Initial Assessment From Tom

Initial assessment VIA TXT/SMS: Wow - we've got our work cut out for us! No one should come here unless they can feed and house themselves. 100 fully equipped docs just came with no way to feed themselves, and their hotel is 3 hours away. The public hospital is not a nice place to be. Chaos is the order of the day, but good things come in every hour to help ease the suffering.

An Update from the Haiti Embassy

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Update on Nadia: (Embassy info below): We met a retired special forces guy who is transporting patients from Port ay Prince to Jimimi. I'm hoping he can bring Nadia to the border with us. From here we can work on her visa.

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An email from our friend at the embassy: Saturday 10pm.

From: Joseph Vorgetts - US Embassy - Port-au-Prince, Haiti

Attaché--USDA APHIS--International Services

These are the facts that I have.

At this time, the situation is a search and rescue operation. This is
a type of triage. That means that the focus has been on getting
emergency teams in here who can pull people out of collapsed
buildings, and provide the severely injured survivors with emergency
medical treatment. These rescue teams began arriving at least 48
hours ago and there are many from all over the US. Most, if not all
of them have deployed in the city by now, and are headquartered at the
embassy compound. The embassy compound is a sea of tents for
providing accommodations as well as emergency medical attention. Thus,
they may not be so visible to people in town. They are in the
compound because there is no security in the city.

If the Belgians have been here for three days before yesterday
(Friday), then they actually arrived before the quake, so just

106 Docs, 11 Anesthesiologists & Mobile Hospital Arrived!

106 docs from Puerto Rico arrived with a mobile hospital. We will be doing real surgery tomorrow. 11 anesthesiologists! No pain!!!

In Jimani, Dominican Republic

VIA SMS Carol: At the hospital on Jimani, Dominican Republic. Hundreds of patients, broken bones, burns. Haven't found Dr. Marc. Local docs and a few Red Cross.

Update from Tom and Message to Yoga Friends

From Tom Ritter VIA SMS: "I smile just thinking of you all doing your yoga fund raisers this Sunday. I wish I could be there - my back is out of alignment, to say the least. If you have been following the blog, we have shifted our cash flow to imaonline.org (Dale and Dorothy of Katrina fame). MedShare has been over the top, successful at least - $20,000 at last check. Supplies now being flown in on Wednesday instead of by boat, thanks to everyone's generosity. Many, many lives will be saved. Stan Brock has also volunteered to fly in a load in to us in his DC3 plane. It is over 50 years old. From his group remote area medical read book al him called "All the Cowboys Were Indians". People continue to stop us and offer us supplies - I'm not sure what I am sitting on, but all the seats full."

VISA Needed For Translator

This was written prior to the earthquake. A medical VISA request is now even more urgent.

"Carol and I are very concerned about Nadia, one of our translators, who was due to come to Baltimore this week to deliver her baby. Nadia is 8 months pregnant and is a very high risk OB patient. Her visa was denied last week probably due to the Detroit bomber and tightening of visas. If anyone has a US senator in their pocket, that might be helpful. We have not yet heard from Nadia - she lives just west of Port au Prince."

Photos of Supplies. On the Road

Text update:  "On the road with Supplies.  Strangers are donating food to us in the parking lot.  Expect the American Refugee Committee with food on Monday. "

Donate to imaonline.org

Text at 11:01 AM - We are requesting that all donations now be directed to Dale & Dorothy at imaonline.org. They are with us now and running on negative cash flow. Donate here.

How Can You Help Right Now?

How can you help right now? Visit http://www.medshare.org/ and donate. Carol and I will match dollar for dollar up to $5000. Mark donation Haiti/Ritter as "Honoree's First Name". Get updates on this blog or Twitter.

Saturday AM updates

Update from Carol @ 6am: Awake and waiting to get to the border. Reading "Pathology of Power" by Paul Farmer. This earthquake is the epicenter of social inequities. Chaos is the end result of consistent social injustice. We are all people - flesh and blood, and they are like us, with a soul, who cannot even count on the earth under their feet for support. We need to rethink the definition of civilization. The gift of mankind is recognizing the genius of our weakness.

Update as of 9 am: Made contact with Nadia!!! I heard her voice but she could not hear me.

