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GCF FOLLOW-UP RELIEF MISSION IN APRIL HAS BEEN CANCELED

Sunday, March 28, 2010 - The Gaskov Clergé Foundation (GCF) follow-up relief mission for April 17 through April 24, 2010 has been canceled due to some new regulations. GCF is now planning for its yearly mission in Les Cayes, for Summer 2010.

Mission Date: July 31 to August 8, 2010 - Location: Les Cayes, Haiti

If you have any questions, feel free to contact us at info@gaskov.org.

Thank you!

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GCF FOLLOW-UP RELIEF MISSION IN HAITI

Sunday, March 7, 2010 - The Gaskov Clergé Foundation (GCF) is planning for a follow-up relief mission from April 17 through April 24, 2010 to continue to serve the distressed population in Croix-Des-Bouquets and Port-au-Prince areas. We are actively recruiting 15-20 medical practitioners including Psychiatrist, Psychologists.

If you are a medical practitioner who wish to participate in this mission, please register HERE. If you have already registered online and wish to confirm your commitment to participate, please send an email to registration@gaskov.org.

 

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THE RANGERS - FIELD UPDATES

Monday, February 22, 2010 - It’s hard to believe that we are on the 4th week of this GCF relief effort. So much as been done…yet so much remains to be done. The need is overwhelming. The Troopers (team-3) have gone home and The GCF Rangers (team-4) are Here in Haiti. They are doing a remarkable job. Their long journey started on Friday 02/19, through the Dominican Republic where they flew on the red eye flight from either NY or Florida, caught a chartered GCF bus from Santo Domingo to Croix Des Bouquets and finally arrived to our camp on Saturday at 3:00 PM. Despite the sleep deprivation, they got here ready to work and started to prepare for their first work day right away.

Over the past 2 days, they have seen close to 900 patients in Latramlay near Croix-Des-Bouquets and Fond Brache near Fontamara. Both sites came with their own set of issues, but Fond Brache really caught our attention. The community there is fairly impacted by the earthquake, yet since January 12th, except for some tarps from USAID, they have received no assistance. GCF was the first medical team to get to them. They need food, water and still need medical attention. The children that were seen in Fond Brache are very sick. They are hungry and dehydrated. Some had pneumonia, upper respiratory and skin infections. If you are reading this update and have access to large organizations, please ask them to assess the Fond Brache community so they can deliver much needed help to the right people.

Everywhere we went so far has requested yearly visits at a minimum. Most of those places do not have a medical center anywhere near. As incredible as it sounds, we have seen many people who have not seen a Doctor in over twenty years. For this relief effort, GCF’s volunteer medical practitioners tried to refer many patients who require additional care to the General Hospital in PAP, the Cuban Tent Hospital in Croix-Des-Bouquets and the University of Miami Tent Hospital near the airport. However, because Fond Brache is a remote area, were are concerned that the patients with serious illnesses will not get to a hospital.

As of February 22, 2010, our volunteers have seen a over 6,700 patients. That was accomplished with 4 rotating teams of 15-25 Medical Volunteers, tons of donated medical supplies and a shoe string budget. We expect to see 7,500 – 8,000 patients by the end of this effort. That is to say that where there is a will there is a way and very often, Millions of dollars are not a pre-requisite for effective help. Through the 100 volunteers who participated in this relief effort and with your support, GCF can truly say that they are making a difference in Haiti one person at a time.

THANK YOU!


Click Here for Pictures!

 

THE TROOPERS - FIELD UPDATES

Monday, February 15, 2010 - The troopers arrived to Croix Des Bouquets on Saturday 02/13/2010 and immediately had their work cut out for them. Baby E, a beautiful baby boy (born on 01/10/2010) whose mom passed away two days after the earthquake is left homeless with his dad awkwardly playing mom’s role. The Troopers were greeted by a teary eyed dad who is devastated by his wife’s loss and totally terrified of losing his new born son. Baby E was completely dehydrated and mal-nourished, unable to retain the formula fed to him by Dr. Jones, our volunteer OB Gyn physician. As soon as our Pediatrician Dr. Marsan arrived, his attention was totally devoted to Baby E. He immediately administered Zofran and IV solution for hydration to the baby. Hours later, we sent Dad and Baby home with Pedialyte, formula and diapers that will last them for few days. Baby E is thriving today and he is looking better every day.

The team officially started to work in Lilavoix 35 on Sunday where they cared for 350 patients which included children from a local orphanage. On Monday 02/15/2010, they spent the day at the tent city in Stade Sylvio Cator where they cared for about 375 patients in need of wound care and basic medical care. We also visited the Bernard Mevs Medical Center to assess the possibility of a long term relationship. We will be working in Wyclef Jean’s hometown near Croix Des Bouquets on Tuesday 02/16/2010 and back to Stade Sylvio Cator for the rest of the week.

