all of the kids at CLS come from 

This is the center of the neighborhood that all of the kids at CLS come from 

There were several sick kids in school after the weekend so that filled my morning.  There was a lot to do in preparation for the team on Tuesday.  I had to go through the clinic and try to find some items that we would need to take with us so I got a little start on the cleaning and organizing process in the clinic. 

Stacy called in the afternoon and had a 4-year-old that she needed some help with for a transport with HERO Ambulance but were not able to coordinate it between me not having a driver and the needed meet point and my schedule.  It was difficult to not be able to go help this little guy…

Tuesday morning started off before 5 am like usual.  The students are starting to come to me more for help and even though there a little shy about speaking in English to me we are getting them taken care of.  I was able to run out and get the last 2 things we needed for our trip from the pharmacy.  If only you would walk into Rite Aid and grab a case of IV fluids in the states.

The medical team arrived and we started to get to know each other and organize the luggage with the supplies in them.  While I was standing there talking, one of the Restavec classes came out carrying a girl.  At first glance I wasn’t sure what they were doing and found it rather odd but when they almost dropped her and she didn’t react I realized that she was unresponsive.  I quickly moved her to a bench before she was injured.  After a few minutes, she started to come around some.  She has been sick and not drinking much water and when she started vomiting she passed out.  I began assessing her and while try to do orthostatic vitals she was unable to stand, started vomiting again and almost passed out.  After a quick check with Sherrie to be sure there would be no trouble from her owner with treating her, it was time for some IV fluids.  I started a line on her and it amazed her what a liter of fluid could do.  After a while she was feeling better, her blood pressure was back up, she wasn’t nauseated anymore, and she was able to stand.  With some medications and some instructions, she was given a ride home.

Wednesday morning, the team and I headed out for Port Salut on the southern peninsula of Haiti.  It was a long, bumpy, dusty, hot trip with lots of traffic but we finally made it.  The trip took much longer than planned and so we were not able to do a medical clinic on Wednesday afternoon like we had hoped.  But, it was a very interesting trip.  It was amazing to watch the devastation get worse and worse the further south we drove.  It will take years for them to rebuild and get life back to normal.  They have said it could be a long as 5 years to restore power to the entire area.  Most of the poles are down or leaning significantly.  But on a bright side they now have miles and miles of new close line stretched across the area.  Our truck has a top on it which made it very difficult to take pictures so I couldn’t capture it, but it was interesting to see people using high tension power lines to dry their clothes on.

A large bridge on the main road to the southern peninsula was washed away.  Now you have to go down through the river bed to get out there.

A large bridge on the main road to the southern peninsula was washed away.  Now you have to go down through the river bed to get out there.

 

Thursday morning we went to the site of our first clinic.  The building we were going to use was no longer available so they took us to another site where we could hold our clinic.  It was just a small house.  We went to work to put up tarps from the roof of the house and secured it to the walls of the property and in about 20 minutes a clinic was born.  We were able to see 75 patients that day for a wide variety of complaints and issues.  One of the patients was about 5 months pregnant.  She was concerned as she has not felt the baby move very much lately.  Before we left the statement was made (due to possible political unrest and road blocks) “don’t take anything you want to bring home with you.”  Although the medical equipment I brought added up at a fair amount I decided at the last minute to throw in my fetal Doppler anyway.  Even if I had lost it on the way home it would have been worth to see the look on her face when she was able to hear her baby and we told her that the babies heart rate was very strong.  She started crying and thanked us for telling her that her baby was alive!       

An open air clinic.... It could be a new trend!

An open air clinic.... It could be a new trend!

Friday morning we headed to a school for our second clinic.  It was a little better layout than the yard by the little house but the breeze wasn’t as good.  We seen all 86 patients that came for help.  It was interesting to see how many pointed to the hurricane as the start of their complaint.  We had babies that were only a couple weeks old and all the way up to even seeing a 95 year old man, which is very rare in Haiti.  We even found a patient that nobody knew about!  One lady came in and because we didn’t have any pregnancy tests, and although she said that she wasn’t pregnant.  We were able to confirm that she was in fact pregnant with the Doppler.  

This little guy must have thought he waited to long in line and it was past his lunch time cause he kept grabbing my thumb and sticking it in his mouth to chew on!!

This little guy must have thought he waited to long in line and it was past his lunch time cause he kept grabbing my thumb and sticking it in his mouth to chew on!!

Saturday morning we headed for home.  After a long discussion on Friday night it was decided that we should not do a clinic in the morning and finish up some other projects that were planned.  There was talk of road blocks and possible unrest in the afternoon so we decided it would be best to leave first thing since we had a long trip.  We had hired some workers when we got there to do some cleanup work in the area, we also had hired some carpenters to fix the roofs on several houses while we were there.  They would continue working for the next couple days but sadly our work was done.  We were disappointed to not have been able to do as much as we had hoped or planned but we were still able to make a difference in the lives of 161 adults and Children who have had their world turned upside down.

Damaged houses, debris everywhere, power lines down.

Damaged houses, debris everywhere, power lines down.

When we arrived home, Sherrie meet us and told me that the director of the children’s home up the road was bring a 4 year old boy with possible Malaria.  When he arrived, I noticed he was much paler that I anticipated.  He was the son of another missionary in the area and not one of the orphans.  He had a very high fever and was having trouble breathing.  He had gotten the walking pneumonia that is going around and it hit him pretty hard.  I started an IV on him to get him some fluids and got him on some antibiotics and a breathing treatment.  He perked up some with the fluid but was defiantly not feeling well.  As it was almost 6 pm and a curfew had been imposed to limit unrest over Sundays presidential election and not being able to travel if something happened during the night they went to a guest house one street over so I could check on him if he got worse.     

Sunday we walked about 150 yards out the back gate to a house church since we were not allowed to be on the roads.  In the afternoon, a couple of the ladies on the team did a wonderful job getting the rest of the clinic cleaned and everything on the shelves for me.  The medical team left all the leftover supplies for me to help get my inventory built up in the clinic.  This saved me probably 2-3 days of work if I would have just had to dump everything in a pile on the floor and then have to work around it and then go through all of it.  It will need a little tweaking as I go but I am thankful that they save me so much work!!  It was also such a blessing to have all the remaining supplies to get the clinic up and running.  It will save me a lot of time and money trying to get all of the things I would have needed. 

I went over to check on my little patient across the road in the afternoon and he was doing a little bit better.  I had left his IV in incase we needed it during the night.  I gave him some more fluids, and another breathing treatment.  By the next morning, he was doing much better and they headed for home to be with the rest of their family.

Sunday night you could see the  large market fire in Petionville from the school roof.  Protesters had set the market on fire after the elections earlier in the day.

Google image...  We weren't that close.

Google image...  We weren't that close.

Monday morning, my brother David (a Firefighter & Paramedic) who I meet here at CLS about 4 years ago, and lead this medical team, took the team to the Ravine with the baby feeders.  When you walk around everyone knows David as he worked her for about 2 years.  He introduced me to many people and told them I was the new guy in town to fill his spot.  He also did this in the school so now things are really getting busy because now the people feel they can trust me.  It was such a blessing to be able to work with David again!  We had some good times together on past trips working together and telling war stories from work back in the states.

Tuesday morning, I said goodbye to the medical team as they headed for the airport.  It was hard to believe that a week had gone by already.  It’s hard to believe that I have been here 2 weeks already.

I took a guy to the hospital that we have found in the ravine the day before with a large infection in his lower leg.  He has had it for 4 months but was unable to afford and care.  The medical team provided some money to take him to the hospital.  So, we went to the hospital and seen a surgeon who said that it would need to be surgically debrided.  He was to be admitted to the hospital.  This is a strange process in deed.  The doctor wrote orders for lab work, a chest X-Ray, and medications and IV fluids.  We took the medication form to the pharmacy to confirm they had the medications and they are set aside.  We then went to the office and invoices are given or each item.  We then went to the cashier and paid for the items.  Then we went to X-Ray and got his chest film which they gave us the original.  We then went back to the pharmacy and picked up all his medications.  Then we went to the lab for his blood work.  They told us they would come to his room and draw the blood.  We found him a bed in a rather small room with 6 beds in it.  The family is required to care for them at night, provide food, and care for all their personal needs.  The nurses only give medications and start IV’s.  We left him in his room and went to get his wife to come and care for him at the hospital.

I had this post ready Tuesday night but we had no internet so I will add today as well…

This morning (Wednesday), his wife came to the school and said that we needed to come and get them to care for him because nobody is doing anything.  So back we went to the hospital and he was lying in bed but he did have an IV.  We found out that they had never done his blood work so we had to go to the lab and get them to come and take his blood.  The nurse wrote us an order for more medications so we went through the process to get those.  They started some of the medications when we returned.  We talked to the nursing office and they told us that they would get the surgeon to come and see him.  Tonight, we got a phone call that after 32 hours in the hospital he has not been see by a doctor yet other than the doctor in the clinic when we first arrived.  So tomorrow we will have to go back to the hospital and will most likely leave with him as nothing is being done for him but running up his bill.  It’s a very frustrating system here in Haiti.

