A Brief Trip to Haiti Leaves Lasting Impact Brent Pendergast (ProMBA 2005)
By: Brent Pendergast, a member of the Professional MBA class of 2005, practice administrator at the University of Tennessee Medical Center.
As soon as I heard about the earthquake in Haiti, I knew I wanted to help. After one trip fell through, a friend connected me to Whitestone Church, which had a presence in Haiti prior to the earthquake. I received an invitation to join a Whitestone team that was leaving on Saturday morning, January 23, 2010, to lend a hand in Haiti.
I asked one of my Professional MBA classmates, Chrissy Brooks, who works for DeRoyal Industries, for help in acquiring much-needed medical supplies to bring on the trip. She knew I drove a Mini Cooper and suggested I might need “something bigger” to pick up the supplies, so I swapped out for my wife’s van and loaded an entire pallet of medical supplies from DeRoyal. (Thanks, again, Chrissy!)
Saturday morning arrived and so did a seemingly endless list of delays and complications! The first delay, at least, was for a wonderful cause: a team of people, including Jim Haslam, had arranged the transport of six Haitian orphans to Knoxville, and the airport was swamped with news crews and all kinds of commotion.
Despite the delay, I remained eager for the trip and for my opportunity for hands-on service. I overheard one of the Whitestone members ask where the “sight-seers” were, and another guy pointed directly at me. I didn’t pay much attention to this…at first. As we loaded the eight-seater, dual-prop-engine plane, weight was an issue. We wanted to bring as many supplies as possible, but with five people on the flight, we had only enough room for about 500 lbs. of freight. I got another look from one of the fellows loading the plane, and it was then that I understood: I was part of the extra weight. If I stayed in Knoxville, the plane could carry another 170 lbs. of supplies for the orphanage. I remained silent, resilient in my quest to pour my energy into directly helping someone in Haiti.
We finally departed about 8:30 p.m. Saturday night en route to Miami and then on to Haiti first thing Sunday morning. We hit strong headwinds and had to make an unscheduled stop in Palm Beach to refuel. We made it to Opilaka, Florida, by 2:30 a.m. We slept on couches in the air terminal for a few hours and arose at 6 a.m. to fly to Nassau. We took off around 9:30 a.m., went through customs, and then traveled to yet another island in the Bahamas to refuel again. (We had to have enough fuel to get in and out of Haiti since we were flying into a very small air terminal that had no fuel.)
At last we arrived in Jac Mel, Haiti. We dropped off the supplies and two of the Whitestone Church crew members who were going to test the structural integrity of the orphanage we were going to be working on so that the children would feel safe to sleep inside.
That was when I was told there was no exit plan; no one knew when another plane would be coming to take us back to Knoxville. So, although I had planned to stay three or four days in Haiti, I made the difficult decision to hop back on the plane and make the trek back to the U.S. without really having done anything at all. I felt very guilty at that moment, thinking back to the look on that fellow’s face and the comments about being a “sight-seer.” We picked up two other Whitestone members who had been in Haiti and flew off to the Dominican Republic to refuel, yet again, before venturing back to Ft. Lauderdale and a 13-hour drive back to Knoxville.
Thus, as much as I hate to admit it, I did turn out to be a “sight-seer” in Haiti. Nevertheless, something happened on this trip that changed my life, or at least how I want to live it from this point forward. I have always been a man of faith, but this trip opened up new understanding about what life is about. You see, the part of this travel tale I haven’t told are the many stories and testimonies I heard from the gentlemen with whom I rode to and from Haiti. Each had been moved by what they had seen there, particularly the amazing spirit and faith that the Haitians shared with one another. Americans may think that the Haitians are less fortunate than us, and they certainly are in many ways. To be sure, they live in a country that has virtually no industry, infrastructure, or anything of monetary value. But you don’t have to look long or far to see that there is plenty of extraordinary value in Haiti—it’s in the people themselves and their capacity for love and perseverance. They appreciate what few possessions they do have. They sing and dance and pray faithfully every day. They pay attention to each other’s needs and generously pour out their love to one another, even strangers. Despite the tragedy and destruction, these people press on.
What would we Americans do if such tragedy befell us? Do we really have more to lose than them?
Something one of my Professional MBA professors said stuck with me. He said, “You spend 80 percent of your life working, so make sure you enjoy what you are doing.” I would add that you also should stop and take time each day to hug your child and your spouse. Thank one or more of your employees or a co-worker for what they do. Lend a hand to someone in need. Smile often and take time to appreciate the intangibles and the things that bring true value to your life. If you have a good story or testimony to share, make sure you do it, and if you are on the receiving end, make sure you listen!
Though I spent very little time in Haiti, I learned a lesson to last a lifetime.
P.S.: I did return to Haiti last June with a medical team of nurses and physicians. I had the tremendous opportunity to serve in a medical clinic organized by a local Haitian church that was supported by weekly rotations of a volunteer medical staff. The clinic operated on weekdays; everyone who was to be seen for the day arrived at opening to register for treatment. Patients often traveled for hours to reach the clinic and could wait all day to be seen. No one complained, and the children were amazingly well-behaved.
Every patient was so thankful for the care we provided, much of which was unfortunately futile. Most cases involved stages of dehydration, urinary infections, blood pressure and / or diabetes problems, and chronic illness. Consistency is rare for Haitians who need maintenance medication for chronic conditions. Clean water supply is minimal, thus dehydration is rampant and water-borne disease is commonplace.
My role as a physical therapist was minimal. I did have the opportunity to help with a few orthopedic injuries and to help several women with neck pain from carrying baskets full of food and supplies on top of their heads. I was primarily a nurse and pharmacy tech, and dabbled a bit in some English-to-Creole translation. We also traveled to some orphanages to treat the children and local village people. The problems were mostly the same wherever we went.
The stories I heard on my first trip about the people of Haiti were certainly accurate. Months had passed since the earthquake, and, although many of the medical needs had changed and in some cases worsened, the people persevered. The challenges continue to mount, and this country will need foreign assistance for years to come. It was an honor to serve these people who have so much faith and continue to smile despite the adversity.