Based on what we’ve observed so far, there is a huge need for counseling here in Haiti. Most people are suffering from post traumatic stress disorder. Counseling would be most effective if done by Creole speaking mental health professionals. We have also seen a huge need for GYN and women health care. Most women we’ve seen are diagnosed with vaginitis. We are going through all our stock of Flagyl and Doxycycline…we can’t seem to get enough of those drugs.

On another front, we have been closely monitoring Babies Angeline and Carlito’s progress. We met them during our 2009 medical mission and their Hydrocephalus condition captured all our hearts. Prior to the Earthquake, Geisenger Health System had agreed to sponsor their surgeries in the States. Unfortunately, they were at the verge of obtaining their passport when the earthquake occurred and are unable to travel. A volunteer Neurosurgeon operated on them at the University of Miami’s hospital tent. Shunts were placed for both children. We took them back to the University of Miami for a follow up visit. The shunts are looking good and the amount of water in their brain went down. Angeline is actually thriving, she was singing in the car on her way to the hospital and she sure is a feisty little girl. Based on the test performed by the Pediatric Neuro Surgeon, baby Carlito’s shunt seems to be fine, he is febrile and was admitted at the Medishare/University of Miami tent hospital for malaria observation. If at all possible, we plan to still fly them to the US for a more up-to date procedure as soon as they can travel.

Once again, thank you for your support and commitment to this cause. Over the past 11 work days, GCF dedicated volunteers have cared for 4,500 patients. Without God’s blessings and your support, that would have been impossible.

THANK YOU!


Click Here for Pictures!

 

PROMISE MADE, PROMISE KEPT

Tuesday, February 9, 2010 - After a long 48-hour wait at Homestead Air Force Reserve Base, the Air Force made the necessary accommodation to fly out GCF Team II, dubbed the "Red Hats", to Haiti on Monday, February 8, 2010 at 11:04 am. During their stay at the base, the volunteers were treated with the utmost level of respect, compassion and kindness. Despite the eagerness to help the earthquake victims in Haiti, the volunteers were able to enjoy the moment, while impatiently waiting for their time to board a plane. To decrease the number of volunteers at the base, GCF took the precautionary measure of sending 7 of the volunteers ahead on Sunday to start working with other organization. Lt Col Chubb made a promise to help the group leave within 48 hours, and he did just that. It was quite a journey for the GCF volunteers!

Meanwhile, Team I, "the Pathfinders", were back in the states after a week of remarkable work. They saw more than 1,500 patients, from Croix-des-Bouquets and other areas around Port-au-Prince. Team I set the stage through a very efficient process that paved the way for a smooth transition for Team II to continue with the clinic.

GCF Volunteers are the Best.


Click Here for Pictures!

 

EARTHQUAKE RELIEF MISSION UPDATE - MONDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2010

FIELD UPDATE:
Our team continues to be lean and efficient in Haiti. They delivered quality service to a town near Croix Des Bouquets today. They treated many infected wounds and lots of patients that suffer from Post Traumatic Syndrome Disorder (PTSD). All together, they saw 607 patients. As one of our Medical Director said: “everybody is traumatized here: kids and adults, it is tough but they try to be resilient. THANK GOD we have a very dynamic, harmonious and hard working team”. At 9:38 PM, they were still working on getting tomorrow’s clinic organized. That acute sense of organization is the key contributing factor to such a large number of patients being seen in one day by only 16 Medical Practitioners. The plan is to go to Leogane on 02/02/2010. Since the GCF camp is in Croix Des Bouquets, logistics will be tough and the team is prepared and equipped to face a rough day. May the God’s abundant blessings be with them.

NEXT MISSION:
Here in the United States, we continue to organize and coordinate the remaining 3 missions. Traveling arrangements were finalized today for the team that will be leaving on 02/06. We are mapping out the logistics for team members to come to Florida from various states such as California, Pennsylvania, New York , Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut, and New Jersey. This week’s mission will be special. It will include two structural engineers who will head to Les Cayes for school building inspections. Parents in Les Cayes are still reluctant to sending their children to school. They remain uncertain of the buildings’ stability and would rather be safe than sorry. The Structural Engineers are being sent as a direct response to pressing requests from various residents in Les Cayes.

SUPPLIES:
As of today, we have received 40 boxes of supplies ranging from intravenous antibiotics and other antibiotics requested by our volunteers. We have also received cases of gloves, wound care supplies, beta dine, surgical supplies and much more that we have not yet accounted for. We expect another 60 boxes of supplies to be shipped to us by Wednesday. We will be working with the local officials to see how they can assist us in shipping the supplies in time for our next mission.

All this would never be possible without your support and your vote of confidence for the Gaskov Clerge Foundation. It is our duty to participate in the relief effort and we thank you, our supporters, for giving us the ability to be a part of the solution.

