HOPE FOR HAITI — PEF members at Rockland PC gather for a picture during a luncheon to raise money for Haiti in March. They sold more than 200 tickets at $10 each. (L-R) Beatrice Augustin, Sciencia Torchon, Beverly Williams, Eileen Cincimino, Maud Lubin and Carmeline Torchon. Members also held a walkathon for patients and consumers and raised $750 in anonymous donations for them to participate.

Haitian members rebuild their homeland

By DEBORAH A. MILES
It’s been more than two months since the people of Haiti had their lives shattered from the January 12 earthquake. PEF members stepped up to the plate when the disaster first happened.

They are still answering the call for more help.

PEF Region 9 members at the Rockland Psychiatric Center (RPC) especially felt the anguish, as many of the staff hail from Haiti. Nearly 50 employees from every hospital department lost family members. There are some whose families survived, but their homes are nothing but heaps of rubble.

Sciencia Torchon, deputy director of nursing, chairs the fundraising effort at RPC.
“The hospital initiated a “Hope For Haiti” relief fundraiser to benefit the Red Cross, Partners in Health and UNICEF,” Torchon said.

The fundraising effort included a raffle, walkathon, the sale of “Hope For Haiti” T-shirts and a luncheon.

Aftershocks
Torchon and other RPC staff are devoted to helping in any way they can.

Torchon’s parents live in Haiti. They survived the quake, but their home did not. They have been living in their yard.

“My parents are very concerned about the aftershocks. It is a great source of anxiety for them,” Torchon said.

“PEF members will be going to Haiti with a Rockland County group March 29 on a medical mission. There will be six teams, each consisting of four nurses and one doctor. Each team will be assigned to a specific region other than Port-au-Prince,” Torchon said.

Barbara Serafin, a clinical nurse 3, said the RPC medical teams are using their own vacation time and paying their own airfares..

Other PEF members at RPC have already gone to Haiti.

Silvie Pierre, a psychiatric nurse administrator 1, stayed in Haiti for six days after the quake.
“We brought medical supplies, IV fluids, crutches, canes, baby food and diapers, Pierre said. “We were able to help a lot of people. My heart goes out to the people who are suffering so much. They are now in need of food, shelter, medical and psychological help,” Pierre said.

A better tomorrow
Patrick Michel, a residential program manager 2, was in Haiti for his mother’s funeral the day the quake hit.

“I was fortunate enough to give my mother a proper burial and say my last goodbye,” Michel said. “Many Haitians who lost family members in this tragedy will not even have an opportunity to find their loved ones. This tragedy affects all of us in more ways than one. Most of my family members are now homeless, sleeping in the streets. The future is uncertain, but they soldier on and hope for a better tomorrow.”

Marlene Chery, a registered nurse 2, also was in Haiti the day of the earthquake. She was vacationing with her 17-month-old twin boys. She was preparing their meals when the quake shook the house and caused her to fall down. She was fearful for the safety of her sons, who were in the living room with their father.

“When I was finally able to reach them, it took me a long time to believe my babies were OK,” Chery said.

They lived in the streets for a few days, until Chery was able to travel to the Dominican Republic and return to the U.S.

“It was devastating,” she said.

Another PEF member and registered nurse 2, Marlene Bastien, left for Haiti in February as a part of a formal relief effort. Her role was to provide nursing and medical services at the make-shift hospitals.

Karen Greene, a licensed psychologist, said the outpouring of generosity among people for the Haiti effort continues to be heartwarming. She organized the raffle and received many prizes from community establishments.

Aside from the Rockland nurses, a PEF Region 8 member, Gustavo Santos, a minority business specialist at the state Department of Transportation, also is heading to Haiti at the end of March. He will work with a group called Emergency Rights, and distribute water and other essential items to residents in Port-au-Prince.

“It will take many years of our support to rebuild Haiti,” Santos said. “We must keep the momentum going in this relief effort.