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February 19, 2010

I'm heading back to Haiti

I'm going back to Haiti again with the same group I went with last year (Healing Hands for Haiti). We leave on March 12th and come home March 23. Since the earthquake I've had a lot of people ask me how they can help the Haitians. Below I have a list of supplies that we are collecting to take down. If you have access to any of these items, please let me know and we can figure out how I can get them from you. If you would rather donate money to help pay for getting these supplies down to Haiti, interpreters while we are there, transportation to and from clinics and orphanages, etc that would be great as well. Please don't feel obligated to any of this. I'm sure many of you have already donated to Haiti. I just wanted to make sure that you were aware of this opportunity. Thanks for your love and support.

Medical Equipment
Crutches, wheelchairs, walkers, canes
Crutch tips, crutch tips, crutch tips
Corner seats
Car seats
Braces, splints (usable)
Casting materials
Bandages,
Band-Aids, wound dressing supplies
Burn bandages, burn creams or ointments
Gauze, eye patches
Medical tape
Ace Wraps
Liquid Hand sanitizer
Medications (Cannot be expired!) And CANNOT be prescription
Multivitamins (adult and children’s)
Prenatal vitamins
Over-the-counter medications
Tylenol, Advil, Motrin, Ibuprofen (adult and childrens)
Antibiotic ointments
Cold medications
Hydrocortisone cream, benadryl cream, Caladril lotion
Powdered baby formula, protein powder
Zip lock baggies – small size and snack size
Office Supplies
Paper (lined, copy paper)
Pens, pencils, envelopes
Note books
Thumb tacks
Sticky notes
Paper clips, staplers and staples
Hanging files and folders
Medical chart folders
Sharpie type markers, highlighters, dry erase pens
Chalk, erasers
Misc. Items
Cloth diapers w/ pins or Velcro closures
Small hand tools
Small power tools
Screws, nails, staples
Pool supplies (bromine)
Pool float devices
Therapeutic Toys – BEACH BALLS,RHYTHM INSTUMENTS, SOFT BALLS

January 28, 2010

MSNBC Article

January 24, 2010

What can you do for Haiti

Last March I traveled to Haiti with Healing Hands for Haiti. (If you want to see a few posts from then, click HERE). The devastation from the earthquake has hit close to home because many of those people became my friends. Many of them have lost loved ones, have lost their homes, and have no idea what the future holds. I finally received an email two days ago from one of our interpreters who said,

"thank you for thinking with me i'm still alive but i'm homeless no job see the way you can help me out if you want call me at this number sincerely big mack." Me with Big Mack

The response from the world to this tragedy has been truly moving. A lot of people have been asking me what more they can do to help. Honestly, I don't have the answers. I don't know what the solution is (or that there is one). But I do have some suggestions. Immediately the biggest need is funding for the organizations already down there.
You can donate to the LDS church humanitarian relief fund by clicking HERE (100% of donations will go to Haiti)
You can donate to the Red Cross by clicking HERE
With a disaster like this, it will take years for recovery. Once the acute problems (surgeries, broken bones, cuts, infections, etc) are treated, long term recovery will become the focus. I worry that the world will begin to forget Haiti in a few months. Many people have lost limbs and will need prosthetics, wheelchairs, crutches, rehab, etc. To read more about this issue click HERE. This is what Healing Hands for Haiti's mission is.
You can donate to Healing Hands for Haiti by clicking HERE
If you have access to medicines (especially antibiotics), medical supplies, wheelchairs, crutches, etc. please contact me. We have a team leaving on Wednesday and then another one hopefully leaving in march
One of the founders of Healing Hands for Haiti, Dr. Jeff Randle has been keeping a blog while he has been in Haiti treating the earthquake victims. To hear his personal account click HERE