22 and bubbles

  If you ever want to smile, take a bottle of bubbles into a room full of children.  This past Sunday 22 kids from northern Sierra Leone came to the ship.  Some had bowed legs, twisted legs, and club feet.  One by one they had to see a dr, get x-rays, and have blood drawn.  Usually I'm the bad guy.  On Sunday, however, a few still loved me after having blood work done and I was able to go and play.  You can't have a bad day with 6 children jumping around chasing bubbles while tired parents watch and laugh.  One little boy was kissing my face over and over, and this was cute until a nurse examined him and mouthed the words "conjunctivitis" to me.  I reached for the hand sanitizer and wiped it over my entire face.  Two days later I woke up to a goupy eye and pink eye.  All from the love of a cute little boy.  It was worth it (just in case you were wondering). 
On Monday I met another baby that was 10 months old.  He has a cleft lip, but was full of smiles and love for everyone and that reminded me of Caden (my giant nephew) so I fell in love with him too.  Tuesday he had his surgery, and looked amazing when I saw him.  Surgery has only been happening for a few days and already the blind have been able to see, legs have been straightened, and cleft lips are put back together.  No matter how much I see it, it is still amazing. 

My heart

The scrubs were clean and ready to go.  Bubbles, balloons, stickers were in the bag ready to go.  Flip flops were on my feet, and I was ready to go.  For weeks, months really, the crew on the Africa Mercy had been preparing for screening day in Freetown, Sierra Leone.  Our train of white Land Rovers slowly moving through the streets too early in the morning for my eyes to be open.  Just like two years ago in Benin, my eyes started watering when I saw the line of people waiting for our help.  Many desperate to see a doctor.  The stadium had been set up, the first patients heading our way.  
This screening wasn't going to be the same as the many many screenings that have happened in the past. Thousands had come for help.  Things went wrong.  I don't know what.   13 people were injured and one man died.  It seems like it happened so fast, but also took forever.
My heart is with the people injured, and the families.  They are all recovering.  I still don't know the name of the man who died.  I have so many questions, but realize that I may never know the answers.
That day, my heart broke.

A long week

This week started by scrubbing wax off a floor for 7 hours and then re-waxing the floors.  Then it moved into bleaching hospital equipment, taking photos of bad hospital equipment, and photos of stretcher training.  It also brought on my first drill as part of the emergency medical team.  Today was a final push to get 60 people ready to give blood samples next week, and take 50 blood pressures of potential donors.  By 5pm, I was very very tired but decided to go play ultimate frisbee in a nearby field.  Best decision this week.  A large group of us walked to the field to play and met up with A LOT of children following us.  Two of us took the kids across the field to play frisbee and it was hilarious and fun.  2 hours of running, and playing, and laughing were exactly what I needed.
This weekend is the calm before the storm.  Next monday starts our screening of patients with overflow on Tuesday.  Wednesday is the open house for all the ship crew to see what happens in the hospital.  Thursday I will be drawing blood from atleast 60 crew members to get our blood bank running.  It is going to be craziness.  I'm going to bed soon.  Today I got a new roommate, and I haven't actually met her yet so I'd better go do that. Goodnight.