Other notes: The team has bought 5 Dominican Republic phones to lower communications costs and to stay in touch. The team is taking a 5 hour bus ride to the border.

10 Min frm Airport-Amputees only get 200mg of Ibuprofen, lacking sutures & antibiotics

A report from friends of the Ritter's - Matthew 25 - As of 6:25 PM Friday night - 10 minutes from the airport. Doctors availabl,e but amputees only getting 200 mg Ibuprofen - they are lacking suture materials and antibiotics. "Our garbage is growing and we are out of plastic bags; bodies are still on the streets." Belgium MDs have been on site for several days. Matthew 25 notes there have been few Americans. They have been begging for supplies. Read more to see the full e-mail chain:

Text Message From Tom - 4 AM, Saturday Morning

The crew all snug in their snuggies.

We have always known we would have our own jet and snuggies someday. Many private jets loading here - our plane has flown to Port au Prince twice today. Pilot says it is ok. Airport tower operations are up and running. One of the ground crew went to KMart and got us all backpacks filled with snuggies and other goodies. On approach to Santo Domingo, where we will spend night in usual hotel then head to the border in the morning.

Message from Carol: 11:21 PM, Friday night

We're on the ground in Santa domingo 12 docs and nurses. Reports from the clinic are grim . People dieing waiting in line. No food or medicine or doctors. Our Haitian Dr Marc overwhelmed and wondering where we are. Some one on the airport wanting to set up a food bank but can't get approvals to cross the border. Our clinic is on the Dominican Republic side. People networking on the airport like crazy. Naive goodwillers expecting to walk across the border onto downtown PAP. Tomorrow will come fast. Continuing to show Nadia's picture to all.

Final Photos from Miami Plane departed at 5:30

Final photo inside the plane prior to departure & the search begins for Nadia

Final Photos Prior to Miami Departure

Friday 4pm Update

The Ritters left Baltimore at 6 a.m. today. Here is a photo of a private plane on the runway at 4pm in Miami from a donor who wishes to be anonymous.

Getting ready to board the plane

Water blessed by the pope for delivery to Haiti

Friday Status Update - Ritters Now Flying to Haiti

I just spoke with Carol and Tom. As I write this, they are on a plane to the Dominican Republic and are then going to find a way to Haiti after they land. If you want to track their progress, I will be posting photos and text on a blog I made for them. They will be sending photos and text updates via cell phones as communications allow. I also posted a few photos from their previous trips.

www.tomandcarolinhaiti.com

-Robert Wray
twitter: @robertdwray

From Dr. Thomas Ritter to friends:

Carol and I have received many inquiries as to how they can help the people of Haiti. We have heard from some friends within the country, but still have not heard from many others. From those we have been able to talk to, they tell us stories of unimaginable chaos and destruction.

As of tonight, the plan is to work just across the border in the Dominican Republic, in a hospital where we have treated many Haitian migrant workers over the past two years. I was initially leaving for Haiti next Tuesday for a conference on charcoal use and to give a lecture at the Haitian dental school. If conditions permit, I will use that ticket to fly into Port Au Prince and work my way up to the border from there. The Haitians have already started to stream across the border, overwhelming the hospitals in the Dominican Republic. Arrangements are underway to work with MedShare International, to move a container full of supplies by air to the Dominican Republic and to this hospital. Our friends, Dale and Dorothy, will be on the ground there this Friday.

Here is where you can help. MedShare is an organization we have been working with for a couple of years now. What they do is collect unused supplies from hospitals and medical suppliers and ship them to their warehouse in Atlanta, where they are sorted and repackaged to be shipped all over the world. Even though each container is filled with salvaged equipment and donated supplies, it costs about $20,000 to sort and ship these containers. They just shipped their 500th container this year. They have the highest rating that a charity organization can have. So please listen to what your heart is telling you right now and go to their website: http://www.medshare.org/ and donate.

Carol and I will match dollar for dollar everything you give up to $5000. In order to be a part of this challenge, be sure to write Haiti/Ritter 0where it says "Honoree's First Name".

Thank you,
Tom and Carol Ritter

Photos from October 2009 Haiti trip

Photos from June 2009 trip to Haiti

Photos from June 2009 trip to Haiti