MILWAUKEE — Among those helping victims of the January earthquake in Haiti is Br. Craig Wilking, OFM, of Assumption Province here, who recently reported on his experience.
“In the midst of the controlled chaos, there are signs of hope,” he said in the Feb. 6 issue of The Provincial Newsletter. Br. Craig, a registered nurse, is assisting with a Heartland Alliance medial team in Haiti.
“From Monday through Saturday, the Heartland Alliance medical team joins the international medical action teams at a clinic in the Stad Nacional soccer stadium,” Br. Craig said. “The Israeli Disaster Response Team established the clinic within a few days of the earthquake. Two weeks after the clinic was established, the Israeli team transferred operations to Heart to Heart, a disaster medical action team based in Kansas, and the medical team of Heartland Alliance in Chicago.
Br. Craig said the teams are primarily treating secondary trauma illnesses. The healthcare needs are post-traumatic and surgical-wound infections; dehydration; stress disorders; including difficulty sleeping, headaches, heart palpitations; skin disorders; and other issues related to limited food, water and sanitation.
Last week, Sr. Donna Graham, OSF, of St. John the Baptist Province Justice and Peace Office, reported good news on debt relief for Haiti. “Jubilee USA and other organizations have been working to achieve debt relief,” she said in a letter. Information on the history of Haiti’s debt and the efforts to provide relief are available on the Web sites of Jubilee USA and the World Bank.