 "Photo: Kyle Pezoldt")
What are you doing during spring break? The majority of students will travel home to see family while others will vacation to Cancun, Florida, Puerto Rico, or other hot spots to bask in the sun. That will not be the case for six East Stroudsburg University nursing students. They will be working from 7:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the middle of a natural disaster in Haiti. These students will be doing their part to help the thousands of Haitians who were affected by the disaster.
The students participating in the trip to Haiti are Nicole Cecire, Allison Becker, Liz Spinosa, Brittany Smith, Katie Cannizzo and Heather Doherty. Their break will consist of giving psychological training to children and adolescents, working in orphanages and schools, informing Haitians about nutrition and talking about living with a disability. The students will also be organizing the medical supplies that are being donated. A majority of children were left with no parents or family and are now residing in orphanages. The students will help these children mentally and physically by providing their medical expertise. There is also a vast majority of adults and children who were left without limbs or a chronic illness and now need help adjusting to life. The students’ main goal is to educate the population on how to mentally and physically deal with the trauma that has occurred.
The trip to Haiti was planned last year before natural disaster struck. The students are still, if not more, excited about going. “All together, we are so excited to help and touch the lives of children,” says nursing student Spinosa. For some of the students, this will be their first time traveling outside the country. The trip is not sponsored by East Stroudsburg University, therefore, the students fundraised the money on their own. Churches gave donations, Pocono Medical donated medical gloves and the Sarah Street Bar Grill held a fundraiser to support the students. A professor at ESU also offered a helping hand in teaching the students some common words in Creole, which 80% of Haiti’s population speaks.
Two faculty members will also be attending the trip to Haiti. Corinna Dotter, a professor in the nursing department, went to Haiti in Aug. 2008. She is anxious to go back and see the changes from the devastation. Dotter is also fluent in Creole and will be able to assist the students in communicating with the victims. Dr. Patty Hannon, Associate Professor in the nursing department, will be attending the trip along with her son.
Hannon would like to give special thanks to Hope for Haiti, which teamed up with the students to support their trip. Hope for Haiti is a global benefit for earthquake relief where all their proceeds go towards relief efforts. They will stay in a missionary with their lead helper, Patrick Eucalitto, who is currently in Haiti. “He has been very helpful in planning the trip and working with us, and I would like to thank him for his help,” says Dr. Hannon. Dr. Hannon also appreciates the students and their work ethic in fundraising. After this experience, the professors and students want to share their experience and the lessons they learned in hopes that the university can endorse and sponsor future travels.
Safety is of the up most important because Haiti is a third world country. The majority of the students have received immunizations to protect themselves against disease. They will be staying in a missionary provided by Hope for Haiti. Dotter states, “The Haitians are so friendly and you would never be able to tell how poor they truly are. They are wonderful people to work with.” It may be surprising at first but in retro-spect, the Haitians are accustomed to their life style and learn to live with what they have.
The students are still, if not more, excited to go since the earthquake hit. According to Cannizzo, a nursing student, “The opportunity to travel together with my classmates and for the first time applying what we learned to life, is going to be so exciting.”
The families of the students are nervous to see their children depart to a third world country. The students will not be able to use their phone but will have Internet usage to contact and talk to their parents. According to the students, this may be one of the most exciting and influential trips the students and professors will ever attend.
The experience will become crucial in their development as a nurse and person. To support the students and professors, they ask for donations that will be given to Hope for Haiti. Donations can be sent to Dr. Patty Hannon in the department of nursing.
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