KCOM alumni plan Haiti return
Posted: February 12, 2011
Drs. Davis (far left) and O’Neill (far right) in Port-au-Prince, 2010.
Wesley Family Medicine physician Aaron Davis, D.O., ’08, will return to the earthquake ravaged Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince as part of a continued relief effort to provide humanitarian aid to the people of Haiti. Dr. Davis will be accompanied by New Mexico physician Maryclaire O’Neill, D.O., ’08, who are fundraising to cover medical supply and travel expenses in support of the relief effort with Heart to Heart International.
In 2010, Drs. Davis and O’Neill teamed with Heart to Heart International alongside a contingent of fellow doctors, nurses, and EMTs to establish a health clinic in Port-au-Prince. It was during this time that Dr. Davis was exposed to the vast devastation and pain that the earthquake had brought. “Their entire culture is gone: schools, hospitals, the government, everything. The people sleep on the ground and drink out of puddles. We saw patients in the clinic or went out to the tent cities, trying to treat as many people as we could in a day. Some people just want to know why they wake up screaming. I can tell you I have never seen anything like it in my life.”
A year later, one million Haitians remain internally displaced, malnourished, and suffering from cholera and other ailments. In February, Dr. Davis will return to the clinic he helped to start for two weeks of around-the-clock medical aid. At the clinic, located in Belaire, Port-au-Prince, Heart to Heart International will administer relief to many Haitians, “As family doctors we are able to provide care for people of any age, from birth to old age. Our duties will include treating infectious diseases, chronic illnesses and mental health issues, performing surgical procedures, and providing obstetrical care.”
Fundraising is currently underway to provide for travel and much needed medical supplies such as medications, surgical supplies, medical equipment, and water treatment equipment.
For more information about Drs. Davis and O’Neill, visit http://mc-and-aaron-for-haiti.blogspot.com. For more information about Heart to Heart, visit http://hearttoheart.org/.
*Adapted from a press release from Wichita, Kan. (January 17, 2011)