Writers doing good: Support Carolina Valdez Miller’s medical mission to Haiti

Posted by bridgid on | December 7, 2011 | 6 Comments |

Carolina (pronounced Carol-een-a, not Carol-eye-na) Valdez Miller is a Young Adult writer who will be traveling to Haiti in January on a medical mission. She is raising money for the much-needed pharmaceuticals her team will be delivering via mobile clinics in rural areas. After reading Carol’s post about her mission, I felt moved to make a small donation, and contacted Carol to see if she would be interested in sharing her story with Inky Fresh readers. (She was!) Read on to learn more about Carol’s mission, and about how you can help.

BG: In your post on this trip, you mentioned that this is a “medical mission.” What does that mean?

CVM: Essentially, it’s a voluntary medical work camp. My team of 25 medical and non-medical professionals is traveling to Haiti to provide a free clinic to the village of Saintard and surrounding areas, including some rural areas we’ll reach either on foot or by bus. The farthest we’ll go on foot is a three hour hike up a mountain with all of our medical supplies. While there is a clinic (as well as an orphanage) located within the compound where we’ll be residing in Saintard, at least half of our time will be spent holding mobile clinics away from the compound. The clinics will include well and sick care for adults and children, prenatal and wound/disease treatment, surgical procedures if necessary and possible, and dental care and procedures. At the end of the trip, if we’ve collected enough funds, we’re also hoping to be able to donate some food to the nearby tent city.

BG: How did you get involved?

CVM: I was actually inquiring about a mission to Senegal (which included some medical care) that I’d heard about, but I was directed towards the Haiti work camp which seemed to suit me better as I would be working more directly with people (especially children) and because it was closer and required less time away from my own family. Too, it just felt like there was such a need there. I liked the idea that we would be focusing on the medical welfare of people who so desperately need it. My heart responded to it so I said, “Yeah, maybe.”

One day I received a phone call that said, “If you’re interested in that medical mission to Haiti, there’s a meeting tonight you need to go to.” So I went. At that meeting (which was the second for everyone else) they told us about the mission, showed some slides. And then they said if I wanted to go I’d need to put down a deposit. I didn’t blink an eye. Just wrote a check. And I was going to Haiti.

BG: Will your entire family be going to Haiti, or just you?

CVM: It’ll just be me. That’s what made it such a difficult decision—there’s a certain degree of selfishness involved any time you leave your family behind. I knew that my husband would have to take valuable time off work to take care of our children who will miss me, and I knew they would worry about me, that my mom would probably be on her knees praying for my safety most of the time I was gone. But I also know that Mission Haiti Medical is a well established organization and that I’ll be surrounded by doctors even in the event I got injured or sick. I don’t anticipate such a thing happening, but it does seem practical to travel with doctors when you’re going to an area with cholera and malaria. Ha.

BG: What kind of work will you be doing on the trip?

CVM: I will do whatever they need me to do. I’ll be blogging about our trip, documenting the goings-on, but I’ll be hands-on as well. Whether that means sorting pharmaceuticals, crowd control, holding makeshift lamps during surgical procedures, holding heads during dental procedures, or holding the hand of anyone who needs it.

BG: Have you traveled to developing countries before?

CVM: I’ve traveled all over, but I was born in Ecuador and lived there until I was seven. I’ve returned a number of times as a child and as an adult. And while Ecuador is not nearly in the dire straits that Haiti is in, I’ve seen intense poverty there. You’d have to be a hard heart not to be affected by the orphans in the street or the families living in stick huts on the hillsides. I suppose it was seeing that kind of severe want that has always made me long to act in some way. I always felt like I couldn’t do enough. I might still feel that way after Haiti. I don’t know.

BG: What are you the most excited about?

CVM: The children. It sounds really stupid, but I actually can’t wait to play with them. I can’t wait to hear them running and singing and laughing. I think a part of me just needs to know that no matter what they’re facing, children will find joy.

BG: What are you the most nervous about?

CVM: The children. I’m nervous about the part of my heart I might leave with them, with Haiti.

BG: What was it about this trip/cause that spurred you to action?

CVM: I don’t know. It’s a need I can’t explain. Perhaps it’s an accumulation of need over time.

Am I afraid? Hell yeah. But if I allow myself to be frightened away from something I am meant to do–something beautiful and rewarding–because of some selfish (violent) jackholes, I will never forgive myself. And something remarkable will be lost.

~From Carol’s blog

Here’s how you can help:

Carol will be taking packages of over-the-counter meds with her to Haiti. Due to a connection with pharmaceutical companies, she’s able to get meds at cost, which means that a donation of $20 dollars could provide medical support  for 60 people. If you can spare even a few dollars, it will make a difference. Visit Carol’s site to make your secure donation via Paypal.

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