 Fabiola Simon in the classroom turned consultation room in Morency |
 Translators working with Nurse Practitioner students at Morency Primary School |
July 21, 2010
As we approached the Mobile Clinic site – a Hope for Haiti supported primary school in the coastal community of Morency – something stood out in the crowd of villagers awaiting healthcare. Eager yet infinitely patient, the usual mix of men, women, children, and the elderly lined up outside the school. But among them, a remarkable amount of pregnant women waited in the shade of the sea grape trees, the early morning light glowing behind them on the Caribbean.
Eighteen in total, they were of varying ages and stages of pregnancy. What united them was their lack of access to regular prenatal care, living hours on foot from the nearest public maternity ward located in the Les Cayes General Hospital. To respond, Hope for Haiti nurse Rachel St. Germain brought these women together in what, just weeks earlier, had served as a first grade classroom. Seated on benches lining the half-lit room, the women listened as Miss Rachel talked about their pregnancies and investigated what kind of care each woman had sought so far.
She then consulted each woman individually, monitoring her weight, pulse, and blood pressure, discussing her sexual health, and investigating any other health issues she may have which could pose risks to her pregnancy. If a woman needed to see one of the three Haitian doctors on our team, she did so immediately. And before leaving, all of the women received a three-month supply of prenatal vitamins acquired through one of our partners, Vitamin Angels.
Fabiola Simon, at 24 years old, was eight months pregnant with her first child on the day of this Mobile Clinic. Thanks to Miss Rachel’s screening, her severe anemia was identified and she was referred to the HFH Infirmary for follow up. Through our Robert E. Hord Emergency Medical Fund, Hope for Haiti paid for her consultation with a gynecologist in Les Cayes. Equipped with the appropriate information and medications, she was on her way to a healthy delivery.
 Pregnant women wait to consult with Nurse Rachel during our July 2010 Medical Mission in Morency |
 Miss Rachel monitoring blood pressure |
 Fabiola Simon follows up at the HFH Infirmary |
The following weekend, while crossing the mountains that separate Morency from Les Cayes, Fabiola went into labor. Women and midwives from the community came to her aid, and Fabiola had her baby there on the roadside. The delivery was successful and her child is healthy. Fabiola’s first concern, upon informing Hope for Haiti of the incident, was when she could come to Hope for Haiti’s Infirmary for post-natal care. We’ll see Fabiola and her baby very soon – evidence of another rural healthcare link successfully formed.