GCF Earthquake Relief Committee

GCF IN THE NEWS:
http://www.yourpbc.org/discussion/detail.dot?id=70096

http://blogs.palmbeachpost.com/on-call/2010/01/19/medical-missions-psychiatric-support-palm-beach-county-leaders-step-up-to-help-haitians-urge-others-to-join-them/

http://hillsideschool.net/announcements_detail.asp?NewsID=806

 

GCF RELIEF - FIELD UPDATE

Sunday, January 31, 2010 - Our beloved Haiti is weeping for her children’s loss, and at the Gaskov Clerge Foundation (GCF), we share that excruciating pain and sorrow. GCF is in deep mourning and wish to humbly pay respect to our precious brothers and sisters who lost their lives in the disastrous January 12th earthquake.

To that effect, all GCF fund raising galas planned for 2010 are cancelled. We will devote our attention and energy to continuously contribute towards relieving our surviving brothers and sisters who are suffering both physically and mentally.

After 2 long weeks of arduous planning, organizing and gathering medical supplies, GCF’s first team of medical professionals “The Pathfinders” landed safely in Haiti on January 29, 2010. With the support of Commissioner of Port Wayne Richards, Mayor Thomas Masters, Haitian Nurses Coalition and Missionary Flights International, all volunteers and supplies were transported to Haiti free of charge. The team is composed of medical professionals from Florida, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania and New York will be hosted by Dr. Cadet, a Florida Physician born in Croix Des Bouquet.

Our field team started working in Croix Des Bouquets on Saturday 01/30/2010 where they started to save lives. Our ground team is working with the Haitian Ministry of Health representative and on Sunday 01/31 the team began to work in Carrefour where they are performing minor surgeries and wound care. They will set the tone for the remaining teams and will help identify those places that desperately need both our medical and surgical services. Two locations that are being assessed by GCF’s logistics team are Leogane and Grand-Goave. Once the assessment is completed, GCF will decide where the next team will work.

Pressing needs identified by our field team:
Our team on the ground sees the need for more: children antibiotics and vitamins; antibiotics for vaginal infections such as Metronidazole, Miconazole, Clotrimazole, Terconazole or Fluconazole; blood pressure medication. The list will grow for sure. If you are in a position to donate these supplies, please contact us 917-405-8834 or 561-267-3813 for an address to ship them to. We are accepting donation for medical supplies at www.Gaskov.org.




Key Contributors:

Volunteers:
Behind this first GCF Relief team send off, there is an army of humbly devoted people who have tremendously helped in making this happen. They have worked tirelessly to raise funds, medical supplies, help arrange traveling arrangements, recruit volunteers and help spread the word about GCF’s work. We all are in this together!!!

Local officials:
• Mayor Thomas Masters - Riviera Beach
• Commissioner Wayne Richards – Palm Beach Port

Contributing Organizations (Growing list):
The following organizations have contributed medical supplies worth hundreds of thousands of dollars to GCF’s one month relief efforts:
• Map International - www.map.org
• Missionary Flights International (MFI) - www.missionaryflights.org
• Columbia Hospital, West Palm Beach Florida - http://www.columbiahospital.com
• Pocono Medical Center, Stroudsburg Pensylvania - www.poconohealthsystem.org
• Found Care, West Palm Beach, Florida - http://www.foundcare.org
• Palm Beach County Medical Society - www.pbcms.org
• Hope Force International - www.hopeforce.org
• Haitian Nurses Coalition, West Palm Beach Florida
• Daytona Heart Group - www.daytonaheart.com
• Hillside School, Inc., MA
• Children Heritage Foundation - www.childrenheritage.org
• American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeon - http://www.aaos.org

 

EARTHQUAKE RELIEF MISSION UPDATE

January 20, 2010 - On Thursday, January 15, GCF Board Member, Dr. Roby Marsan flew to Haiti, to bring urgent care for the young victims. As of today, Dr. Marsan is still in Haiti providing help to the earthquake victims in the region. GCF has also facilitated the departure of several Orthopedists and Anesthesiologists for Port-au-Prince.

In addition, GCF is planning to land in Haiti on January 30th with the first group of doctors and nurses, medicine and medical supplies to begin a 4-week relief mission in Port-au-Prince and other areas in need.

If you would like to make a contribution to support the effort, please follow this link to make a credit card donation. If you rather send a check, please make it payable to “Gaskov Clergé Foundation”, and mail it to the address below. For more information please contact GCF at info@gaskov.org or 347-248-7259.

GCF Earthquake Relief Committee

PRESS RELEASE UPDATE

January 17, 2010 - GCF has been receiving pressing requests to move the mission’s date to start sooner. Apparently, most towns in Haiti are inundated with victims that were brought in from Port-au-Prince. Those victims are left with nothing: no clothes, no food, no infrastructure and minimal medical care. The situation seems to be overwhelming for most towns.

Per our discussions with several search and rescue representatives, GCF needs to hold off for at least for two weeks. As such, GCF is moving the mission date up by 2 weeks, to start on January 30th, 2010. We are still planning for up to a month duration and will take the mission wherever needs us the most.

Our strategy is to remain adaptable and flexible in our planning, while maximizing the effectiveness of our resources.

GCF Earthquake Relief Committee