HOW HAITI FOUND HELEN
Munching on a Clif bar under my mosquito net in Arcahaie, I began to realize how much my time in Haiti played a role in aligning who I want to be and who I am. That alignment will never be perfect, but it was pretty close with CHI. In an ideal scenario, I want to contribute to global health as a physician who fights against health inequities and the cycle of poverty, and who practices medicine at the intersection of overarching health needs and personal diagnoses.
My work with CHI allowed me to do just that (though I’m still waiting on the M.D part). I worked with Haitians determined to increase access to clean water in their communities. While fans whirred, we shouted over the generator noise about the importance of clean water and reached a conclusion on profitable chlorine sales techniques. Other days, I hopped into the back of a rickety, brightly colored taptap to assist patients receiving medical care in Mirebalais or Port-au-Prince. A double-casted, bow-legged baby and his shy yet strong mother; a smart boy with a bacterial, blinding eye infection; a mother-of-three with terminal cervical cancer. With my broken Kreyol and our combined charades tactics, I came to know each of these patients personally on our long, bumpy rides.
These stories just scratch the surface of my nine months in Haiti. My experiences there solidified and enhanced my goals and life vision. Reflecting on Haiti's impact on me, I see how rewarded I felt and overwhelmingly grateful I was as I matched my inner and outer ambitions through my work with CHI.
My work with CHI allowed me to do just that (though I’m still waiting on the M.D part). I worked with Haitians determined to increase access to clean water in their communities. While fans whirred, we shouted over the generator noise about the importance of clean water and reached a conclusion on profitable chlorine sales techniques. Other days, I hopped into the back of a rickety, brightly colored taptap to assist patients receiving medical care in Mirebalais or Port-au-Prince. A double-casted, bow-legged baby and his shy yet strong mother; a smart boy with a bacterial, blinding eye infection; a mother-of-three with terminal cervical cancer. With my broken Kreyol and our combined charades tactics, I came to know each of these patients personally on our long, bumpy rides.
These stories just scratch the surface of my nine months in Haiti. My experiences there solidified and enhanced my goals and life vision. Reflecting on Haiti's impact on me, I see how rewarded I felt and overwhelmingly grateful I was as I matched my inner and outer ambitions through my work with CHI.