Riding With Haiti Air Ambulance Part 8: Commitment and Cost

EMS World contributor and advisory board member Kevin Collopy is volunteering this month with the first air ambulance service in Haiti. He’s chronicling the experience with a series of blog posts. Find earlier posts at the end of the article.

Among the aviation, medical, maintenance and administrative staff are 10 full-time Americans who have committed themselves to Haiti Air Ambulance. These devoted individuals bring their talents and experience to some of the most deserving patients and citizens in the world. But with every great commitment comes sacrifice.

You can see it in their eyes in the evenings, during the moments of happiness in their FaceTime conversations with family, and hear it in their voices when they speak of home. There is no question that being away from family, friends and the comfort of the familiar is difficult. I’ve been in Haiti for just a week now, and there are already things I miss and long for. Some of the staff here have been home for just two weeks in the past several months. One might ask why they do it, but it seems the answer is simple: The mission is worth it.

Every team member here has left family behind. They communicate through e-mail, phone calls, video chats and a regular barrage of text messages. Electronic communications let HAA team members keep up with their loved ones’ lives vicariously. I know of colleagues in the U.S. who miss their families terribly during 24-hour shifts—imagine leaving for a month. It’s hard to fathom their challenges.

One way they’ve overcome them is by becoming a true family themselves. It is rare to find such a close-knit team whose members understand each other’s perspectives and are so supportive, compassionate and devoted to one another. Selflessness is the only key to success here. It goes without saying that to care for third-world patients is a selfless act, and only by selflessly caring for one another’s needs does this team see success day in and day out.

Evenings seem to be the most challenging times. After a day of work most HEMS teams go home and unwind with their families. That isn’t possible here. They can lean on one another for support, but evenings are meant to be where children tell their stories of the day and are tucked into bed, and people can relax with their spouses. Here we often hear about the plans staff have for their next trip home, when they can travel with their children, play with their dogs and mow their own lawn. Sometimes the smallest things bring the most joy.

Their commitment is not waning, though. Currently one team member has found an apartment in Port-au-Prince and plans to move her family here over the summer. They will home-school their children, and she has made a long-term commitment to ensuring mission success.

If I’ve walked a mile in this team’s shoes this week, then its mission is a triathlon its members are committed to complete. My experience in sharing this glimpse has been with only one of the many humanitarian groups striving to improve medical care in Haiti, and I think it’s safe to believe all of them struggle with the balance between their families and their work. We should be grateful so many dedicated professionals are doing so.

More From Haiti:

Part 1: https://www.emsworld.com/article/12075142;
Part 2: https://www.emsworld.com/article/12075601;
Part 3: https://www.emsworld.com/article/12076210;
Part 4: https://www.emsworld.com/article/12076579;
Part 5: https://www.emsworld.com/article/12077006;
Part 6: https://www.emsworld.com/article/12077179;
Part 7: https://www.emsworld.com/article/12077192.

Kevin T. Collopy, BA, FP-C, CCEMT-P, NREMT-P, WEMT, is an educator, e-learning content developer and author of numerous articles and textbook chapters. He is also the clinical education coordinator for AirLink/VitaLink in Wilmington, NC, and a lead instructor for Wilderness Medical Associates. Contact him at ktcollopy@gmail.com.