A BIG Thanks to everyone who came out this past weekend!
We raised some funds, drank some Vitamin Water, and won some amazing gifts... oh and DODGEBALL!
More pictures and videos to come... stay tuned!
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Re: A Letter From Dr. Dave Post Katrina...revisited.
THIS LETTER WAS WRITTEN By Dr. Dave Harding - After RELIEF visited Katrina in 2005
The depth and strength of a human character are defined by its moral reserves. People reveal themselves completely only when they are thrown out of the customary conditions of their life, for only then do they have to fall back on their reserves—Russian Proverb. The recent events of Hurricane Katrina have left much of Mississippi completely devastated. In the city of Biloxi, the loss of property and lives made headline news. People around the world sat stunned as picture after picture reveled the horrific aftermath of flooding and high winds. As I sat watching the reports, I was filled with emotions of sadness, helplessness, anger, and disgust. When the emotions were too strong it seemed that all I had to do was click the off button on the remote and instantly everything would go back to normal as if waking from a nightmare. However, as nice as it sounds to be able to click off reality, I found that though the television was turned off, the pain in my heart was still present. I found myself searching for a way to help. While some choose to help out in the form of donations or organizing events within their cities, I had the urge to be side-by-side with those who had lost their homes and were in the process of rebuilding. My only hope was that I would be strong enough emotionally to be able to do some good. A week and a half after the hurricane landed, I received a call at 11 in the morning from Jasmine saying that a group of students from the University of Miami was going to be heading by bus to Biloxi for four days and would be driving through Orlando at 10pm. I could not pass up such an opportunity. Working through the day, I was able to contact and obtain donations from several local hospitals and medical practices. By the time the bus arrived, it was estimated that I had collected over $20,000 in medical equipment and medications. I only wish that I would have been given more time to have collected more.
Saying goodbye to those I loved and cared for was very hard. In a way, I felt as though I was leaving forever; never to return the same person as I was when leaving. I was not sure about what I would be doing, how I would be helping, or what kind of conditions I would be encountering. All I knew was that in fourteen hours I would be seeing first hand the aftermath and would very quickly know to what degree I could handle the pressure.
At 4pm on the afternoon of September 9th we arrived at the home base for the Salvation Army, Biloxi’s high school football field. We were instantly greeted with warm arms and told to unload our gear into the middle of the field. I was asked by the organizers of the trip to come and brief the head of the Salvation Army on the medical supplies. As I divided the supplies, I found the students looking towards me to protect them from the conditions they were about to encounter. N95 rebreather respiratory masks, blue nitrile gloves, band-aids, iodine swabs, antiseptic creams, and an assortment of other first-aid kits were among the supplies loading the backpack I wore every minute we were out in the field. From years of backpacking and being exposed to basic to moderate first aid at medical centers, I was confident that I could protect my friends from the dangers associated with houses having been completely submerged, mold covering the walls to the point of looking as if painted black and orange, dead animals littering the streets, and freezers and refrigerators having been turned off since the hurricane hit. Though I made it very clear in the beginning of the trip and several times through the trip that I had only the knowledge of a pre-med student and was not a doctor; the group still felt that it was appropriate to make my nickname doc. After a quick meal of Papa John’s the 40 students were divided into two groups. Each team was headed by one of the organizers and a safety monitor. I was selected to be the safety monitor for one group and asked to speak with the other students to find whom I thought would best protect the other group. From speaking with Mark, I decided that he was a hard working individual with a keen eye who had also had some medical experience.
After the groups had separated and we were walking to the first house the true reality of the situation started to set in. The groups were the first sign to the community that the search and rescue phase was ending and the restoration phase was beginning. Covering the sidewalks on both sides of the road were debris piles, sometimes ten feet high, from where houses had been gutted and all items not able to be salvaged where thrown aside. Intermixed in these debris piles were dressers covered in mold, clothes, broken glass, refrigerators, and those pets that had to be left behind. The smell was nauseating and was only helped by applying eucalyptus oil under the nose as I had been taught for taxidermy. For many in the group, the oil was the only bearable way to work in the houses. The houses that the groups were to be working in belonged to those in the community that were deemed by the Salvation Army to be elderly or handicapped. The first house we entered belonged to a widowed high school teacher in her 70’s. As we set up crews to take care of the fallen trees and roofing, I went inside the house to see the conditions.
