The Return to Port-au-Prince

Today’s post is from Jamie Young, a PT from Toronto Rehab who was a member of our first reconnaissance team in Haiti. Jamie has returned to Haiti with Mike Landry & Tess Devji and we’ll be hearing from them for the next little while.

Sometimes, life grants opportunities that just can’t be refused. That Tess and I were able to participate as part of Team 1 was a privilege in itself, but being asked to reprise our roles as part of a Team 4 has already proved worth it. And we’ve only been on the ground in Port-au-Prince for less than a few hours!

Six weeks ago, we met a young man at Haiti Hospital Appeal by the name of JW.  He sustained a spinal cord injury when he jumped out of the building he was in when the tremor hit.  This building was his home in Port-au-prince.  Under Team 3′s watch, JW returned home, but not to the house that had collapsed.

Today, Tess and I were able to reconnect with Jean Wesley in what could only be considered a gift from fate.  His temporary new home, it turns out, is in a kindergarten building that is literally a hop, skip and a jump from where we are at the Healing Hands guest house.  Walking with one cane, Jean Wesley, accompanied by his mother, met us along the busy street.

Seeing our former charge outside of the hospital environment was beyond joy.  It was a reunion we never dreamed of.  He was one of the lucky ones; we know that.  He could walk.  He took ownership of his own care.  He could negotiate his extremely inaccessible environment with relative ease.  He took us to his temporary digs.  His bed was an elevated stretcher on the floor.  Our floor to stand assessment a few weeks ago hadn’t been based on “what if”, but rather, “when”.

After, JW and his mom offered to take us to see the crumbled home.  It was literally the next building up the road from the kindergarten.  It also turned out that this was JW’s first time seeing the damage since returning home.  There were a few shakes of the head as the destruction was pondered, but there was also a general acceptance of what had happened and the knowledge that the future was now more important.   He pointed out where he had jumped out of the building; imagination needed as there was only open space there now.  But still, JW maintained a slight smile on his face as he told us the story.  His disposition wouldn’t have allowed otherwise.

I had wondered how i would feel about returning to Haiti.  About returning to Port-au-Prince.  JW didn’t need to wonder.  He was back home.  Je suis content! Both Tess and I were beyond happy to see him and his mom here, and in such good spirits.  The return to Port-au-Prince, to Haiti, has already reinforced why we’re here.  We just needed JW to remind us.

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