We had a lot of patients with wounds at that particular medical clinic, but Xantus was special. He is developmentally disabled and is not capable of making decisions for himself. His father takes care of him. However, he has a sweet smile and even sweeter spirit. He was a favorite patient and everyone was relieved when he responded to the treatment and his wound was much less severe by the time the team left.
Last week while Rusty was guiding a team through the village going door-to-door to spread the Gospel, Rusty came upon our old friend Xantus. He was sitting on the step to a small house. Sitting, because he couldn't stand or walk without excrutiating pain. His knee had become re-infected before the healing was complete and he had no means to go to a Dr. I don't know why someone didn't bring him back to one of the other medical clinics held in the last year, or even just to ask for assistance, but no one did. And Xantus just can't think things through on his own.
So for a year Xantus has had a festering infection.
No doctor, no clinic, no tylenol or ibuprofen. Not even some Neosporin and Bandaids. Nothing.
Can you imagine?
I can't.
Rusty called our friend, Dr. Vladmir who runs the clinic at Titayen and made arrangements to bring Xantus in for an evaluation by a surgeon. When we picked him up in the van he smelled so strong that you had to work not to gag. The smell wasn't from his uncleanliness, in fact he was freshly bathed with a clean shirt buttoned all the way up to the very last button! The horrible odor was his rotting leg. Dr. Vlad & his surgeon friend, Dr. Jacques pulled away the rags wrapped around his leg to reveal a leaf poultice. I wondered what their reaction would be- I always advise against such when I see it, but secretly wonder if they know something I don't. Guess not- Dr. Jacques gave him down the road for the leaf dressing! After the examination the good Drs. told us they would be working at a hospital in St. Marc in a few days and if we would bring him there, they could surgically clean away the rotting flesh and give him I.V. antibiotics for a week to stop the gangrene. We weren't sure how, but we told them we'd have him there.
There were a lot of arrangements to be made. The surgery was to take place on the same day we were leaving Haiti to return to the US for a couple of weeks. Permission had to be obtained from the family. Xantus needed reassurance that Dr. Jacques did not plan to amputate. Transportation had to be arranged. In a Haitian hospital there is no supportive care. That means someone has to stay with the patient to help them- go and get food (not provided by hosp.), go & get meds, I.V.'s & dressings (not provided by hosp.), change & wash linens & clothes (oh yeah, also not provided by hosp.). A family member had to be found to commit to caring for Xantus. We also hired one of our laborers to travel with them to St. Marc and make sure all the arrangements were secured & stay with them for the first day. This person would dole out the money- oh yeah, did I mention that in Haiti hospitalization is cash up front. He would pay for the surgery, the meds & dressings, and leave enough $$ for meals for the patient & caregiver. Then he would return at the end of the week and wrap everything up and travel home with them.
We made all the arrangements & scraped together the $$ (although the satellite internet service payment took a back seat!), and left the country. When we phoned to check on things, the surgery was completed successfully although more extensive than the Drs. had anticipated, so they were going to keep Xantus in the hospital for 3 weeks of antibiotics instead of the week we had planned on. Nick was going to take care of it somehow. We'll owe everybody in Haiti when we get back- but if this man keeps his leg and gets relief from the pain & misery he was in- none of that will matter.
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