As I entered the front door I was shown the high water mark towering above the entrance way. From best estimates the surge in this area of the city was eight and a half feet which had originated from the marsh. In the other portions of the town, closer to the ocean, the surge had only risen four feet. This showed the difference from the tidal surge to that of the hurricane surge which had blown directly across the marsh. Any of the homes hit by the marsh surge were surrounded by mud, and there was an advisory to take extra precautions due to the now exposed bacteria that had been growing for years in the marsh tidal zones. For such a reason I had brought the N95 rebreather masks which are utilized by hazmat teams. I also made sure everyone wore surgical gloves under their work gloves. I do not think I was adequately prepared for the sight of the inside of the homes. As the water level rose throughout the houses, items such as refrigerators, books, pans, bedding, and other lose papers floated towards the ceiling where they were churned as if in a washing machine. As the water started to recede, any of the items that remained floating settled across the floor or on top of desks. An even more eerie sight was seeing china cabinets that had been heavy enough to stay in place and remained intact. Looking at just the glasses in the cabinet, it seemed as if nothing had happened, until I realized that each glass on every shelf was filled with muddy water.
The process of cleaning out the homes was a slow methodical search for those items that could be salvaged rather than being discarded of with all the other items ruined by the water. As we carried out item after item that was broken, the hope in the faces of the survivors would sink. However, it was not the clothes, the jewelry, the televisions or the other personal items that caused the most joy when found intact. The photo albums that contained all the memories of their lives were by far the most precious keepsakes. Pictures of grandchildren, loved ones, and weddings all brought back memories of times where life was happy and provided a momentary relief. As the victims sat looking at the pictures you could see in their eyes the brief seconds where their mind would recall an event and they would be transported away from the destruction in front of them back to specific memories.
One of the most caring individuals I have had the privilege of knowing was Lauren, who signed on to make a documentary of the trip. While I hope that the documentary will show even a slight glimpse of the conditions that the group worked in, Lauren’s most endearing quality and most important task during the trip was her ability to know exactly what to say to each of the elderly ladies to keep their spirit up. Several times I would see tears start to form in the eyes of those we were helping as they watched all of their belongings being thrown into the pile on the street. As if knowing the pain these people were going through, Lauren would slowly walk over and remind them of the loved ones that were still in their lives and give them hope for the future. I believe that certain people are blessed with the ability to take away pain from others. As dusk started to set in at the work site the first day, the group said their goodbyes with warm hugs to the owner of the house and gave her words of encouragement.
On the way back to the stadium we were shown a green house that had once resided on the corner of the street and had been relocated across the street to where a convenience store was once located. Though the group was seeing so much destruction the morale was surprisingly jovial. Though we were covered in mud and mold, we had done a good job of cleaning out the house and all knew that while we were not helping everyone we at least made a difference in one person’s life and provided hope of rebuilding for the others.
Back at the stadium we enjoyed a nice meal of spaghetti and all went out to play soccer on the field. As we were playing the laughter resonated and encouraged some of the local kids to come out and play. The game continued until the white soccer ball was just a blur and everyone sat on the grass relaxing after a hard day of work. The first night the only bath that we took consisted of taking baby wipes and cleaning off as much of the dirt as possible. As the cots were set up in the middle of the circus tent, everyone started to settle in and get ready for bed. Having gone on camping trips before I knew that if I were to have slept in the tent that I would have never gotten any sleep due to people walking around so I pitched my camping tent a couple of yards away and curled up for the night. Just as I was drifting to sleep I was awoken by Armando and asked to come outside to the group. After telling him that I was only in my boxers he informed me that I was to be awarded by the group. I know that I do not yet have the medical expertise to take care of severe injuries, but I took it upon myself to do my best to protect the group and I believe that it was because of this that the group decided to present me with one of two keys to Coral Gables given by the Mayor of Coral Gables for exceptional service and leadership. That first night I fell asleep exhausted and could not wait to feel the same way the next day.
