Leisa's Haiti Journal #7 -- "Tylenol Baby"

2010 Haiti Journal #7 -- February 3, 2010 Tylenol Baby

We leave for Haiti tomorrow, so folks have been busy dropping off donations.

After class last night, I got a call from a dear friend trying to catch me and we met up at Sac State campus.

“I wish it could have been more,” she explained as she handed me four bottles of Tylenol. “I have a state job now, but I was out of work for six months.”

Two of the bottles were infant Tylenol drops…so I thought she had heard the story about our three day old Tylenol baby in Haiti last week. She looked blankly at me when I mentioned it, and I realized I left out this story from my journals, so here it is:

We were in the Cite Soleil clinic last month, “The Lamp for Haiti” and had unloaded, sorted and stocked several duffle bags of medicines for the “Lamp”. We could finally catch our breath. One of the pleasant things about my work is that there are usually babies around. Sure enough, a young girl holding what I thought was her tiny baby came through the room. I bent over and kissed the three day old.

His head was burning up. Mimi, the office manager handed the infant to Dr. Jim as he was, wrapped in an old towel. Jim pulled back the towel. Little Natamayel Pierre’s pale heaving chest told the doctor all he needed to know. Natamayel’s sister peeked into the pink nylon panties that served as his diaper while we waited to know what to do.

“We can’t take care of him here,” Dr. Jim said, “he has to go to the hospital.” How was that going to happen? Streets are torn up, the doctor’s car broken down, traffic a nightmare…

Natamayel lay apart from the discussion. Not crying, and barely moving.

I suddenly remembered that stashed among our supplies, someone – some very inspired someone had donated two little bottles of infant Tylenol drops. I pulled one out and handed it to Jim. He looked like I had handed him gold. This might just buy Natamayel the time he needed to survive the hour’s drive to the hospital.

AARP magazine had hired Paul Taggart to photograph our little trip, and he offered his car. We were off.

The hot bumpy ride seemed to go on forever. Each gulp of air the baby took, I checked to see if another would follow.

Inside the hospital gates, we had to beg our way past the many triage tents that were still too few to shade the hundreds of patients waiting. Our little guy couldn’t wait.

A few hours later, Natamayel Pierre rested comfortably, IV in place, oxygen mask on, and his sister at his side…10 days later, they emerged, well and relieved that someone thought to donate a tiny bottle of Tylenol. We are taking more this time.

I hope the person who thought to buy just two little bottles of infant Tylenol for us to hand carry into Haiti right after the earthquake somehow finds out what a difference that purchase made. I always tell people every little bit helps, this time, as Dr. Jim Morgan put it, it truly was a “save”.

Peace, all ways and always, Leisa

P.S. Great news: The IRS told us this week that all donations to Children’s Hope are tax deductible. Our 501(c)(3) Non-profit EIN number is: 20-2863867. Please click on the "Donate" button on this page if you would like to contribute to our Earthquake Relief Efforts.