One of the children in the baby feeding program.

One of the children in the baby feeding program.

I hope that each of you have a blessed Thanksgiving Day and that you remember to be thankful for everything you have.  There is so much more to life than black Friday sales and football.  I will probably have beans and rice for thanksgiving dinner and that’s just fine!

If you’re not already involved I hope that you would consider partnering with me in this work.  Maybe even a year-end tax deductible donation to help some of these kids so that they can have a chance to grow up!

Until No Child Dies,

Kelby Klassen 

Home Is Where The Heart Is

I think I just might be almost settled in now and it is starting to feel like home!!  This is my little 9’ X 15’ house.  Since tinny houses are the in thing now, I am keeping up with the times!!!  I guess I could technically brag that I am living in a 36 room, 12 bath, multi wing, 3 story house in the Caribbean but since it’s really a school first and only home to a few people, I wont do that!

Everything I have goes into the 4' X 8' box on the left.  It has a shower curtain on the front to try to keep the dust out.  

Everything I have goes into the 4' X 8' box on the left.  It has a shower curtain on the front to try to keep the dust out.  

I think I am ready to get started cleaning and organizing the clinic tomorrow morning if time allows!  It has been a very busy start to my time here so let me try to catch you up!!

When I first got here time was flying by...  I brought a little electronic alarm clock, with the red numbers, so I wouldn’t have to keep a flash light in bed with me to look at the clock I had (it has to be on the inside of the mosquito net!).  When I plugged it in it was flashing very rapidly.  I set the time and it didn’t take long to realize that there was a problem.  It was chugging along and added a minute to the time every 12 seconds.  So now I still get to sleep with a flash light.  BUT, that seems to be the only casualty of my trip!!  Nothing else was broken missing, or damaged (except of course the suitcases which only survive about 3 - 4 trips) under the gentle care of the airline and TSA people!  So very thankful, again, to walk quickly though the airport in Haiti without issue!!

When I arrived on Wednesday to Christian Light School it was dinner time.  I was able to catch up with Sherrie on what had been going on since I had left.  After dinner, I got all my things to my room and was a little overwhelmed at all the stuff I have already in my tiny house.  It looked like a big job and when I turned the light on in my room and the bulb burned out so I decided it wouldn’t be tonight.  I just found what I would need to get to bed as it had been a long day.  It would end up being a 3-day task to get it all sorted and arranged and get my medical things stored until I get the clinic ready to move them down.

As I started the unpacking progress on Thursday morning.  But at about 10:45 I got a text from Stacy, with HERO Ambulance (Haitian Emergency Response Organization ~ I have been harassed about wearing a T-Shirt that says HERO on it at home!).  Her text said “Welcome back!  Babies need you here!”  That made my heart happy!  It was followed by a picture of a little 2 day old that had a very large tumor of some kind on his left arm.  It went from his hand to his elbow.  He was in a small mission run clinic in Grand Goave and needed to get to Bernard Mevs hospital NICU in Port-Au-Prince.  I of course say YES come and get me and I will go.  Stacy was on another detail so I would be working with Steve.  He was on his way to meet find me.  After a little work with several people helping and a warm walk to a major intersection we met up and started the 1:40 response up to Grand Goave running code (Lights & Sirens).  It was a very interesting trip.  I tried to take a video for all my public safety friends who run code in the U.S. because you wouldn’t have believed it, but my phone isn’t allowing me to shot video right now for some reason.  Upon arrival, we went off the main road worked our way back into a little compound quite a ways off the main road.  No wonder our directions were go to Grand Goave and ask a Moto Taxi to lead you to the mission, because we never would have found it on our own.  When we arrived, we created quite a buzz around the compound.  This kind of thing doesn’t happen there every day!  We found the baby who wasn’t even 48 hours old. 

At the mission compound getting a report from the clinic staff.

At the mission compound getting a report from the clinic staff.

So early in life to have such issues to face.

So early in life to have such issues to face.

As you can see he has a life altering/threatening problem which needs attention as well as a work up to see what other issues he may have going on inside his little body.  He was difficult to get to wake up and respond well and because of this he had not been eating well.  So, he was getting a little dehydrated.  We worked during much of the 2 hour transport back to Port-Au-Prince to get him to nurse but even with the ride in the ambulance on Haiti’s roads and lots of trying to irritate him to wake up there was not a lot of success.  But thankfully his vitals and condition remained stable during transport.  The only thing that took a turn for the worse during transport was the passenger side mirror on the ambulance when a Tap Tap (Taxi) cut us off.  Thankfully the Tap Tap had room for 1 more people on it, because if it had been full, the mirror would have hit the back passenger in the head instead of the edge of the truck!  So we were very blessed it wasn't worse.  But we arrived at Bernard Mevs and delivered out patient to the Peds ER.  A person that heard the story has stepped up and is providing the expenses for the surgery!  He will probably lose his arm but it will save his life!  A surgery which his mother could never have paid for.

Getting loaded into the ambulance for the 2 hours trip back.

Getting loaded into the ambulance for the 2 hours trip back.

When I returned to the school after the ambulance transport I was told about a little 3-year-old girl that was sick.  They had her mother bring her to the school.  I assumed that she had a little cough or a fever or something.  When they arrived, I was met by a mother with a stack of medical paperwork who asked me to please not let her only child die!  We looked over the paperwork and quickly realized that she had some serious medical issues.  We made copies of her paperwork and told her we would look into this and get back to her.  We sent the paperwork to a doctor who has worked in Haiti and can read French to understand the paperwork better than we could.  She determined that she has a kidney stone as well as a systemic Strep infection that they don’t feel they can treat in Haiti.  She has had an extensive medical history already at 3 years of age.  So, we decided to get more tests to try to better understand her condition and how to best address the issues.  On Friday, we went to her doctor who stated that she is out of options and needs help.  I shared with her the tests that the doctor in the US wanted and she stated that she agreed with all of them.  She wrote us orders for the 18 lab tests and an Echo Cardiogram.  After the lab test we went down stairs for the Echo.  During the Test her mother came out and got me in the waiting room so I squeezed into the little exam room with them.  They were doing an ultrasound of her kidneys.  I asked what about the Echo and they stated that they don’t do those here.  I kind of felt like we were taken advantage of because a “Blah” (white person) was with them and they always have deep pockets.  I thought since were already doing it lets just confirm her last Ultrasound.  They were very convinced that her stones are gone!  Praise God!!! she is hopefully free from the stones which would explain why she hasn't had pain in the last 16 hours.  Some of the tests were inconclusive so we are looking at more tests for tomorrow.  We need to find out why a 3-year-old has Kidney Stones? If she still has a strep infection, and is it getting worse or better from the treatment she had?  And consider the possibility of other issues as she has had many medical problems since she required resuscitation after being born.  So, this is going to be a complicated road to try to figure out but we hope we can make a difference in Laura’s life.

A medical team is coming in on Tuesday.  0n Wednesday I will be traveling out to the southern peninsula with them to do medical clinics in the area’s effected by Hurricane Matthew.  Yesterday I was able to go to 4C’s (Caribbean Canadian Chemical Company) and get the medications we will need for these clinics.  They didn’t have everything I needed but we were lucky to find almost everything.  It still takes a while to get used to the Haitian money system.  I was a little shocked when they got me one basket of stuff and told me it was $27,390.00  But, that is in Haitian Goud's so it was only $415.00 U.S.  I am looking forward to going out with this team and being able to help as many people as possible.  You still hear stories of people with injuries, broken bones, and illnesses that are just getting to help a month after the Hurricane.

Yesterday afternoon I was able to finish the unpacking, sorting, organizing in my room.  I then put a couple little jump bags together so I can grab it and go for minor and major emergencies.  You can’t do that before you leave because you have to separate the liquids from the sharp things from the expensive things that you don’t want to turn over to the airlines to try and break.

Today is a pretty good day.  The real feel temperature is only 100 so it’s cooling off from when I was here in September.  I went to Quisqueya Chapel this morning for church.  Now I am just relaxing a little and writing this blog for you before a very busy week starts.  Monday and Tuesday, we will try to get Laura in for her additional tests.  I need to prepare some things for the medical team coming in on Tuesday and pack some of my things to make the trip.  Then at 5 am on Wednesday we will head out!

Please be praying for the 2-day old baby (had not been named yet) as he is cared for and that he will not have any complications once he returns home and will not become an outcast because it his issues.  Please also pray for Laura as we try to do everything we can for her to get her well again.  Please pray for safety and health as we go out to the southern peninsula to do medical relief work and that we will be able to be effective and make some life changing differences while were there.

I want to thank you all again for your support of this work in Haiti with children.  Your encouragement, prayers, and financial support are very encouraging to me and means that together we can make a difference in the lives of kids everyday!  I am still needing additional support to be able to provide effective medical care while I am here.  If you want to get involved please go to the Give Pray Go page on this web site or contact me at Kelby@KelbysKids.org for additional ways to give.

I seen this on Facebook today and thought it was fitting as my Creole is not very good yet, but I can still love on these kids.

