Monday, February 24, 2014

NURSING BOOKS

We ordered nursing books and wall diagrams last night with donations from various people.  Many were from Federated Church which has it's 100th year celebration this year.  One goal of the church is to do 100 of something every month.  March is 100 donations to Haiti!  Thanks everyone! NN

Saturday, February 22, 2014

FEBRUARY MEETING FOR HAITI 2014

We're having meetings about the Haiti trip once a month in order to keep organized.  We've had lots of supplies come in.  Since we opened the "Wish List" on Amazon we've had 7 items delivered.  So far all posters for the nursing school.  They will be a huge help since they are diagrams of anatomy.  On the trip to Columbus this morning, one of the nurses from Fremont called to ask if we could use C batteries.  I said we always take batteries so she should bring them  She had a whole box full donated to her for the trip.  We weren't sure how we'd use them, but it seems there is always a use for batteries.  Laci came over early since she was on call and couldn't stay for the whole meeting.  We went through the mastoid drill  equipment to make sure it works and it looks like a "go".  This would be used for chronic ear disease.  John has also taken 3 used microscopes he found on eBay and patched them together to make 2 good working microscopes that could be used for ear surgery. It looks like we are set to go. We will only take one to Haiti and save the other for future missions.

John also has been surfing the web looking for equipment and found otoscopes, not the high end we use which cost $400 for the bare bones, but really good ones.  There was a mission donation site where I could get one for $125 a couple years ago, but didn't think we could afford it, so have never bought one.  He found one for $25 on eBay so ordered three of them.  He brought them in the house this morning to show me the first two that came.  It turns out the batteries we currently use don't fit in these, as they are foreign made.  I'm sure you already know how this turns out.  The batteries that Mary brought fit them exactly and it looks like we have enough batteries for the army!!!  God provides!

This is one of the otoscopes in the red case sitting on the box full of batteries. 

Our kitchen table.  In the back right corner are rigid rhinoscopes and headlights that we've had donated.  We will give some of these things to the ENT physician from Haiti that I've been e-mailing.

Broader view of the kitchen.  We've been packing all along.  John has put A LOT of time into organizing all this and double checking that everything works and fits. The little round white lid on the left on the floor is a container full of diagrams for the nursing school.

The box full of hospital gowns and pillowcases made by the women's needlework ministry from Federated Church.  Thank you ladies.  
I've received an e-mail for and ENT PA who recently traveled to Haiti and found some surgery for us.  She's identified a thyroid, parotid, cleft lip and perforated draining ears.  The goal is more to teach than anything else so these will be good cases to work with.  I've been listening to Creole language on CD in my car.  I'm on lesson 4 and it's amazing how much language you can learn in a short time.  I'll never be conversant, but I can say "Excuse me, please, thank you, hello, goodbye" and a few others.  Those few words go a long way. There is a lot of French in it, which would be great if I only knew some French!  NN

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

BOOKS FOR HAITI

The nursing school in St. Marc, Haiti was demolished in the earthquake of 2010.  The nurses are now using a school with children during the day and nurses after the regular school day.  Many work during the day and some have to take time off to save up money to go to school. Our team wants to take books to the school.  They need to be books in French.  I have set up a wish list on Amazon.  You have to have your own Amazon account, then search 'wish list', then Nila Novotny.  You can buy whatever you want and have them shipped to Federated Church, 2704 15th St., Columbus, NE, 68601, or you can send monetary donations to the same address and designate "Nursing book donations" and we will purchase them.  We'd like to get them by the middle of March, so we can get them packed and organized before we leave.  This will be a lasting donation to help students for today and the future.

The destroyed school in 2010 that killed students and instructors.

Current nursing students

Goofing around at the teachers desk.


The current school 2013. No running water.

Thursday, February 6, 2014

TEAM ASSEMBLED HAITI 2014

We've got quite a good team ready to go to Haiti.  I tried to make a slideshow, but keep getting stuck so won't do that now.  I'll post our pictures so you know who is on board.  In addition to our own Columbus Medical Mission Team, we also have about 20 folks from Grace 4 Haiti which has their own blog and FB page.







Dr. N - ENT Surgeon
John - MacGyver

Linda - Nursing

Kate - Nursing

Mary - Nursing

Molly - Nursing


Dr. C - Family Medicine

Kevin - Nurse Practitioner
Dr. M - Team Leader, Family Medicine


John - MacGyver

Kim - Nurse Practitioner

Laci - Nursing

Vanessa - Nursing

Wendie - Nursing