registered nurse to the rescue
Donation protected
Hi, my name is Kat. I am a RN who traveled to different parts of Haiti and have witnessed firsthand the devastating reality of what it means to be poor, what it means to be sick or at death’s door and cannot receive necessary medical care due to lack of funds. As a nurse of course I was curious to know how nursing practice or medicine in general differs from the treatment that I give to my patients every day in the states. So I went to visit some local hospitals in port au prince in august of this year. What I saw was astounding.
A mother came with her son who happens to have a form of cerebral palsy, this condition left this child confined to a wheel chair and unable to talk and he was suffering from a grand mal seizure at the time. The mother approached the nurse for help; the nurse replied she couldn’t help him because they were closing. Not closed but closing. To back up a little, let me once again remind you that this is a hospital. I saw the fear in the mother’s eyes and my heart ached the mother asked the nurse what can you do to help my son please; the nurse said there’s nothing we can do. At that point I was becoming pretty annoyed and I asked the nurse if the hospital will not treat him is there a children’s hospital to which she can refer him; she told the mother the name of a hospital about 45 min away and told her try her luck there. The woman did not drive and her son is still seizing, how was she going to do that? I asked her is there anything like Keppra or Dilantin she could give him she stated there wasn’t anything he supply rooms were locked. I quietly said to her, from one nurse to another you know that there is something that can be done, she cannot take this child who is seizing to a hospital that is 45 mins away in public transportation. She looked at me and said ok, contacted the hospital’s ambulance service to transport the woman and her child to a children’s hospital. What if I had not been there?
Another sad experience that I encountered at a different hospital in port au prince Haiti, while visiting occurred when a family stormed in covered with blood screaming help us, help us the nurses and aids rush to see what the commotion was about. When we got to the gate and asked one of the women what happened, as 5 people were covered in blood one man looked like he had been chopped, the woman replied that one of their cousins went crazy, took a machete and started cutting people. Again forgetting where I was the nurse in me went into full gear and I ran into the emergency room and started grabbing supplies, gloves, gauze, saline, towels whatever was in sight. I then noticed the patients weren’t being brought in, so I ran back to the gate and don on gloves, while asking what they are still doing at the gate. A nurse responded to me saying Kat, this is not the states! They have to PAY the gloves before they can get treatment. Shocked I replied what??? They will pay for it its part of their medical expense, I don’t understand? I was told no, it is an individual expense. I about fell to the floor. Assuring them that I would pay for the gloves patients were let in and triage started. Not knowing how they are going to pay for that care.
When I came back to the states, the experience stayed with me and lingered in the back of my mind. It is not fair that if a human being cannot afford to pay for the gloves that the medical team will use that they should die. It is not fair that a child should suffer with active grand mal seizures with no relief because it’s after hours and 5 o’clock supper is calling whoever is on duty. It is sickening and it’s a tragedy. An insult to medicine. After much pondering I have decided to build a bed and breakfast and use proceeds from it to fund medical care, treatment, triage, medicine, supplies and emergency transportation to accepting hospitals for those who cannot afford it so that no one has so die due to their inability to pay for gloves right then and there, so that a seizing child may get some relief. But I need your help to make it a reality! I have already invested everything I own to make this dream a reality, but I need funds to finish the infrastructure and initial operating capital. Please join me in creating something that I KNOW will save lives. The bed and breakfast will be a business, but it will also be birthed to be an extension and realization of my dream to reach the underserved, underprivileged communities with compassion through service. All proceeds that are donated by the bed and breakfast will be will be exactly that- a donation, the patients will never have to pay anything back, ever.
The premise of the bed and breakfast is located not too far from a local hospital. It will be equipped with a direct line so in emergencies all family a member will have to do is call; those who do not own a phone are welcome to come by with a notice from the hospital. Their transportation to and from will be paid by the bed and breakfast as well as what is needed. Please join me in helping make this vision a reality! I have the right team in place to make this happen. It was my way of paying forward the grace and mercy given to me.