"Live every moment, Laugh everyday, & LOVE BEYOND WORDS"

Until no child dies

Kelby      

As The Clock Strikes 12....

As the clock struck midnight last night it meant 2 things…  The first thing it meant was that I turned my pager off, bringing an end to my career of over 16 years with the Reed City Fire Department.  The second thing it means is there is only 9 days until I will be in Haiti!!  It feels like I still have 1000 things to do before I go.  My “to do” list seem to only get longer and never shorter.  I guess when it’s time to leave for the airport on the 8th the lists will be done even if everything is not crossed off.  The last week was very busy and the reality of my retirement from EMS on the 23rd hasn’t really set in as I haven’t had time to set down and think about it. 

The last 2 Sundays (the 23rd in Midland and the 30th in Reed City) were such a blessing as both the church I grew up in and my church here each had times of commissioning me as I prepare to make the move to Haiti to serve as God directs.  It was a blessing to have an opportunity to say good bye to friends as well as the many words of encouragement from so many.

The details have been finalized for me to stay and work at Christian Light School as I get started in Haiti!  I am looking forward to the opportunity to open the clinic and to work with the children in the school and surrounding community.  The Haitians have a proverb “Sak vid pa Pampe” – An empty sack can’t stand.  That is why the school provides almost 700 meals a day.  The students can’t learn if they are too hungry to concentrate.  This theory goes all the way down to the baby feeders in the ravine who feed the babies so that they will have enough nutrition for proper development so they can excel in school when there older.  So, providing good medical care will now be another means of filling that sack for over 350 kids so that they can get the most from their education.  This is the best way to bring them out of poverty and give them a hope for a better and brighter future.     

One of the many students at Christian Light School whom I will be working with.

One of the many students at Christian Light School whom I will be working with.

I am currently working a plan to head out on the southern peninsula of Haiti on November 16th with a team doing medical relief work in some of the areas hardest hit by Hurricane Matthew.  I will give you more details on this once I have them.  It is my hope that we can make a life changing difference in the lives of the people that we encounter, not only in immediate medical needs but also by providing hope that someone cares for them and their needs after the devastating event.

I want to give you a quick financial update.  I am pleased to announce that we have reached the monthly support mark set for my anticipated monthly expenses in Haiti!  Thank-You to those of you who were willing to come along side and partner with me for Kelby’s Kids!  We are off to a great start but we have only covered my sustainability in Haiti, which is a very important part of this ministry.  No Kelby… No Kelby’s Kids…  Now we need to continue moving forward to ensure medical effectiveness.  Medical supply and medication costs add up quickly and when a clinic serves several hundred patients they can go out the door even quicker.  I received an order of medical supplies today of some things I thought would be difficult to obtain in Haiti.  It was $200 worth of medical supplies, $190 of which are disposable/single use supplies.  Those supplies all fit into a single Walmart type shopping bag.  So, it will take an ongoing, monthly medical budget, to maintain the needed items for the clinic to operate effectively.  I have done some street clinics and there is no worse feeling that knowing what a patient needs but not having access to it.  Not being able to take care of a simple problem because of not enough IV fluids or not enough antibiotics can get very discouraging.

It’s still a little surreal to think that I am now completely unemployed and without any form of income.  I also don’t think it has set in that I have ended my career of over 25 years in Public Safety.  I am looking forward, with excitement, to getting to Haiti and being able to serve with my skills but in just a little different capacity than I am used to here.  I am truly blessed and humbled that this is all possible because or your generosity and support.  Together we will make a life changing difference in the lives of many kids!!

Until No Child Dies,

Kelby 

The Clock Is Ticking

I can’t believe that I am in the final countdown…  I am going to look at tickets tomorrow but I only have about 3 weeks left from today!  There is still so much to do but I know it will be here before I know it.

I only have 2 shifts left at EMS.  I work a 48 and then a 24 and on Saturday morning when I walk out I will complete my U.S. career in EMS with 25½ years of service.  I know it will be bitter sweet but I continue to look forward to what the future will being in Haiti with Kelby’s Kids.

Funding still continues to come in as well as commitments for monthly support.  I am almost to my goal for covering monthly expenses and soon will start securing the funding of the daily expenses for the activities in the clinic.  I continue to be honored and blessed by the support that has been shown.  For more information on financial needs and support options please look back in my previous blog post.

I want to be sure to let you know of 2 upcoming events that you may be interested in being a part of.  Both my church I grew up in as well as my church here in Reed City will be having a short time of prayer and commissioning for me before I leave to serve in Haiti.  If you’re in the area and would like to come to one of these I will be available for questions before and after services as well as have my information table set up.

The first is next Sunday, October 23, 2016 at the Midland Free Methodist Church (5821 Eastman Ave., Midland, MI 48640).  You can choose between the 9:30 am or the 11:00 am services.

The second will be Sunday, October 30, 2016 at the Reed City Church of the Nazarene (5300 220th Ave. Reed City, MI 49677).  The service time is 10:30 am.  A luncheon is being planned for after the service for a donation to support Kelby’s Kids.

If you have any questions about either of these dates, please feel free to contact me at Kelby@KelbysKids.org or 231-499-9056.  I would love to see as many folks as possible before I leave and this would be a great opportunity to do that.

As the death toll in Haiti passes 1,000 and continues climbing, I am anxious to get back to help those that have survived the devastation of Matthew but may succumb to the delayed effects of such a disaster.  After 2 weeks they are just gaining access to some of the most remote areas that were hardest hit.  Many of the areas have been completely destroyed and the pictures resemble what you may expect after a nuclear blast.  I am looking into where I will be able to go to do relief work in the southern tip of Haiti when I return.  It will be a long road for many who are dealing with lack of medical care, not enough food, and very little clean water.  Plus, the continued wound care for those that were injured as well as the illness that comes after these types of incidents.  I hope that my timing is good as the short term relief workers are returning home, that I can help continue that care to the people in need.  After the needs are able to be handled by the local organizations again I will return to Port-au-Prince to start the work that I set up on my last trip.

Almost complete devastation of the buildings and all of the leaves stripped from the trees. 

Almost complete devastation of the buildings and all of the leaves stripped from the trees. 

I will update you when I know my exact departure date as well as where I may be serving with the relief efforts once I am there.

Thank for your continued encouragement and support as I prepare to make the move to Haiti!

Until no child dies,

Kelby

THE LEAP OF FAITH!

Well it’s done…  I have taken the biggest leap of faith thus far in this journey.  Thursday night I turned in my letter of intent to retire from the Reed City Fire Department on October 31st.  Friday morning, I turned in my letter of retirement for Osceola County EMS as of October 23rd.  It is very exciting but very stressful and a little scary at the same time.  I have been working for the county for almost 23 years.  It is a very big step to just walk away.  This means that I am 2 pay checks away from being unemployed with no foreseeable income (I am a decade away from being eligible to collect on my pension).  This means that I will be dependent on you for your prayer and financial support for the continuation of Kelby’s Kids! 

My plan at this time is to prepare as quickly as possible for the move to Haiti.  I was initially going to try to go to Haiti for the immediate relief work after Hurricane Matthew devastated Haiti.  The information is just now really starting to come in and the devastation is very extensive.  The death toll is climbing by the hour.  There is almost nothing left of entire communities.  Instead of going down for a couple of weeks and further delaying my commitment to full time work in Haiti, I have decided to just get down there as soon as possible.  By the time I get to Haiti, most of the short term relief workers will be heading back to the US to return to their jobs.  I can pick up things as they leave and maintain the long term issues that will come from this latest disaster in Haiti.

I told you earlier that I needed about $1,500.00 in monthly support before I could get to Haiti.  This is still true but I feel called to serve as soon as possible in the wake of Matthew.  I currently have $880.00 in monthly support pledged.  This will hopefully cover most of my expenses to live in Haiti during this start up period if I keep life very basic.  It will provide little funding for the supplies and medications that I will need to get the clinic up and running and to go out with relief teams and serve the people hardest hit.  It will take additional ongoing funding to support the work of the clinic and medical supplies to provide disaster relief.  At this point, support is only going toward ministry expenses that meet those requirements for reimbursement.  All of my personal expense in both Haiti and Michigan will have to come from my savings.

With that being said, I will need an average of $1,500 per month for operational expenses long term.  I would like to get $1,000 a month for standard ongoing medical expenses, which is not much when you get into large quantities of medications and supplies for a clinic. That is a basic budget of $2,500 per month.  So, until I exceed $3,000 a month in support I will not be able to address any kind of compensation or wage to cover my expenses with my Board of Directors.   So in the interim, I will be burning through my savings which I was really hoping would last me for years and not just a few months.  Now more than ever it would encourage me to know that you are stepping out in faith with me so together we can serve Kelby’s Kids in Haiti. 

I know there is much economic uncertainty in this country.  But there is certainty in Haiti, and it’s that times are very difficult and bleak for so many.  If you have been considering supporting Kelby’s Kids, the time is now! I would like to hear from you to know your commitment even if it will be several weeks before you could start to donate so I can better plan how together WE will help the people and children of Haiti.  There is an immediate need for both one-time gifts for the immediate relief needs as well as long term monthly support.  Many of you have indicated the desire to support me once I have things “up and going.”  That time is now!  The $880.00 in monthly support only represents 12 people.  So if we just add another 36 people I would have a complete budget!

