NYSM PT Bringing Hope to Amputees in Haiti

Here is an article that was written about my experiences in Haiti:

Three weeks ago, Claude Hillel, a physical therapist at NY SportsMed & Physical Therapy, arrived in Haiti with a single goal – to help those injured in the devastating Haiti earthquake.  Since then, he has been very busy.

Claude traveled to Haiti in connection with the relief organization Project HOPE to offer his expertise to those who need it most.  The organization, in conjunction with the world’s leading manufacturer of prosthetic devices, Hanger, Inc., and the Albert Schweitzer Hospital in Deschapelles, Haiti have formed the country’s first and only amputee program.

The numbers are staggering.  It is estimated that Haitians suffered between 30,000 – 50,000 orthopedic injuries as a result of the earthquake.   Upwards of 4,000 people, with projections as high as 10,000, have required amputation as a result of their injuries, or will in the near future due to expected complications with their initial injuries as the rainy season approaches and disease and infection spread.

But Claude, along with a small group of physical therapists and prosthetists, are working hard to bring hope to those who have suffered such loss.   The program that has been set up at Albert Schweitzer Hospital assists any individual that is brought in following an amputation.  Prosthetic devices, along with necessary rehabilitation, are provided free of charge to patients, due to the trio of benefactors and the generosity of those willing to volunteer their time to help.

The group of four physical therapists and four prosthetists start their days early in Deschapelles.  They typically see approximately a dozen patients each per day.  And while that may not sound like a large volume of patients, it is.  There are a lot of barriers to overcome in the process of providing care to the victims of the Haiti earthquake.  For one, there is a language barrier.  The volunteer professionals do not understand the native language, Creole, of the patients they treat.  Claude is fluent in Creole, and in addition to his other duties, spends his day translating between patient and therapist, along with one on-site translator for the group.  Patients also come in with no medical history, and in some cases do not even know their age or birth date.  In many cases, they also do not know where they are going, since they have lost everything.

Following an initial evaluation and assessment by the therapists, a prosthetist works with each patient to measure and cast the limb in order to make the prosthetic device.  All prosthetics are made on-site at the hospital, and rather than taking the few weeks that is typical in the U.S., the timeframe for completion is as quick as 3 – 4 days in most cases.  In the meantime, patients are provided with the information they need to care for their wounds, check their skin, and to strengthen their muscles.  Then therapists and prosthetists work hand-in-hand to adjust the prosthetic and make sure it works well for each individual patient.

That’s where the fun begins.  Physical therapy proceeds in most cases at almost lightening speed.  “We put a prosthetic leg on a patient, and they immediately want to walk,” explains Hillel.  “In some cases, they are up walking the first day.  Some even want to run.  The Haitians are some of the strongest and most fit people I’ve ever met.”

One thing that the therapists in Haiti need to do is to learn to think outside the box.  According to Claude, “rehabilitation indoors on a nice smooth surface doesn’t work for our patients.  The physical terrain of Haiti is not smooth and it is not flat.  There are no paved sidewalks and no ramps – the ground is bumpy and it is rough.  Therefore that is the reality that our patients need to learn to adapt to.  So, we need to teach them how to walk over an uneven surface or a ground covered in gravel.”  In some cases, the therapists are even teaching kids how to climb trees, which is how they spend their free time without modern conveniences like televisions and computers.

In addition to his daily work as a physical therapist assisting patients, Claude is also working to coordinate a more structured program to provide continued assistance.  “This is not a short term problem.  The Haitians will need our help for years to come,” he explains.  So, he spends his time spreading the word about the unique program that is being offered at Albert Schweitzer Hospital and is also working to structure a volunteer program that would better serve the population.  In his spare time, he is even writing an orientation manual for volunteers to read prior to or upon their arrival, to help speed up the process of acclimating volunteers to the unique challenges of the environment.

Plain and simple, more physical therapists are needed to volunteer their time and to assist the Haitian population, in both the short and long term.  And although Claude will be heading back to New York in just over a month, he is doing whatever he can to see to it that they get the help they need.