The next day I awoke a little before 7 and had enough time to take some of the twigs out of my hair before waking the rest of the group up. As I walked among the other students in the tent, I saw how everyone worked together to clean up the cots and replace the metal chairs for the church service at 9. Just as the final chairs were put in place one of the members of the Salvation Army brought over ten pizza boxes filled with individual pizzas topped with sausage and egg. By 7:45 the groups were again divided into two teams and then ten volunteers were asked to help with a children’s camp. This camp was designed to allow the parents a place where they could safely leave their children for a couple of hours in order to wait in line for FEMA. After the volunteers were briefed on their duties, new N95 masks and surgical gloves were handed out, cuts were again cleaned and bandaged, and the three groups went on their way.
For team two, of which I was a part, codenamed D.E.M.O. (Disaster Emergency Management Organization) the goal for the day was to help an 86 year old African- American woman named Edna clean out her house. As we arrived at the house we could see a car buried under a fallen car port and boards nailed in front of every door and window. The first task was to dismantle the car port and try to move the car. After an hour’s worth of work taking each aluminum slab off the car port, the wood beams were removed and discarded revealing a 1985 Buick. Opening the doors to the car, mud poured out from the seat and driver’s side floorboard. The group had to work as one in order to realign the car parallel with the driveway. With counts of three, every person in the group put their body into lifting and turning the car. After several attempts the car started to budge and inch by inch was realigned. After putting the car into neutral, Kate was placed inside of a trash bag to protect her clothes and steered the car as the rest of the group pushed her down the driveway. I have to say our parallel parking skills left much to be desired, but the car was finally parked on the side of the road and everyone was commended on their efforts to move just a goliath piece of machinery.
Edna lived in the back portion of a duplex and as the front doors were opened up the smell of mold and decay filled the nose and was absorbed by the clothes. The eucalyptus oil made the smell bearable and no one breathed through their nose. Inside the house was pitch black with scatterings of light penetrating through holes in the boards over the windows. As a team worked to start clearing room at the doorway, I put on my headlight and climbed over the fallen furniture and appliances to open each door and window of the house. As air started to be circulated through the house, the smell started to subside and having all the doors open allowed for several different access points so that people would not crowd into each other. Piece by piece the furniture was taken out along with clothes and books. Throughout the day, I was continually impressed by Sara and Kate’s dedication and hard work. There were no barriers between what a guy should be doing and what a girl could do. So many times I saw the two of them doing things that impressed me more and more. One specific example was when the group finally reached the refrigerator. We tried every way to get the refrigerator out of the house without breaking the seal of the door but in the end the doors had to come off and the smell of food that was not only rotten but had started to liquefy filled the room. As everyone else moved to other rooms, Kate and Sara stayed to clean out the contents for the rest of the group. At one point the smell became so noxious that I saw Kate run out of the house, throw up in the bushes, take a quick sip of water, ask for some more eucalyptus oil and then head right back into the kitchen. I could not believe the amount of heart these two girls showed for complete strangers. If I ever had to select another team, they would be the first on the list.
After the lunch break I convinced three of the doctors to come out and make a house call on Edna. For the past three days she had been sleeping in the back of a friend’s car and at her age the lack of movement caused her ankles to swell to the point where she could not fit inside of her shoes. Driven by military escort, the doctors came out to Edna’s house and gave her a tetanus shot and medications to help with her heart. After the doctors left, the group decided to offer Edna one of the cots at the circus tent and hoped that she would take us up on the offer. While the military was at the house we asked them to help us locate a .22 riffle, a shotgun, and a .45 caliber handgun that Edna had inherited from her father. Though all the guns were unloaded it still added an extra danger of the trip that we had not expected.