I've never asked anyone for help with anything before, and I'm asking you, now. I will be eternally grateful for your support at any level, I am sure those suffering will also be eternally grateful to you. Thank you in advance for your help in making this come to life!
In servitude, Kat
A mother came with her son who happens to have a form of cerebral palsy, this condition left this child confined to a wheel chair and unable to talk and he was suffering from a grand mal seizure at the time. The mother approached the nurse for help; the nurse replied she couldn’t help him because they were closing. Not closed but closing. To back up a little, let me once again remind you that this is a hospital. I saw the fear in the mother’s eyes and my heart ached the mother asked the nurse what can you do to help my son please; the nurse said there’s nothing we can do. At that point I was becoming pretty annoyed and I asked the nurse if the hospital will not treat him is there a children’s hospital to which she can refer him; she told the mother the name of a hospital about 45 min away and told her try her luck there. The woman did not drive and her son is still seizing, how was she going to do that? I asked her is there anything like Keppra or Dilantin she could give him she stated there wasn’t anything he supply rooms were locked. I quietly said to her, from one nurse to another you know that there is something that can be done, she cannot take this child who is seizing to a hospital that is 45 mins away in public transportation. She looked at me and said ok, contacted the hospital’s ambulance service to transport the woman and her child to a children’s hospital. What if I had not been there?
Another sad experience that I encountered at a different hospital in port au prince Haiti, while visiting occurred when a family stormed in covered with blood screaming help us, help us the nurses and aids rush to see what the commotion was about. When we got to the gate and asked one of the women what happened, as 5 people were covered in blood one man looked like he had been chopped, the woman replied that one of their cousins went crazy, took a machete and started cutting people. Again forgetting where I was the nurse in me went into full gear and I ran into the emergency room and started grabbing supplies, gloves, gauze, saline, towels whatever was in sight. I then noticed the patients weren’t being brought in, so I ran back to the gate and don on gloves, while asking what they are still doing at the gate. A nurse responded to me saying Kat, this is not the states! They have to PAY the gloves before they can get treatment. Shocked I replied what??? They will pay for it its part of their medical expense, I don’t understand? I was told no, it is an individual expense. I about fell to the floor. Assuring them that I would pay for the gloves patients were let in and triage started. Not knowing how they are going to pay for that care.
When I came back to the states, the experience stayed with me and lingered in the back of my mind. It is not fair that if a human being cannot afford to pay for the gloves that the medical team will use that they should die. It is not fair that a child should suffer with active grand mal seizures with no relief because it’s after hours and 5 o’clock supper is calling whoever is on duty. It is sickening and it’s a tragedy. An insult to medicine. After much pondering I have decided to build a bed and breakfast and use proceeds from it to fund medical care, treatment, triage, medicine, supplies and emergency transportation to accepting hospitals for those who cannot afford it so that no one has so die due to their inability to pay for gloves right then and there, so that a seizing child may get some relief. But I need your help to make it a reality! I have already invested everything I own to make this dream a reality, but I need funds to finish the infrastructure and initial operating capital. Please join me in creating something that I KNOW will save lives. The bed and breakfast will be a business, but it will also be birthed to be an extension and realization of my dream to reach the underserved, underprivileged communities with compassion through service. All proceeds that are donated by the bed and breakfast will be will be exactly that- a donation, the patients will never have to pay anything back, ever.
The premise of the bed and breakfast is located not too far from a local hospital. It will be equipped with a direct line so in emergencies all family a member will have to do is call; those who do not own a phone are welcome to come by with a notice from the hospital. Their transportation to and from will be paid by the bed and breakfast as well as what is needed. Please join me in helping make this vision a reality! I have the right team in place to make this happen. It was my way of paying forward the grace and mercy given to me.
I've never asked anyone for help with anything before, and I'm asking you, now. I will be eternally grateful for your support at any level, I am sure those suffering will also be eternally grateful to you. Thank you in advance for your help in making this come to life!
In servitude, Kat
Organizer
Katya Victoria Ridore
Organizer
Winter Springs, FL