Regine lives in Leogane, close to the epicenter of the earthquake.  For several months prior to the earthquake, she was bedridden due to weight loss, weakness, kwashiorkor/malnutrition, severe stomach pain, vomiting, and diarrhea.  During the earthquake, a shelf with some heavy items fell on her.  A piece of splintered wood pierced her back, near her spine.  In those early days, small wounds like this didn’t get much attention.  She developed an abscess near her spine and that’s when it became serious.  She went the nearest clinic.  They transferred her into Port.  She stayed at a hospital for a few days, then they transferred her elsewhere.  She stayed there for a few days, they transferred her on too.  She passed in 5 different hospitals.  Finally, her abscess was looking better and she just needed minor wound care and treatment for the kwash.  The hospital talked a missionary into taking her in for awhile.  That missionary ended up having to go back to the states and talked to there headquarters about finding a place for Regine.  A man at the headquarters knew our work with kids with kwash and asked if we would take her.  We had already opened our house to EQ victims and were happy to try to help her too.  Regine came to us in late January/Early Feb 2010.  We can’t remember exactly when because that was still a crazy time.  For some reason, I don’t have a photo of her when she first came.  (have one, Anna or Caroline??)  This photo was when her swelling was almost down – maybe 1.5-2 weeks after she came to us.

I put her on every antibiotic good to clean out every kind of stomach bug and worm.  Crazy times back then, no time for testing.  We continued wound care for her back since there was still a large hole in it.  Because her body was so undernourished and weak, it was hard for it to heal.  We put her medika mamba, protein milk, and anything else she wanted to eat.  She had lots of nausea and vomiting in the beginning and didn’t want to eat anything at all.  I could understand how she got to the malnourished point that she did, but don’t understand why it took her so long to try to get help.  Some thought she was under a curse since medications that they had tried in the past hadn’t worked.  Perhaps, the family just gave up hope on her recovery.  The first 5-6 days were a struggle.  There were days that I wasn’t sure if she would make it.  Then, the medications kicked in, the nausea lessened, she started eating, and we started rejoicing.  We celebrated every victory with her along the way – sitting up, moving to her wheelchair by herself, etc.  She was so happy when she was able to stand with a walker.  She couldn’t go very far in the beginning.  It was such a small improvement, but something that she hadn’t been able to do for months.  She started to believe that she could get better.

We got information on her family and where she lived.  We sent our workers out to find her family.  They rejoiced when they heard that she was doing well.  They had lost track of her through all of the hospital transfers.  Everyone was so happy for their first visit.  This is Regine and her father.

Malnutrition makes Regine look like she is a teenager, but she is not.  She has five children.  The family was taking care them, but were overwhelmed with caring for everyone and trying to rebuild their lives.  They asked if Regine’s youngest could come and stay with her.  She couldn’t even pick him up at that point, but she really wanted to have that connection.  We thought it might speed along her recovery.

It did.

She kept getting better and stronger.

And finally, she was ready to go back home.  We rejoiced in this victory that no one knew might actually be possible.

Except, she didn’t have a home to return to.  She had been in her dad’s house since she was so sick.   We rented a place for her and told her to look for land.  She found several places, but they were very expensive.  We told her to keep looking.  She visited the clinic monthly.  Charly and a few others went to go see her and the kids one day.

This is the house where she lived during the time of the earthquake.

They pulled out what they could save from the house and removed block, iron, and debris from the house.  Blocks that were still good were saved and a new structure was started.  This used to be a large house, but the father was just trying to make one room for now and cover it with tarps to give some of the family shelter.  This is Regine’s father’s house.

We were finally so happy to find some affordable ground and started building a two room house with a porch.

Regine is not one to sit in the shadows and watch.  She got in there and was mixing some cement.

The covered house made our hearts happy.

The boss masons continued to finish the inside

and outside.

The house was painted.  Regine even found sticks to start making a fence.

The kids love the house and were running around playing.

She is all moved in now and the whole family is doing well.

Thank you for your contributions to earthquake relief and your prayers for the victims.  One house, one family.  Though homelessness and hunger still exist, let’s rejoice in this one small step.  The enormous burden of the earthquake and ongoing tragedy is overwhelming and depressing.  We can see no end in site.  Poverty and pain are not new to Haiti.  The earthquake has just made these long-time realities more visible to the world.  Don’t get lost in the vastness of this despair.  Rejoice in the small victories.  Change doesn’t usually happen overnight.  Regine didn’t get better in a day.  It was hard work for all of us.  We just kept chipping away at the problem until it was a memory.  Sitting back, worrying, complaining, discussing, talking, philosophizing, shaking your head at the high amount of corruption here, or throwing up your hands in frustration doesn’t cause change.  Sitting on the sidelines is not an option.  Please don’t be discouraged because Haiti as a whole hasn’t had their “happily ever after” ending yet.  I’m believing for it, but not in my lifetime.  That’s no excuse to turn by back on my beautiful brothers and sisters.  We are going to keep chipping away at every mountain and obstacle with the absolute knowing that it does really make a difference.  It made a difference for Regine and her family.  From sickness to health, from destruction to hope.  I’m celebrating with her in her victory.  The road was long, but we made it.  Rejoice.  And, again, I say REJOICE!

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Philippians 4:4
Celebrate God all day, every day.  I mean, revel in him!  Make it as clear as you can to all you meet that you’re on their side, working with them and not against them.