As the day progressed, the carpets were removed along with most of the contents of the house and by 6 pm we called it a day. Instead of walking back to the stadium directly, the group decided to first walk down to the ocean to see the damage firsthand caused to the waterfront. As we moved down the street we saw scenes where houses were completely demolishes, boats sat on top of cars, and one of the more impressive sites was where the bottom two floors of an apartment building were completely ripped open leaving only a clear view of the ocean behind and the supports for the rest of the building. As we reached the beach, we met a group of Black Hawk special forces and watched a Black Hawk helicopter land on the beach to pick up supplies destined for unknown locations. Further down the beach we saw a staging area for the army and other services getting ready to be loaded onto a hovercraft. It was an awe inspiring site to see the hovercraft dance across the water and then ease up over the beach to where the soldiers were waiting. As we crossed to where the casinos were built, group DEMO took a picture with a huge sign saying Biloxi. In the background we could see leveled homes and buildings. As we started to make our way back to Yankee Stadium we came across a large fishing trawler that was three blocks inland. Under the wreckage of the boat was a sign saying that the ABC pediatric center had been relocated. As the tide started to rise, boats that were not adequately secured broke their mooring and traveled inland. With the rise and fall of the tides, the boats demolished all buildings and houses. The site of the pediatric center was the final resting spot for this one particular boat named the “Luna Straight.”
For the first time since the group arrived most went and took showers in the locker room of the stadium. With a “boil water” advisory still in effect it was made clear that no one was to put their head under the water or get water into their mouths. Walking into the showers, the smell of sulfur filled the air and one never really felt clean when getting out. That night everyone relaxed in the air conditioned R.V. that was donated for the four days of the trip. As we sat in the R.V. the groups shared stories of how porn and vibrators were found in the other group’s house and how false teeth had been found in a cup from Edna’s house. While each group was trying to outdo the other group we all reveled in just how far we were able to exceed our expectations of our personal boundaries.
Over the course of the day there had been no cuts and everyone was healthy so to me it was already a success. The only problems that I did encounter were people asking about how they should go about taking out their contacts and how to take care of some small rashes. The joke of the night before was that if you had a problem you had to come out to my office/tent where I was keeping the medical pack. It was a good feeling when everyone was safe after a day of working in extreme conditions.
One cannot command respect from a group, but instead respect has to be earned on a personal level. Though I was in charge of making sure that everyone was safe when entering the houses, I was told by one of the students, “you are one of the hardest workers and are always in the areas of the house that few others want to go.” I have always lived my life through example, believed in the idea that one cannot just tell a group on how to go about a project, and must stand side by side with them in the muck. This is how I earned their respect.
Morning came far too quickly on Sunday and everyone was a bit slower getting out of bed. Luckily, among the group there was a roster impressionist which helped to awaken everyone. As the classic breakfast of pizza was brought in for the day, there was a dog that came to be the mascot of the group. The dog was a mix of several different breeds and no one could quite make out what it most resembled. All we knew was that it would show up every now and then to play with us and ask for handouts. The morning before, I was asleep in my tent and felt a paw push down through the outer wall and touch my foot as if to say good morning. As I woke up, the dog sat outside of my tent and just waited for me to come out and play with it. Dogs are such great tools for making a group smile and easing them out of bed. On this morning, the dog came with another dog that looked to be a boxer. This dog was severely malnourished and when we gave it food it took the piece of pizza and placed it under one of the metal chairs. It broke our hearts to see the dog deliriously make the movements of pushing dirt over the pizza with its nose. After a couple of minutes the dog walked away leaving the pizza on the grass having thought it was completely buried and safe for later.
Sunday was our last day of work and by 1:30 we were to be on the bus ready to head back to our normal lives. This morning both teams joined forces to go finish the back half of Edna’s house and to start cleaning out the front portion of the duplex which she owned and rented. With pressure cleaners in hand a group was set up to wash as much of the mold and muck out of the back section, and the rest of the group attacked the front portion. From the side door and the back door teams entered into the house. Again I was first to enter the house and scrambled to open up all of the windows and doors. For an hour I worked taking down double paned glass windows and kicking out already broken windows. With thirty of us working together the house quickly started to be cleaned out. The water bed and the refrigerator were two of the more difficult tasks. Having a little more room in this section of the house, five of us with the help of one of the MPs were able to cart the refrigerator out of the house without breaking the seals to the door. The water bed was far more difficult to take care of and after a couple of hours of trying to siphon out the water we were forced to cut holes and push the water out through the front door. By the time 12:00 sounded on our watches, most of the house was cleaned out and only one room was not cleaned all the way. I made a general announcement to start packing things up. Several people that continued to work, and I went over and personally told them that they had done enough and it was time to go. I could see the sadness in their eyes, having to leave the job unfinished.