There are many ways to get involved.  You can go to my web site www.KelbysKids.org to the support page.  There are FOUR donation options.  One is a Stripe account where you can do one time donations by credit or debit card.  Second is by PayPal.  You do not need to have a PayPal account to give, just a credit or debit card.  This is the current method to give monthly support.  When you click on the donation button by PayPal there is a box next to the amount you enter to donate that says “make this recurring monthly.”  You just check that box.  There has been some trouble with this for several people.  I have found that PayPal is a different format when you are using a mobile device as well as with Google Chrome.  You need to use internet explorer or another format to open PayPal through my web site and then that box will pop up for you on the first screen.  The third option is to set up an auto bill pay account through your financial institution.  If you would like more information on this please contact me at Kelby@KelbysKids.org   A fourth option is to mail a check made out to Kelby’s Kids to P.O. Box 57, Reed City, MI49677-0057.  If you do not want to take the time to make monthly donations, you can do annual or biannual donations.  Just contact me so I can divide the amount you will give so I can anticipate an average monthly budget.

I have so very much to do to get ready to move to Haiti.  I am working hard to be in Haiti by the first full week in November.  Your prayers for a smooth and stress free transition would be greatly appreciated.

I have truly been blessed by your outpouring of support thus far.  I know that this will continue and together we can touch the lives of so many in Haiti.  If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me.  Thank you again.  You and your generous support makes all this possible!

I am humbled to serve.

Until no child dies,

Kelby Klassen

President of Kelby’s Kids Inc.

Friends make the world a better place!

Friends make the world a better place!

Adventures of September 2016 Trip

As I sat down to write this blog post it’s only been 2 days since I returned home from Haiti.  But it’s with a heavy heart, as I am now sad that I came home.  As Hurricane Matthew bears down on Haiti, I wonder how many will die or be washed away and never be seen again, or how many will be injured and not have enough people to help them.  I wish I was there to do what I could to ease the suffering that will occur.

 

Grab a cup of coffee, this is a long one.  But I think I lost some of you last time by breaking it up so here goes!!

I hope you were able to follow along on Facebook and Instagram with the pictures and videos that I posted during my trip.  Hopefully they helped you to get a better sense of what I was able to do by seeing those.

My trip down went without any problems!  No flight issues and Jet Blue was good to work with at a $200 savings over American Airlines.  My 12th trip and never been stopped in Customs!!  I thank God for protecting my medical supplies so I don't have to give them up or pay “Taxes” to the Customs guys.  Let's pray for many more trips like that!

When I first arrived at Christian Light School things didn't quite look like I was planning them in my head and I was a little apprehensive and maybe even a little disappointed about how things might go.  But it didn't take long before I felt like I was back in a familiar place and a place I know I have been called!

Thursday morning school started at 8 am and I had my first patient at 7:55. I thought that was a good sign.  But as it turns out he was my only patient for the day.  It's the rainy season and like many children they have Grip (a cough/cold/flu).  We found him a mat and let him lay down in his room where he would get lots of water and 2 meals rather than send him home where he would have nothing.  So again I questioned if this was going to be what I anticipated.

One of the Little Angels getting ready for school to start at Christian Light School.

One of the Little Angels getting ready for school to start at Christian Light School.

Sherrie, the director of Christian Light School, has been working in Haiti for 16 years.  She has been through a lot and is a great source of knowledge about not only Haiti, but this journey I am on toward full-time work here.  She does an amazing work in Haiti with the over 300 kids in the school.  She also provides almost 4,000 meals a week to not only keep the kids healthier, but help them to be able to learn so they don't concentrate on empty stomachs.  

I decided that working in a larger medical facility would be a good idea as there are many health issues in Haiti that we do not see in America.  It would be a great way to learn about tropical medicine as well as build relationships and a network to assist with special needs or really sick kids as they come along.  Edmond took me to several hospitals in the area.  One of them is called Nos Petits Freres et Soeurs or Our Little Brothers and Sisters, also known as St. Damion’s Children’s Hospital.  As it turned out this is the same hospital that I took Baby Boo Boo to during my last trip.  This is one of the largest children's hospitals in Haiti.  I was given an appointment Monday morning at 9 am to talk with them about volunteering once a week at their facility.  I also went to Grace Hospital and will be contacting there HR director about possibly working with them as well since they are within walking distance from the school.  But they do more chronic inpatient work than they do clinic or ER type things.

As it turns out it's NOT about who you know, it's about how you dress!  Thursday I wore shorts and a T-shirt as I wasn't really sure what I would be doing (remember ONE patient).  Friday I had planned to go out with the baby feeders into the ravine and see the littlest children.  So I put on my scrubs and grabbed my stethoscope and headed down stairs.  I had so many asking for help I had to make appointments.  I was able to go out with the baby feeders and saw about 15 of the kids who were sick or had other issues.  Many of them have low grade temps from having Grip.  I saw several kids from the school when I got back and then I did a blood pressure clinic for the cooks, custodial staff, and some of the teachers.  I then saw a couple of the teachers for some chronic issues they were having.  I finished the day by seeing the Restavek's (child slaves) classes.  I saw almost 25 of them.  They had many issues but one of the biggest ones was no dental care.  Many had cavities and stated their gums would bleed when they got the chance to brush their teeth, which is probably not very often.  Brushing their teeth made their gums very tender since they are not used to it.  Some of them had complaints that we just grabbed a Tylenol or Ibuprofen for, but that is not an option for them.  It was sad how many were very hesitant to be seen because it might get them in trouble with their owner.  Several had to be reassured they were safe and would not get in trouble.  I look forward to working with them more to not only make them feel better, but to make them feel loved by someone as well.  So in all I probably saw 75 patients on Friday!

Saturday I got to be the Biology teacher for 2 classes!  Many of the kids come to school on Saturday by choice as they don’t have much to do and know how important their education is.  The teacher for this class uses DVD's that are in English.  He doesn't speak English very well so he has a hard time following the video and being able to answer the kid’s questions so I took question and answer time and helped them as best I could.  Those classes were a long time ago for me!

Sunday I went to Quisquueya Chapel for church.  Many of the people there are Americans so it was fun to see some familiar faces and talk with some new folks about what they are doing in Haiti.

Monday I went back to Our Little Brothers and Sisters for my meeting.  It wasn’t as productive as I had hoped.  There was a little bit of a language barrier and I am pretty sure they don’t understand my credentials.  There is a big difference between the government run ambulances in Haiti and my ambulances in the US.  I will continue to work on this project as I still believe it would be a great benefit for me as well as for them.  I also went to 4C which is a pharmaceutical company in Haiti that is from Canada.  It is where I can buy bulk medicine when I return to Haiti. 

After that I had the privilege of going to Bernard Mevs to visit a friend.  Dahicha is a little girl with special needs that I met at Ebenezer Glenn Orphanage 2 trips ago.  She instantly had my heart wrapped around her little finger.  She is not doing well and ended up in the PICU on a ventilator.  She has since had surgery to remove her tonsils and adenoids to improve her breathing but the last word was they were unsure if that would be enough or if she would end up needing a tracheostomy for the rest of her life.  That would be a very difficult thing to manage in Haiti with all the dust.  Please continue to pray for little Dahicha.  It was also nice to be able to see Marla who manages EGO with her husband Ken.  It was heartbreaking to hear how she almost lost Dahicha before they got her on the vent.

This is Dahicha after surgery during a unsuccessful trial period off the vent.

This is Dahicha after surgery during a unsuccessful trial period off the vent.

Tuesday I went back out with the baby feeders to check on the babies that I had seen on Friday and see how they were doing.  All of them were doing better indicating that it was just the Grip going around during the rainy season.  After I got back I had several more students and staff come for assistance.  There are so many issues that are from basic things like not drinking enough water.  There is a lot that can be done for basic health education.

Wednesday was a day for sorting and packing.  I had the opportunity to leave a few things in a large tote on my last trip.  This trip I have filled that tote as well as my second suite case with items to leave.  I now have almost 90 pounds of items waiting for me on my return so I can get more needed items down there without carrying things back and forth.

One of the Restavek came to the school for help in the afternoon.  He had been sick for several days.  He had pneumonia.  I found enough antibiotics and did my best to explain through a translator how to take them.  It was children’s concentration so he has to take a lot of it each time.  I hope that he understood the instructions for the medications and the importance of taking it all and not saving some for later.  I hope he is doing better now.  I made arrangements for someone with the Restavek Freedom Foundation to check on him in a couple days.   

