Passing the torch

Three months ago almost to the day, I was sitting on the same flight that I am now waiting for Vern Hostetler, the soon-to-be new lead prosthetist, to arrive on. I was enthusiastic, excited, and not sure what to expect. In many ways that seems like yesterday, but in other ways it feels like a distant memory. So much has happened since then. I have been blessed to be a part of the provision of hundreds of prostheses here in Haiti for mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, children, and friends. Our work here has touched far more people than just those we see in our clinic.

Two weeks from now I will do what I've seen so many of the wonderful practitioners I've gotten to work with do. I will get out of the Hopital Albert Schweitzer (HAS) vehicle, walk to the green airport awning, and fly back to a world so different than the one I've been living in for the past three months. I will no longer say hi to Van Goat in the morning, walk past the chickens and the roosters who have a broken sense of what time it is, past ducks bathing in puddles from the previous night’s storm, or walk past goats and horses. I'll also no longer be able to say "good morning" and "how's it going" in Creole to our amazing staff at the clinic. I also don't foresee having over 40 people at my office each day in the states either!

I've had the pleasure of working with practitioners from all over the U.S., Switzerland and Germany; all coming together to make a difference here.

I have gotten to see so much here too. I’ve seen patients getting to the clinic on the backs of horses or on motorcycles with crutches and prostheses in tow. I’ve seen first steps of children and first steps in years for some adults. I’ve seen smiles on faces and what restored hope looks like in person.

I have been given such a gift in being part of this clinic. Now, it's time to share that gift and pass the torch on to another. These next two weeks will be bittersweet.