One would think that the hardest part of going into Mississippi would have been seeing the devastation first hand and encountering the destruction. However, the hardest part for all was having to leave with people still in need. This group was only there for several days, but during that time we saw the effect that our presence had on the community. This trip opened my eyes to the great feeling of helping someone in need and will be a building block for me when helping others. I believe it will become one of those milestone events that will forever help to shape and motivate me. Edna said she will always remember us in her prayers, and I am sure I will never forget her in the years to come. This was an amazing trip and I was blessed to be part of such an incredible group of individuals.
One may claim to be a leader, may claim to be determined and driven, may claim many things, but for all that we may say of ourselves, the truly definitive answer to who we are remains in our actions and in the reaction of others. You call yourself a leader, but do people follow? You may be determined and driven, but do you inspire these characteristics in others? The true leaders of this world do not have to tell people of their successes for others have already spread the word.
This past week I travel into the devastated area of Biloxi, Mississippi with a group of 40 students from the University of Miami. With only ten hours worth of notice before the bus was to arrive at Orlando from Miami, I mobilized my efforts and called on the community of doctors and hospitals to obtain medical supplies. By the time the bus arrived, it was estimated that I had collected over $20,000 in medical equipment and medications. I did not ask to be a leader, but soon found people following my actions and looking to me for support. When arriving at Biloxi, I was asked by the organizers of the trip to come and brief the head of the Salvation Army on my medical supplies. I divided the medical materials that I thought would best protect the health of the group and sent the rest to be inventoried for distribution to the local community. As the supplies were organized, I found the students looking towards me to protect them from the conditions they were about to encounter. N95 rebreather respiratory masks, blue nitrile gloves, band-aids, iodine swabs, antiseptic creams, and an assortment of other first-aid kits were among the supplies loading the backpack I wore every minute we were out in the field. From years of backpacking and being exposed to basic to moderate first aid at medical centers, I was confident that I could protect my friends from the dangers associated with houses having been completely submerged, mold covering the walls to the point of looking as if painted black and orange, dead animals littering the streets, and freezers and refrigerators having been turned off since the hurricane hit. Though I made it very clear in the beginning of the trip and several times through the trip that I had only the knowledge of a pre-med student and was not a doctor; the group still felt that it was appropriate to make my nickname doc. I know that I do not yet have the medical expertise to take care of severe injuries, but I took it upon myself to do my best to protect the group and I believe that it was because of this that the group decided to present me with one of two keys to Coral Gables given by the Mayor of Coral Gables for exceptional service and leadership.
One cannot command respect from a group, but instead respect has to be earned on a personal level. Though I was in charge of making sure that everyone was safe when entering the houses, I was told by one of the students, “you are one of the hardest workers and are always in the areas of the house that few others want to go.” I have always lived my life through example believed in the idea that one cannot just tell a group on how to go about a project, but must stand side by side with them in the muck. This is how I earned their respect.
While this story may sound like an instant, it is but a brief glimpse into how I live my life. Though I have helped people in many cases, this was the first extreme situation I have ever handled. From talking with those on the trip they told me that I handled myself in a manner that eased people’s worries and presented a sense of calm in a situation of turmoil. I believe that my other experiences of helping people from sleep medicine to rehabilitative equestrian riding all created the experiences necessary to have knowledge on the situations that came up and allowed for me to have the patience to find where other’s strengths could be best utilized for those that did not want to work in the houses. I have been given a gift and talent to help those in need. While I was able to protect those in the group this time, I want the medical training and background to be able to manage any future situations of far more complex nature.
Friday, October 8, 2010
RUSH for RELIEF
Mark your calendars for October 23! We're hosting our first big Philadelphia fund raiser and we want you to join us!
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