So, strangely familiar to my last trip, I got a Facebook message on Wednesday night.  It asked if I was available for another Ambulance transport with Hero Ambulance.   There was another sick baby that was in need of help.  After some details were worked out I was on my way with Edmond to meet the ambulance.  We met up by the overpass and then headed out of Port-au-Prince (PAP).  We met up with the organization that requested us and did an intercept in the parking lot of a gas station in Mariani.  We found Dalia and her frightened mother.  Dalia was a 21 day old, 4.5-pound little girl who was severely dehydrated, malnourished, anemic, and septic.  We loaded her into the ambulance and after a quick assessment, we were off.  Setting around a gas station after dark drawing attention to yourself is not the best of ideas.  Sometimes you felt like you were going to hurt her just trying to hold on to her with all the BIG bumps in the road.  She was stable enough that trying to start an IV on scene was not in anyone’s best interest and trying on the road would be impossible.  After about a 45-minute transport back into PAP we arrived at St. Damion’s Children’s Hospital without incident.  As much as I would like to know that outcome, it will be impossible to get any further information on her.  But I think with the appropriate care she will survive.

This is Dalia in the ambulance during the transport back to PAP.

This is Dalia in the ambulance during the transport back to PAP.

Thursday morning it was off to the airport to head home in front of the storm.  At that time Hurricane Matthew was an unnamed tropical depression which quickly changed.  At this point I really wish I would have known and been able to stay.  There will be so much to be done after the storm clears.

It has taken me a couple days to write this post.  I apologize.  I have been glued to Facebook trying to get any news I can about Haiti and the effects of the hurricane.  The last category 4 hurricane that hit Haiti directly killed 8,000 people.  At this point it raises a lot more questions than it answers about the future for me.  I would really like to go down in a very short amount of time and help with the disaster relief work.  I am not sure how that will all come together at this point but I am looking into it.  I will keep you posted as things progress.

The calm before the storm.  One of the last few nice days before Matthew.  Before so much devastation and before so many lives lost. 

The calm before the storm.  One of the last few nice days before Matthew.  Before so much devastation and before so many lives lost. 

Thank you for taking the time to read about the latest adventures with Kelby’s Kids.  I am so blessed to be able to serve with you and for you as your representative to Kelby's Kids!

Better by the Dozen

Well the clock just struck 12 midnight so it’s officially day one of my trip to Haiti. 

I really should be in bed but there is still so much to do. I feel like I am missing something, and with only 130 pounds of luggage I am sure I am. 

My alarm will go off at 7 am and I will start toward Detroit making the traditional stops along the way, including the never missed send off lunch with Mom and Dad in Midland before arriving in Detroit tonight for my 8 am Wednesday (21st) morning flight to Port-au-Prince. 

Although this is my 12th trip to Haiti it almost feels like the first. This will be the first official trip of Kelby’s Kids since completing the process as a non-profit, charitable organization.

I want to give you a quick update on how things are going since we are over half way through September.

As you have seen, September is “Partnership of Support” month. I am working toward raising the first level of support needed for operations in Haiti. I need $1,500 in monthly support pledged before I can stay in Haiti full-time and cover all of my day-to-day expenses. 

If I am not fully funded I may have to make trips back and forth at first (which won’t be cost-effective). I am excited to let you know that I am at $375 per month already! I believe the remaining $1,125 per month can be pledged by the time I’m ready to go.

If you are interested in monthly support through my website, PayPal has an option to easily make your gift recurring. (My other giving option — Stripe — will soon have that feature available, too!). With automatic monthly payments you won’t have to remember every month to send your support. 

You can also set up free BillPay through your bank. They’ll automatically take care of the transaction every month for you. Or an additional option, if you don’t want to do electronic transfers and don’t want to write a check and use a stamp every month, is to give quarterly, bi-annually or annually. 

So if you want to write a check for $500 every year just let me know and it will go toward the goal of $41.67 in monthly support.

I know that this trip is going to be as much of a blessing as all the rest and that there will be many unexpected things along the way, as is common in Haiti. So make sure that you don’t miss out on the adventure. Be sure to sign up on my web site for email notifications of blog posts. You can also follow along on Instagram @KelbysKids. And now you can also follow along on my brand-new Facebook page — @KelbysKids. Be sure to like my page so you can get the latest stories as I won’t be posting as much on my personal page about the trip.

I will be spending most of this trip at Christian Light School (CLS) (See last blog post for more details about CLS). We will be meeting to settle all the details of this partnership. The biggest job on this trip will be to get the clinic back in shape and ready to be up and running upon my return. 

Although I have no doubt that as soon as I arrive there will be a steady follow of kids who all have needs as they have not had much of any medical care for some time. With only 500 kids to care for, that means I’m only seeing 100 kids a day on the school days. So it should be a relaxing time! 

I will also be doing some networking in the area and looking for a few other places to serve with — once I have everyone happy and healthy at CLS. It will also be a time to get to know the neighbors in the area I will be living! 

And then there is always the unknown like the many adventures of my last trip! 

Sadly, I recently learned that our baby Boo Boo has died from complications of his premature birth (see the blog post from May 26, 2016). In a county where one out of every five children dies before the age of 5, the statistics were not in his favor. 

But being a 26-week preemie hardly ever looks promising anywhere! It was a blessing and privilege to be able to be a part of his care during his transport to the children’s hospital and giving him the best chance possible. God chose a different way to make his tiny body healthy and strong and I look forward to the day I can see him again and give him the big hug I wanted to that day but couldn’t as he was too frail to hold. 

Thank you again for your support and encouragement. This last month has truly been a blessing from all of the support that you have shown to me and to Kelby’s Kids. I look forward to the future with great anticipation as we see what you and I can do for Kelby’s Kids! 

Until No Child Dies,

Kelby

Help Me Bring Hope Through Good Health

Dear Friends and Family,

So much has happened in the last couple months that I need to update you so we can move forward in this journey together!

I want to start by letting you know that due to some exciting events recently, I have named September “Partnership of Support” month, so that there will be no delay in the work of Kelby’s Kids in Haiti. Let me explain!

After my last trip in May, I had looked at partnering with a large organization just outside of Port-Au-Prince. After starting the hiring process, it became obvious that I needed to stick to my original plan to be an independent ministry, to be the most effective in the work to which I feel called, the children of Haiti. I again went in search of the best place where I can best use my skills …

This summer was a busy one. I was able to spend almost 700 hours at kids’ camps, serving the needs of the kids who come for hopefully one of the best weeks of their summer. During this time I was also able to continue moving forward with the legal requirements for Kelby’s Kids, Inc.

I am very pleased to announce that Kelby’s Kids has been granted 501 (c) 3 status by the IRS! That means that I am now the President of Kelby’s Kids, a tax-exempt, non-profit, charitable corporation! It’s kind of scary when I think about it! But, I know that God is faithful and will go before me in this journey. 

It’s not as big as it sounds at this point, but my hope is that some day we can be doing great things for the kids in Haiti. Right now it’s still just me using the skills that God has given me to serve others, like I have been doing for years, but now I am dependent on your partnership for it to continue.

In the last several weeks I have been drawn back “Home.” I have contacted the director of Christian Light School (CLS) who has been a long-time friend and place to visit or stay on many of my trips to Haiti. It’s the neighborhood I stayed in on my first trip and 9 out of my 11 trips to Haiti. It will be where I stay on my 12th trip and will be working for the start of Kelby’s Kids in Haiti. 

In partnership with Christian Light School I will be serving the 260+ students at the school, providing for their medical needs. In addition, CLS has a restavek program. Restaveks are child slaves in Haiti. CLS has convinced the owners of these restaveks to allow the children to come to school a couple hours in the afternoon. These children have no medical care provided by their owners.  I will also be working with the children from their Little Angels feeding program for 3 and 4 year olds from the community at the school. 

In addition I will be going into the Ravine with the baby feeding program.  Every day the workers go out into the ravine and feed all the babies and provide them with vitamins. I will go out with them several times a week to address medical needs for the most vulnerable in this community.  There are also satellite schools that CLS works with, and I can serve them occasionally as well.

So from the start I will have over 500 kids who receive 98% of their medical care from me.  Once I get all the untreated and chronic medical issues under control, I will look to branch out in the area and find other ministries to partner with.

Due to recent events in Haiti, medical care in this area is very difficult to come by. The interim president has stopped paying the doctors of the public hospitals, which caused them to go on strike, closing all public hospitals in Haiti. This leaves only the private and charitable organizations to care for all of the medical needs in Haiti.

Needless to say they are all very overwhelmed. The clinic in this neighborhood that I worked with a couple trips ago closed when Dr Ed’s health was failing. This is the one where I was able to do some dental work and actually pulled some teeth. CLS had a small clinic, but had to close it sometime ago due to a lack of medical staff to operate it.

So with very limited income in this area, medical care is all but a dream. I am excited to be able provide hope to these kids by providing as much medical care as possible to the kids of this community!

In preparation for the privilege to serve these kids, I will be making a trip to Haiti on September 21st until the 29th. I will be finalizing details of my work with CLS, getting the small clinic on the campus ready to open again after several years, making a list of equipment, supplies, and medications that I will need, and finalizing the place I will soon call home! If everything comes together as planned, I will be looking at a move date around the end of October or first part of November….

There is one remaining detail.

People have been very supportive thus far in this process, and for that I am truly grateful. I have had some fund raisers and many donations. I have been able to cover all the costs for the process of becoming a non-profit. I have some start up funds and maybe a little extra for a special project with a particularly sick child.

