Friday, January 18, 2008

Haitians Equal Courage


Jhiny is 13 years old and was born with heart disease.

Jhiny, her mom, and brothers and sisters (all eight of them) live in a tiny one room cinder block house in Port-au-Prince.

They have no stove, running water, or toilet. They have occasional electricity when the State of Haiti turns it on.

Jhiny has gone to school for seven years with her sick heart. She is an excellent student.

Jhiny speaks and writes French and Haitian Creole.

Jhiny came to the United States without any family members or friends. She speaks very little English.

Jhiny is polite and industrious. Her host family in the United States love her.

Last night Jhiny spoke with confidence about her date today with the Bard-Parker knife.

Early this morning she crawled onto an operating table and went to sleep. Alone.

Her heart was fixed this morning by a very good pediatric heart surgeon and an experienced cardiac team of nurses and perfusionists.

Jhiny is off the bypass pump as I post.

Jhiny is courageous.

Jhiny is Haitian.


(Jhiny is in the blue dress holding her little sister.)

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