Thursday Morning Update...

Just a short email today. I think things are pretty busy there! Also wanted to let you know that Kirstin Leigh had an opinion article published in The Daily Iowan that she submitted from down there. If you are interested in reading it, click HERE.


'It's a gorgeous day here in Haiti. Cloudy with a bit of sprinkles means we're not all sweaty and gross. Or at least as sweaty and gross as usual. We've been joined by a team from Texas, a team from Michigan, and a few others, so we have LOTS of help here today! I believe there's 45 of us at night on the grounds (with three manual flush toilets and two showers. You do the math!) Some groups are construction and they leave during the day to go to their projects.

An eventful night and morning! Two women in labor came in. One had to be delivered c section at the hospital down the road -- a successful birth, a baby boy! Dad (Dr. Steve Riggs) went to help with that one. The other woman gave birth to our first baby girl here shortly after, around 4 am. I got to help with this one because I just couldn't go back to sleep after hearing there was going to be a baby! Then, while we were eating breakfast a woman gave birth at the line, so we all rushed up. I got to pull the placenta for a while :) I seriously enjoy this midwife stuff. Two women are out walking, or "marshay"-ing in creole and will give birth sometime in the next couple hours. Had an older lady with a miocardial infarction, and I believe she's going to be okay.

Well, that's all for now. I'm going back to the birth room because I don't want to miss it! We're heading back to Port au Prince tomorrow. The time has flown so quickly its hard to believe we have to leave already!'

Hopefully more to come soon. Stay tuned...