My Medical Mission Trip to Haiti

Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. They do not have a State Supported Health Insurance. Children frequently die from acute complications of Type 1 Diabetes because money for food or medication is not available. In Type 1 diabetes the body does not make insulin which is a hormone required to sustain life.  About six years ago, a couple of doctors decided to establish a Self-supported Type 1 Diabetes Clinic within Hospital Sacreˊ Coeur, in Milot.  We now have 79 patients ages 5 to 23 years old.  We, the volunteers, supply the insulin, diabetes supplies, staff, and transportation for all the patients through personal funds, donations, and fundraising efforts.  Over the years, we  have raised enough money to purchase a laptop used to keep patient records (though we also have paper charts that we donated) and to use as an educational tool; clay pots for most patients to store their insulin from the very hot weather, to hire and train a  Registered Nurse,  a Medical Assistant and fund an Annual 3-day Diabetes Camp.  Overall, we travel to Haiti a few times per year (I go annually) to help run the clinic which is being overseen for free by a very passionate Haitian Emergency Room doctor.  Monetary donations are needed to purchase insulin, diabetes supplies, fund the camp, maintain the Registered Nurse, the Medical Assistant, provide transportation for patients to keep appointments and to help defray the travel expenses for a Certified Diabetes Nurse Educator (me) to continue to educate the staff, patients, families and assist with program planning/process improvement .  We still need two phones with service to be able to call and check on patients who live in the mountain regions that do not have the money for transportation to the clinic monthly.  Our next trip is scheduled for Sunday, September 8, 2019.

Needed Supplies:  
Insulin:  Humulin or Novolin 70/30, Lantus, Humulin or Novolin Regular Insulin
Syringes and Pen Needles:  0.3ml or 0.5ml insulin syringes, Nano or Mini pen needles
Test Strips:   One Touch Ultra, Freestyle, One Touch Verio, Contour, Contour Next, and Accu-chek.
lancets:  Delica, Microlet, generic lancets
Glucose tablets, alcohol wipes, urine ketone test strips, and glucagon (expired ok), gal and sandwich size resealable ziploc bags