But, at this point, I have almost no foreseeable sustainability (sufficient monthly support). In a few short months the money will be gone and I will be out on the street, and the kids will be left with no medical care again. I need to know that I can continue this work indefinitely with your partnership; together we can serve many children!

Many people assume that with my retirement comes a pension. But this is not true. It will be a decade before I will be able to draw anything from my pension. So when I retire it will be with zero income.

I am confident that others believe in this calling I have to serve the children of Haiti. So the challenge for September is the Partnership of Support. I need to raise monthly support from people willing to look at long term partnership. I need a minimum of $1,500 a month before I will be able to leave for Haiti long term. This will cover housing, food, transportation, and other monthly or utility type bills. I figure I will probably need an operating budget of around $2,500 a month for long term operations.

This will be for basic care. It will not provide an excessive amount of supplies, medications, and equipment. Any additional or extra money will go toward increasing the effectiveness of the medical care for the kids. As support continues to increase, I will be able to cover things like ER visits, blood work, X-rays, and possible hospitalization if needed. I currently only have $110 in monthly support pledged. That means that I need an additional $1,390 in monthly pledges before I will be able to make the move to full time work.

Please seriously consider partnering with me in providing much needed health care to kids in Haiti.

Statistically one in five kids in Haiti will die before the age of 5. I know there are a lot of places where you can spend your hard-earned money, but I hope that you will consider being a part of changing and saving the lives of these kids. I can’t do it alone, but TOGETHER we can make a difference and bring Hope through good health!

Until No Child Dies,

Kelby

Fundraiser This Saturday!

I am so excited about this event! It's growing by the day and should be a great time. You'll find many different ways for you to support the ministry of Kelby’s Kids — and also get a great meal and some nice things for yourself, too!

There will be games, outdoor activities on the lake, a dunk tank, a barbeque dinner, and a DJ.  You will be able to participate in a silent auction, gun raffles, and opportunities to partner with Kelby’s Kids on a regular basis.

I am hoping this benefit will be a great kickstart to my financial needs in Haiti.  So come out and have a great afternoon with your family and friends and support the much needed medical care to the children of Haiti!

 

My May 2016 trip: Part 3

I think we were a distraction during classes at the school we visited

I think we were a distraction during classes at the school we visited

(If you missed the parts 1 and 2 of this story, you can read the beginning here and the middle here.)

Mission of Hope is in a town called Titanyen. And I thought it wasn’t going to be feasible for us to get there during this trip to Haiti. Although I was pretty sure the organization was near where we were headed (to get blocks), you wouldn’t believe my excitement as we drove by the Mission of Hope offices on our way to get the bricks! In fact, it was just two driveways away from the concrete plant!

I asked Arnel, the driver, if he had ever heard of Mission of Hope. He said “yes” and told me he thought it was a great organization. So we made plans to stop there after we were done with getting blocks.  

Mission of Hope is a large organization. They operate a clinic there at the place where we were, and they also operate daily mobile clinics in the region. They serve many needs for the children and people of Haiti. When I stopped by I met Dr. Jennifer. She runs the clinic on the grounds.  

After about a short three-minute conversation, Jennifer phoned another worker named Chris. (Chris is in charge of the American medical staff.) He was off-site doing a mobile clinic. 

Someone besides Chris answered the phone. Jennifer said she needed to talk to Chris straight away — “it’s an emergency,” she exclaimed! When Chris finally got on the line, Jennifer spoke loud enough so I could hear as she told Chris, “God has sent us the paramedic we need and he is sitting right here in front of me!”

It was an encouraging reminder of the great need for medical care in Haiti. 

Jennifer handed me the phone and I talked with Chris. Since a face-to-face meeting would be difficult to arrange at that time, we agreed to start communicating by email.

As we headed back to Port-au-Prince, I had been very encouraged by my “chance” meeting with the Mission of Hope ministry.

Thursday, May 12

Arnel told me he had to be finished transporting me around by noon. So we headed out to the two places I still really wanted to go to.  

He also told me we needed to make plans to return to Titanyen to get more blocks on Friday. Here was my chance to attempt to meet Chris at the Mission of Hope clinic! So I emailed him to see if it might work.  

Our first stop Thursday morning was to “Ayiti Air Anbilans.” It was the very first air ambulance service in Haiti. 

My visit to Haiti Air Ambulance. Been there, got the t-shirt!

My visit to Haiti Air Ambulance. Been there, got the t-shirt!

They are probably not an organization I would directly work for, but I definitely could see using their services while serving other medical organizations. 

In reality, Ayiti Air Anbilans is the kind of place paramedics have to go to when visiting Haiti. Not going there would be like a firefighter going to New York and not stopping by a FDNY station. 

My next stop was to Hero Client Rescue. They operate with Hero Ambulance Service in Port-au-Prince. They provide 911-type emergency calls to anyone. Their services include rapid response medical, security, ambulance transport, remote rescue, and international evacuation services for their members anywhere in Haiti for a weekly or monthly membership fee. This is an organization that I would like to work with in the future.  

I was able to meet with the gal who heads up the organization (Stacy). And later that night we connected on Facebook and continued our conversation. (She described the work she’d done that evening with a shooting victim and a Moto accident victim.)  

By day’s end I was also able to make contact with Chris from Mission of Hope and we scheduled a meeting for Friday morning.

Friday, May 13

Arnel surprised me with the news that he didn’t think we’d be able to go to Titanyen to get block today. I was looking forward to meeting with Chris at the Mission of Hope, so this potential development was disappointing to say the least. 

It turns out a flat tire on the truck was keeping us from getting there. Let’s get that thing fixed!

After fixing the tire and crawling through a couple traffic jams, Arnel dropped me off at Mission of Hope — and I was only 90 minutes late. Not too shabby for Haiti.

Chris and I had a great meeting. We talked about what my tasks might look like if I partnered with them. It was such a blessing the way the meeting happened and how things came together.  

By evening-time I was back at my apartment and chatting with Stacy from Hero Client Rescue. 

She invited me to go out for a ride. But as the next day (Saturday) would be my last day in Haiti, the chances were slim that it would happen. 

Then, an emergency happened. Stacy sent me an urgent direct message — “I need your help!”  

What?! Right now!?  

“Yes! I have to do a neonatal transport and need your help!”  

We coordinated a pick-up point near my apartment and my Haitian friend (Juloveney) walked with me there. He recommended I not use my phone in public because it was potentially unsafe to be seen with it. Other than that, he said it was perfectly safe to be where we were.

The ambulance soon came whirring my way, and I jumped in.  

It was at that point I learned we were on our way to a small hospital to provide emergency care to a premature baby — born at just 26 weeks!

This is me assessing Baby Boo Boo before we loaded him into the ambulance. It's not the best picture — but the most important to me from this trip. Notice that my finger would go from the bottom of his chin to the top of his head. He was s…

This is me assessing Baby Boo Boo before we loaded him into the ambulance. It's not the best picture — but the most important to me from this trip. Notice that my finger would go from the bottom of his chin to the top of his head. He was so tiny and so precious.

Some of my readers might remember a Facebook notification I sent, asking for prayers. I sent that message from the back of this ambulanceon the way to get this baby.

I was a little nervous but I soon learned we were the only option this little baby boy had of living! We were his only chance. 

We arrived at the hospital and got a full report of the situation. As we were preparing the baby for transport, the hospital went dark. The power went out! And there were no emergency lights. 

After a few moments, the hospital staff started pulling out their cell phones and using them for light. (I’m guessing this wasn’t the first time they’d experienced a power-outage.) 

We continued our work.  

The baby hadn’t been named yet so we called him “Baby Boo Boo.” 

We loaded him into the ambulance and we started the trip to the children’s hospital in Port-au-Prince. 

The bumpy ride to Port-au-Prince is rough for anyone, but especially for premature babies. It was providing too much stimulation for Baby Boo Boo. It was caused additional stress on his already-stressed body and he was having to work harder to breathe.

We finally arrived at the hospital. But the drama wasn’t over. 

Over the phone, the hospital had agreed to accept the baby for treatment. But when we arrived, they started debating whether they’d admit him or not!

The health care system in Haiti is “broken” at best.  

The doctors at the government hospitals are on strike. So, the private and charitable hospitals have nearly been crippled with an overload of work.

But, they finally decided to admit Baby Boo Boo, and we rushed him into NICU. 

His heart rate started to fall to a dangerous level. We thought we might lose him!

But by the time we handed him over to NICU staff, his heart-rate bounced back. The NICU staff assured us that they would take care of Baby Boo Boo. And we left the hospital.

On the way back to the apartment I learned that if I had said no, Hero Ambulance would have had to refuse the call to transport Baby Boo Boo. And the baby would have most certainly died in that small, country hospital. 

By night’s end I was totally drained from the stress and the emotional roller coaster of everything. So much so, I didn't even feel either of Haiti’s earthquakes that night — a 2.8 magnitude at 9:00 pm and a 2.7 at 3:30 am. (Stacy messaged me about the earthquakes and I thought she was teasing me. You know, just to add more drama to the night’s events.)

