Harlingen -- Valley residents can help send teams of Valley physicians, nurses, and operating room technicians to help relieve the tragic suffering in Haiti through fundraising efforts which will take place this Saturday at medical facilities in Harlingen, Brownsville, McAllen and Weslaco as well as online.

Teams of 10 Valley doctors, eight nurses, and two operating room techs plan to fly to Haiti by Jan. 30 – or sooner if possible -- on commercial airlines to treat injured and homeless Haitians fleeing from the capital of Port-au-Prince following the devastating earthquake on Jan. 12.  The Valley medical personnel will work in five groups in Cap-Haïtien, on the north coast of Haiti, working in weekly shifts.

The group of doctors includes two who are themselves from Haiti – Dr. Garry Souffrant and Dr. Leslie Pean of Harlingen – as well as several other physicians who are very familiar with Haiti as they have participated in medical mission trips to the country for six years as part of Hope International Medical Missions. 

The additional participating physicians include Dr. Juan M. Padilla, Dr. Miguel Cintron, Dr. Donald Vargas, Dr. Lonnie Stanton, Dr. Wayne Green, Dr. Daniel Martinez, Dr. Jose Carrera, Dr. Jorge Miranda, Dr. Tan Nguyen, Dr. Fernando Garcia, Dr. Abdias Etienne, Dr. Ruben Lopez, Dr. Jose Cobos, Dr. Melissa Martinez, Dr. David Michael Forman, Dr. Luis Zepeda, Dr. Mogbolahan Kuye, Dr. Elias Hernandez, Dr. Danilo Asase, and Dr. Robert Wright, among others. Also a large group of physicians from McAllen are part of the effort, including Dr. Jose Fernando Peña, Dr. Gustavo Ramos, Dr. Ruben Abreu, Dr. Carlos Morales, Dr. Oscar Mendez, Dr. Guillermo Perez, Dr. Roel Contreras, Dr. Viraf Cooper, Dr. Edgar Cruz, Dr. Claudia Pierson, Dr. Luis Mejia, Dr. Jose Rudolfo Pulido Gonzalez, Dr. Elvin Garcia, Dr. Pedro McDougal, Dr. Javier Cortinas, Dr. Carlos Villareal, Dr. Krishna Turlipati, Dr. Alejandro Arizmende, Dr. Dona Cooper, and Dr. R. Chandra, among others.

 “This includes a group that is experienced in working with the Haitian people, as they have been going to Haiti to do what they can to treat extremely needy people living in very difficult conditions -- even before the disastrous earthquake,” Dr. Cintron said.  “They care deeply about the people there and will go on this emergency trip representing the people of the Valley who have expressed such concern for the earthquake victims.” 

Dr. Souffrant, who left Haiti as a teenager to come to the United States, said that he still hasn’t heard from some of his uncles, aunts, cousins, and nephews who lived in Port-au-Prince, near the worst part of the earthquake.

“When I first heard the news about the earthquake, it was a shock to me and my family,” Dr. Souffrant said.  “It’s almost surreal, like you were watching a movie.  When you realize it is reality, you feel powerless.  But then you realize it – there are some things you can do to help.”

Valley residents can do their part to help make the Valley relief effort a success by donating online at a new web site, www.rgvhelpshaiti.com, where credit card donations are accepted.  Residents can also donate in person (by cash or check) at five Valley medical facilities which will set up “drive-through” donation locations this Saturday (Jan. 23) from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.:

• HARLINGEN - Su Clinica Familiar, 1706 Treasure Hills Boulevard and at the Valley Endo Center, 3103 S. 77 Sunshine Strip in Harlingen

• BROWNSVILLE – Valley Baptist Medical Center-Brownsville, 1040 W. Jefferson Street (at Central Blvd.) and Valley Regional Medical Center, 100-A Alton Gloor Blvd.

•  McALLEN / EDINBURG AREA – Doctors Hospital at Renaissance, 300 Lindberg Avenue, McAllen
  
  
•  WESLACO / MID-VALLEY AREA – Knapp Medical Center (circular driveway by the Conference Center), 1401 East 8th Street, Weslaco

Other Valley medical centers helping in the relief effort include Valley Baptist Medical Center-Harlingen, Harlingen Medical Center, and South Texas Rehab Center.

Valley residents can also mail checks (which should be made payable to “Haiti Committee Ministry”) to Haiti Committee Ministry, c/o Alliance Christian Church, 844 S. Virginia Ave, Mercedes, TX 78570.  Donations are tax deductible for those who itemize on their tax returns.

“We are very grateful for any donations that Valley residents -- including the many health care workers which form such a vital part of our communities -- can give to support this critical relief operation,” Dr. Cintron said. “Because of the current situation in Haiti, it will be very challenging and expensive to fly our teams there and equip them -- costing up to $45,000 for a team of 20 medical people, and with five waves of teams going, the total cost will be over $200,000.  In spite of those obstacles we are determined to do what we can to help these people in their time of greatest need.”

In addition to monetary donations, the team is calling on Valley medical facilities to consider donating much-needed medical supplies, including mosquito repellant, mosquito nets for sleeping, portable X-ray machines, sonogram machines, IV fluids, operating room monitors, and electrocautery instruments.

“We also are still looking for volunteer nurses and technicians who are willing to go to Haiti to support this effort,” Dr. Cintron said.  “We especially need orthopedic nurses, general surgery nurses, cardiology nurses and OB/GYN nurses.”

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