-March, 2010: Earthquake Aftermath and Our Beginnings
It’s one thing to talk about humanitarianism, but the question always remains: is there action behind those words? In March 2010, medical students and residents from Tulane University School of Medicine stood strong in its commitment to our fellow man, sending nine medical students and three doctors into the chaotic aftermath of Haiti’s recent disaster. Tulane’s medical team saw an overwhelming 1,200 patients in six days, providing relief to people who struggle every day just to survive. Given the extensive damage and loss of life following the 7.0 magnitude earthquake that destroyed Port au Prince and the surrounding areas, the need to help Thelus and his community is far greater. As Thelus describes the dire situation in Jacsonville: “What about the ones we [helped to flee] Port au Prince? Actually, Jacsonville is visually more crowded that before. They are all people who lost their asset[s] in the disaster. Some are in the hospital in Pignon [a neighboring town] and will remain handicapped for the rest of their lives. We cannot close our eyes on them. A difficult situation is getting worse and we expect this is only the beginning. The precious little resources available in Jacsonville were already spread extremely thin. The suffering grows.”