Saturday, May 14

I was able to go out to the Providence University of Haiti to meet with the Dean of Students. We talked about the possibility of using their nursing program to do some speaking and training on emergencies and disaster issues.

This is the school where my buddy, Juloveney, attends. He’s in his last year of nursing school. He was a great companion on this entire trip and he hung out with me in the evenings so I wouldn’t be alone. He also helped me continue to learn Creole. But after nightfall I needed to start packing for my trip home. 

Meet Juloveney. He's a nursing student in Haiti.

Meet Juloveney. He's a nursing student in Haiti.

I packed my bags to leave Haiti. One with stuff to take home. One with stuff to leave in Haiti. 

No, it wasn’t stuff I planned on leaving for someone in need. It was my stuff. It might sound pretty simplistic, but I felt that by leaving one bag there, I was making a significant step in my preparation for transitioning to full-time work in Haiti.

Sunday, May 15

I was to the airport by 8:00 am. 

Not that I need another reason to convince me to stay in Haiti, but, while sitting at the gate I started reading Facebook posts about the snow in Michigan.

It really was an amazing trip.

Many things were made a little clearer. And I feel like I have a better road to follow.  

Speaking of roads, my driver, Arnel, didn’t know how to get to many of the organizations I wanted to go to. So I didn’t even get to many of the places I thought I needed to go. 

But I got to one that I didn’t think I would get to.

My original desire to work with a different organization each day of the week changed with the hours I spent in traffic. Spending 6+ hours on the road every day would not be an effective way to work. 

I am feeling drawn to Mission of Hope. And I’m seriously considering a full-time partnership with them. That was hardly on the radar when I left for Haiti.  

And since I’m talking about my feelings …  when Larry and Jayme left, I really didn’t enjoy being by myself. The community of Mission of Hope would help with that, too. 

I’m also concerned about being on my own until my Creole improves. Working with a translator every day at Mission of Hope would help me increase my language skills.

Almost at the end!

In my first blog post “Heading out the door,” from May 4, I stated that I would probably be doing the least about of medical work of any trip thus far as it was a fact finding trip. 

With the Moto accident on the mountain and, especially, the neonatal transport, I feel like I have done some of the most important medical work of all the time I’ve spent in Haiti.  

Baby Boo Boo update! It is with a happy and blessed heart that I received word a few nights ago that he is “thriving” in the children’s hospital right now!

Each of you who pray for me and support me, played a part in Baby Boo Boo’s success! I hope you know that. Helping kids through Kelby’s Kids wouldn't be possible without you.

I want to thank you for your support thus far!

(And thanks for reading this HUGE update!) 

I’m humbled to serve the littlest of Kelby’s Kids, because Kelby’s Kids are God’s kids!

_____________________

If you’re not following my Instagram feed, go there now for photos and more. Sign up for my newsletter so you can get these stories delivered to your inbox when they're posted here on the blog.

—Kelby

My May 2016 trip: Part 2

(If you missed part 1 of this story, you can read it here.)

Where was I? Oh yes. The beach.

We were hoping to get to the beach on Sunday … but it was not meant to be! The weather was not looking good for it. And although it did not end up raining that day, we did not end-up going to the beach.

Monday, May 9 

We were blessed with another sunny day so we were set to head up the mountain to LaFond. This started with a quick trip to Rebuild Global to pick up the founder and one of their interns. 

We were on our way to deliver 40 pairs of shoes from Duex Mains to schoolchildren in LaFond.  

It was about a 10 mile round-trip to Rebuild Global and it took us three hours and 45 minutes to drive it! Traffic in PAP continues to get worse and worse.  

We then headed to Petit-Goave where we would meet a pastor who’d drive us up the mountain.  We also changed trucks for the remainder of the trip. The last 14 miles to LaFond would take us 2:45. This time it wasn’t due to traffic as we only met 1 other truck on the entire trip. This time it was because of the shape of the roads.  

The “road” on the way up to LaFond.

The “road” on the way up to LaFond.

The roads were steep, rocky, muddy, and rough. We also had to forge through four streams along the way. This is why a trip on Saturday wouldn’t have worked in the rain. The water was way up and we would not have been able to pass or been at risk of being washed downstream (insert water/road photo).  

Moto’s (motorcycle taxis) are the main source of transportation up and down the mountain. They carry everything; people, goats, bundles of 10 ft. PVC pipe, and anything else you can think of.  

Shortly before we reached the top of the mountain, we came upon a group of people standing by the side of the road. The pastor in our truck knew just about everyone up and down the mountain, so when we stopped, I thought it was so he could visit for a bit. 

I heard the word “Moto” and thought it was a Moto stop. Meanwhile, the pastor was talking to the group of people, I spotted a small boy down by a little hut on the bank on the side of the mountain (he probably had not seen many white people) and I began playing peek-a-boo with him. Jayme then asked me to get out of the truck. I asked what was going on and she said that there had been a Moto crash. 

A Moto with three men on it had gone over the edge and they were injured! I was told that one of the men was bleeding badly and had already been taken away before we arrived. (I am not sure where the bleeding passenger was taken. The translator told me there were no nearby hospitals or clinics!)

I sprang into action to inspect the situation. 

The driver of the motorcycle had a lot of pain in his right leg as well as in his chest. His leg had soft-tissue injuries but was not fractured. It appeared he’d taken the handle bar directly to the chest. His lungs sounded good and he did’nt appear to have any fractures. 

The other passenger had a lot of pain in his right foot. It could have been fractured. He also had a laceration to his right ear. He didn’t look too good. He had been knocked out in the accident, the translator told us.  

The embankment had about a 30 foot drop. I am not sure how far down they had gone through the trees because someone had already carried them all back up onto the road.

Since there wasn’t a clinic nearby, I ended-up providing the pre-hospital care, the in-hospital care, and the post-hospital care — this was my first true field emergency experience in Haiti.   

We gave them Tylenol and the driver stated that he had someone coming to get him. We loaded the passenger into our truck and took him home — farther up the mountain. 

This was certainly a new adventure in expanding my experiences of medicine in Haiti!

After we took our passenger where he wanted to go, we carried on to our final destination. When we arrived we were greeted by a beautiful sunset. It was a nice reward as we finished out a 10-hour trip (which was only a total of a 60 miles away). 

The sunset that met us at the top of the mountain in LaFond

The sunset that met us at the top of the mountain in LaFond

It was a very cool temperature on the top of the mountain (which was 3,000 feet above sea level) and was a nice break from the heat of Port-au-Prince. It lead to a chilly night, though. It was probably the first time I have ever really been cold in Haiti!

Tuesday, May 10 

it was a beautiful day and the view from the top of the mountain was breathtaking. 

It might not be the most exclusive in Haiti but the school we visited had an incredible view from the playground.

It might not be the most exclusive in Haiti but the school we visited had an incredible view from the playground.

We followed a trail to the school and distributed shoes to a bunch of the kids. They were excited to get nice, new shoes to wear to school. Some of the kids wanted to remove them so they wouldn’t get dirty! They may have never had a new pair of shoes in their life.  

It was great to be a part of the first distribution of shoes for Rebuild Globally!

A group of 6th grade boys before getting their new shoes

A group of 6th grade boys before getting their new shoes

After. Steppin' out!

After. Steppin' out!

We didn’t stay long because we needed to start the trip back to PAP.  

On our way back, as we were driving through a market near LaFond, the passenger from Monday’s Moto accident noticed us. He walked up to our truck, smiled, and gave me a fist bump and a thumbs up. It was nice to see him and know that he was OK! (It had been a little un-nerving for me the day before to know that he had a loss of consciousness but wasn’t going to get a CAT scan.)    

Wednesday, May 11

Larry and Jayme left for the airport at 7:30 in the morning. I was on my own for the rest of the trip. 

My driver, Arnel, was going to take me to the organizations that I wanted to look at as I worked to find places to partner with. But it was his second job and we had some things that would need to be done for Friends Of Haiti Organization (FOHO).  

Firstly, he needed to get a load of cement block to the FOHO property so they could continue to build the wall around their property. So we got in the truck and started driving.

We drove. And drove. And drove. I started to wonder where in the world we were headed just to get blocks! 

Then, all of a sudden, I knew where we were! It was near one of the ministries I wanted to visit! It was the Mission of Hope …

____________

Tune in next time to hear how the rest of Wednesday (and beyond) went!

If you’re not following my Instagram feed, go there now for photos and more. Sign up for my newsletter so you can get these stories delivered to your inbox when they're posted here on the blog.

—Kelby

My May 2016 Trip: Part 1

A kid in a village just outside of Port-au-Prince

A kid in a village just outside of Port-au-Prince

It’s been a week since I’ve returned from Haiti and I’ve had a little time to process the events of the trip. I’m attempting to describe 10 days in Haiti with enough detail that you can get a glimpse into what happened — and the direction I’m taking — without making it too long of a story. So, you won’t want to miss these next few days of posts! Grab a cup of coffee and get comfortable. Here we go with today’s installment! 

I wanted to go back to Haiti since my last visit in November of 2015.  But it seemed that nothing was working out. I contacted my friend Larry (he travels to Haiti a lot). He was planning a trip in May! It was during the same timeframe I was planning on!

