On The Right Track

Again, the work in Haiti is being blessed and guided by a hand much more knowing and stronger than mine. Laurie Kelley, founder of Save One Life, a third world hemophilia outreach program, has been visiting me here in Haiti this week. She is a very special lady,  a Mother of a child with hemophilia herself, she saw the unmet needs of these patients in third world countries, and personally decided to help make a difference.

Laurie has been working alongside me as we do medical supply distribution - More than anything, we have been discussing the logistics of starting a hemophilia treatment program in Haiti. None exists at this time. This will be changing. We met with the Director of Health, Dr. Jassmin, in this area yesterday, and have his cooperation in helping to identify referral physicians and eventually locating and diagnosing the patients.

It never stops amazing me how everything always seems to work together in Haiti. The supply distribution that I work with provides great relationships with clinics and hospitals that will be our new partners in this. The surgeries we perform at St. Francois will help to identify patients with bleeding disorders. Perhaps most significant, as I begin coordinating mobile medical clinics with MMI, we will see many thousands of patients that would otherwise go unnoticed. These guys can all be assessed and screened for bleeding disorders.

Currently there are only 2 known patients in the entire country. Statistically we know there should be at least 500. In Haiti's easy acceptance of death, I am sure that this is the fate these undiagnosed patients currently face. Our immediate goal is to begin working with clinics and hospitals, training them to recognize and refer patients with potential bleeding disorders.

Laurie has probably expressed this better in her blog post here. Please take a moment to have a look.

As always, I am so very grateful for your prayers, support, and encouragement. Especially to all my new Lipscomb friends that have begun supporting this work thanks to the encouragement of my favorite (and only) Son, Chris.

Grace and peace,
Randy