Loading the plane with supplies and help

Mission 4 Chapter 2

We got to the airport last night (Friday); we had gotten back from eating a very late dinner.

Jude tells me that we will all leave the following morning at 730 am as we will have to load the plane. Not the bottom of the plane but everything that goes on top, there is again a tremendous amount of goods for the Air Canada Clinic- as well as some very special medication for PIH anesthetic for Children. The vials are glass and the boxes need to go up top and also they can’t be exposed to heat.

Judith our trusted board member from the Maritimes is making this trip, Air Canada wasn’t sure if anyone else could join us, as we never know how many passengers we will be bringing back. They had told me that we might be able to bring two extra over and above me. But by Thursday morning they cancel the possibility because we might have more kids on the return flight. Yet by, Friday am the number goes back to one. Judith has raised more medical equipment and goods then we could put on all these flights, we will be shipping by boat as soon as the ports reopen. Judith is also a great photographer so when I call her Friday afternoon to tell her she’s on I say camera and passport after that you are on your own. Judith meets me at Four Points and we go with Alphonse. So Alphonse has basically left his hedge fund job and he has adopted the clinic and is working hard to have them survive.

The plane is loaded again on top; nets have been thrown over the seats to keep the goods in place during take off and landing.

The back doors are open and it is FREEZING, but again there is a full complement of Air Canada volunteers.

Someone has brought doughnuts and although I know I shouldn’t, Tim Horton’s beckons me and I cannot resist, I am wondering if on these missions there are no calorie accumulation, we can always justify all. Glazed regular TH and I love it.

We are gabbing away, Duncan comes to tell me that there is a reporter from the Toronto Star Jennifer Wells. She is doing an in depth story on the future of Haiti and the rebuilding of Haiti, she would like to speak to me and to Dr. Lambert; she has done an incredible amount of research and I am thoroughly impressed at her attention to detail.

She asks me everything, she wants to understand what I saw, what I felt, but then she asks pointed questions about what the possibilities of the future of Haiti. We talk; my opinion has evolved over time, I realize now that Haiti is a sovereign state that we must support, and help not use this disaster or the future financial aid to force our will on them. My belief is qualified with the point there should be an appointee who would act as a liaison between the donor nations and Haiti ensure transparency in all fiscal matters. We talk about potential manufacturing and my thoughts on how “fair manufacturing” can be established. We talk about the positive feeling there was in Haiti before the quake, and how people were counting and believing in President Clinton’s path. She is really in depth and I enjoy my time with her. She moves to sit with Dr.Lambert to get some insight into Dr. Farmer.

We are a while from landing and I hunt for another doughnut, I am so tired, I think I need the sugar rush. Mary and Jude and I have had a big talk and Judith comes back and we are really conversing about nonsense. As we get ready to land my stress level starts to rise. Although ONEXONE has arranged for significant supplies on this flight, the overall weight is low because the medicine doesn’t weight much, and yet the volume is huge. I am praying that all goes well as I want the medicine moved quickly.

We land exactly on time 2:48pm we have a little over 4 hours to get everything off and out of the airport, this is critical we need the stuff moved this has been our success and this is what we must continue to do.

When I come down the stairs it is overcast and I don’t see Loune, who is my security blanket because she is the woman who makes things happen. My heart sinks, but I should never fear, because a few minutes later she arrives with 2 trucks, one van and a couple of SUV’s. We are ready to go and the unloading begins…

“Together we can save the World”