News from Chicago - coming soon

Dr. Toni Bark is ready to start blogging - so look out for news from Chicago from today.

After the 10th of April we will be posting together.

Helen

Staying positive...

Well it has been a learning curve for me this week! I am new to face book, started  a blog and at the suggestion of a well meaning friend,  briefly opened a pledgie account to enable friends wanting to contribute to the volunteer program a channel for doing so.

It seems that there is a whole crew of people on the internet who take objection to "pledgie"  style fundraising - so given I have no ulterior motive - it is simple to choose another way to have the money channelled. I intend to investigate which local charities are making a difference with least amount of $ wastage and then will provide links directly to them so that the cynics of the world can get some rest and stop trying to damage a worthwhile volunteer effort.

The good news is that while people have a differing opinion - at least there is debate and conversation.

SCENAR is well documented and researched to be effective in Russia. There is decades of research to prove its efficacy and it should be a choice for all people - and that includes Haitians.  Luckily there are people willing to to donate their time and expertise to go there and get the job done.

Amputees need prosthetic limbs

I have been researching the best way we can help locally and I am pleased to discover that there are immediate plans to create a manufacturing facility for prosthetic limbs locally in Haiti. Local staff will be trained and it will take one day and $300 to get a prosthetic limb made. As many of the injured are children, facing a lifetime with a disabilty - it is imperative that they receive this help early so they can be active in the community and economy when they grow up.

This is one of the areas we will be investigating when we get there ..

Preparations for April Volunteer work in Haiti

The final preparations are underway in Chicago and Sydney for departure in early April. It has been a whirlwind few weeks since I was invited to join the volunteer program in Part Au Prince.

Dr Toni Bark MD is collating donated medical supplies and figuring out what is needed the most.

We are thrilled that LUSH UK have donated 4 liters of Tea Tree Oil to help with the fungal infections that are one of the biggest problems in the orphanage where we will be stationed during our stay.

Thanks also to Ritm Australia for the 5 SCENAR ( Self Controlled Energo Neuro Adaptive Regualtor) devices they have generously donated. We will be training local medics in the technology - to ensure a long lasting pain relief program. There are many more donations coming in - I will make sure I get all the details so we can thank everyone.

I am working through the " how to's" for social media, You Tube, face book etc to ensure we can share the experience with as many people as possible. So please join us from April 10th and we will share the experience of the Haitian people and help assess what else is needed to help them rebuild their community, lives and become self sufficient.

Helen Gracie