So, we made plans to travel together. Larry’s friend, Jayme, was also going to go with us. We each had our own agenda for the trip with a common goal of serving the people of Haiti. 

Larry made his first trip to Haiti in 1973 as a child. Larry’s family is close friends with my family and for all my life I’ve been hearing about the stories of their family serving in Haiti. In fact, I believe his stories helped ignite a desire in me to serve in Haiti. It was truly a privilege to finally get to Haiti with a member of the Osborne family.

Thursday, May 5

We arrived in Port-au-Prince (PAP) and it was hot, dusty, noisy, and the traffic was crazy. But it felt great to be back in Haiti!  

First stop, Friends Of Haiti Organization (FOHO) — it’s where we’d find lodging during our trip. FOHO shares property with one of the Free Methodist Churches in PAP (FOHO has purchased a larger piece of property on the outskirts of town — more on that in a moment). This was my first experience with the organization.   

Friday, May 6

Our first full day in Haiti. We went to an organization called Deux Mains.

Duex Mains — an organization Jayme’s partnered with to make shoes for schoolchildren in LaFond — is an 100%-Haitian employee-owned-and-operated footwear and fashion company in Port-au-Prince. 

They make the neatest shoes! (Check out their website)

These are some of the shoes Deux Mains makes. Deux Mains is supported by an organization called Rebuild Globally.

These are some of the shoes Deux Mains makes. Deux Mains is supported by an organization called Rebuild Globally.

The soles are crafted from car tires. The insides are made of goat leather. The outside canvas-like material is made from recycled plastic bottles. Instead of people sending shoes to Haiti from the U.S., it’s the hope of the organization to create awareness about the opportunities for others to purchase shoes directly from a Haitian company — helping Haiti create a sustainable economy. (We made plans to head to LaFond the next day and deliver 40 pairs of shoes from Deux Mains.) 

We visited the new FOHO property and Larry shared the vision for it. When you buy property in Haiti, the first important task you undertake is to secure the new investment by building a big wall around it.

Saturday, May 7

We woke to a heavy rain. It didn’t take long to learn our plans of going up the mountain to LaFond were not going to happen (we’d have to postpone our delivery of the 40 pairs of shoes). Some of the roads were washed out or under water. Later on, I would better understand how much that would impact the trip.  

So, Saturday was pretty much a wash. Literally! 

We wanted to head to the Providence University of Haiti. But, while on our way, we quickly learned the road to the school had washed out as well. 

So, instead of traveling that day, we invited several Haitians over to our apartment in the afternoon. We had a great time (we made sloppy joes for dinner). None of the them knew what sloppy joes were — but they were a big hit! There were no leftovers!

Sunday, May 8 

We woke to a bright and sunny day, despite the weather forecast calling for rain (rain we definitely didn't need). We walked to the nearby Free Methodist Church to attend a worship service, but the service was in Creole and I couldn’t understand most of it. After a bit, we headed to Quisqueya Chapel. It’s a church where many Americans attend — and it’s all in English. While there, I ran into Sherri — a woman who runs Christian Light School. It was nice to see her because I’ve worked at her school during several of my trips to Haiti.  

After church we headed a little past the outskirts of PAP where Larry needed to deliver some things he brought from home for some friends. 

In all my trips to the island of Hispaniola (Haiti and the Dominican Republic), I have never been to the beach! I was really hoping today’s schedule would allow for it … 

____________

WIll I make it to the beach? 

What happens on my way up the mountain on Monday?

Answers to these questions and more coming soon!  Tune in next time for Part II of the recap of my May 2016 Haiti trip!

If you’re not following my Instagram feed, go there now for photos and more. Sign up for my newsletter so you can get these stories delivered to your inbox when they're posted here on the blog.

—Kelby

I was not ready to leave Haiti

I enjoyed my time there and would have been content to stay longer!

While sitting at the airport in Port-au-Prince, looking at Facebook, I saw posts from home about the snow on the ground. It made it all the more tempting to simply sneak out of the airport and not get on my plane! 

But I ended up boarding the plane on Sunday and I started my trip home. I finally arrived at my house in Reed City about 7:30 Monday night. My phone came alive with texts and facebook messages welcoming me home. It has been such an encouragement to have your support in this endeavor.

The many comments on Facebook after transporting our little Boo Boo Friday night were such a blessing. I know that with your continued support and encouragement will help make my ministry in Haiti possible in the future!

I am sitting at work now and I have much to do as I move forward. I really need to put my trip into a complete story for you — with pictures.  Give me a couple days for that. (I’ll also give you an update on little Boo Boo as well.)

Until then,

Kelby

Stories from Haiti: 5-13

"I am in the back of an ambulance in Port-au-Prince, Haiti on my way to a small hospital to pick up a 26 week premature infant to transport to the NICU in Haiti. Please say a prayer for me."

"Well, I just got back to my guest house. What a night. I went and visited Hero Ambulance service yesterday as a possible place to help out in Haiti. I was messaging the director about some future possibilities. There was a pause in the conversation and then she came back with "I need your help".  She said she had to do a neonatal transport. Do without hesitation I said yes. She picked me up on the corner and we were off. A mom had delivered at 26 weeks. The baby was breathing on its own and needed to get to the NICU at the Children's Hospital.  When we arrived he was on oxygen and had an IV in place, which was surprising. The power went out right after we walked into the hospital.  We moved him to the cot and down to the ambulance. He was difficult to assess and care for on the bumpy roads while trying to keep him warm. Despite the horrible traffic and roads we got little baby Boo Boo (he hasn't been named yet so that's what we called him) there alive and doing fairly well.  Not sure what his long term outcome will be but he is in the place to give him the best chance!  Thank-You for all your comments, encouragement, and especially your prayers for me and little Boo Boo."

Still can't believe what happened last night! It’s hard to believe that the youngest patient of my career was in Haiti. Then, to top it off, there were reports of an earthquake last night. I didn't feel anything and I can't find it on any earthquake sites but who knows — just another night in EMS on a full moon ... Haitian style!

I will try to post an update from the airport tomorrow but be sure to watch for the complete story a few days after I get home.

Thanks again for all the support and encouragement you have provided.  It has truly been a blessing to me during this trip.

Humbled to serve,

— Kelby 

My days in Haiti have been good!

Today began when I couldn't sleep past 5:40 a.m.  Too much light. Too much noise. Too much to think about.

So, it’s hot, it’s only 8:00 a.m., and my deodorant is already failing me!

My driver tells me he doesn't think that we can leave town today as planned (I had an appointment at  Mission of Hope today). But then he tells me we have a flat tire anyway! So we shall see what happens!

I am really hoping to make it to Mission of Hope. They have a great ministry to the Haitian people and I think they could be a great fit for me. But we shall see what today holds.

I am also working on volunteering for a shift with Hero Ambulance on Saturday. I think it will be an incredible experience. They do local emergency care and they have a service which provides care to members all over the country.

Life is good and I love Haiti!!

(It's hard to believe I’m only here for two more days.)

—Kelby

Larry and Jayme just left for the airport

I’m all on my own in Haiti until Sunday!

(This should be a good time to help me improve my Creole. My driver speaks a little bit of English and I speak a little bit of Creole. So this should be interesting.) 

Everyone here at the guesthouse is wonderful and I know they will take good care of me.

I went up the mountain (finally) on Monday and Tuesday. What an experience! I can't possibly type about all of it on my phone — so you’ll have to wait for those stories until I return home. What I can say is this: it's a whole ‘nother world 3,000 feet above Port-au-Prince!

It's time to really buckle down and visit as many ministries and guesthouses as possible within the next couple days.

Please pray that things will go well and that these next four days will be very productive in my search to discover where I need to be.

Til next time.

Kelby

First Day of Life in Haiti

So far, things are good in Haiti! 

I arrived with Larry and Jayme — with no problems. We met Jayme’s friend — a police officer — at the airport, and we walked right through customs! Once outside the airport there was a change in plans and Larry and I got being picked up by a bishop for the Free Methodist Church. It was nice to have this little bit of unexpected, special treatment on our arrival.

Yesterday while we were out, we stopped by an organization called Rebuild Globally. They make shoes and sandals. Their project uses all local materials and all Haitian workers. The soles are made from the side walls of old car tires and the inside of the shoes are made from goat leather. The outer part of the shoe is a canvas material that’s made from recycled plastic pop bottles (really cool). They were very nice shoes and they’re made for school children to use with there uniforms.

We also got to stop by the guest house used by International Child Care Ministries.  It was a very nice location which could be a place of short-term lodging for my first couple months of full-time ministry.

On our way up the mountain to LaFond to do some work in a mountain village, we planned to stop by a university to learn about their nursing program  BUT, it's been raining all night and, on last report, many of the roads are either flooded or washed out. So, these plans are up in the air at this point. As a friend of mine on Haiti said, “you wake up and plan your day and by the time your feet hit the floor it's all changes.” So we shall see what this day holds.

Thank you, again, for your prayer support. The trip here was almost flawless. We are safe, I am healthy, and things are going fairly well considering how things go in Haiti!

Blessings on your day,
Kelby