MAY-B-10

A VERY RAPID SERIES OF BREAKING EVENTS HAS ME MAKING PLANS FOR A JULY HOSTING OF A VISIT BY THE SAN ANTONIO GEELHOEDS FOLLOWED BY A MEDICAL MISSION WITH STUDENTS AND MAP PACKS TO THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC AND TO HAITI BY OVERLAND CONNECTION TO CANGE

May 21, 2004

It seems that there may be a housewarming visit from the San Antonio Geelhoeds around the end of the second week in July, and there should be a call coming in at any time from Gainesville that within the next two weeks there should be a new grandchild down in Florida. So there may be good reasons to stay around close for a little while quite apart from the two and a half feet high grass and the large pile of file cases which will require moving at least three stairs, and from the hottest parts of the house. I have a lot of unboxing to do as yet, and will host a few first time visitors as well, but there is a move afoot to take the medical students and a few MPH students with me to the Hispaniola they were denied earlier when it was planned around their spring vacation in March. As they were keen to go, and I had a request from Kathy Rubio to carry a group with me to Honduras at the time that Kevin, Juan, and Jay and I were all going to Somaliland, so they went to Honduras with the MAP packs I procured for them under my license.

There may still be misgivings among a number of folk about travel to Haiti, and we would be doing it overland into the area of Cange Hospital and

Thumonde by very bad roads in vehicles we would have to rent to get us all there. Besides almost all the freshman rising sophomores would be on their way to do something else having disbanded for the summer since they are through with school. But Bryan Schaaf is eager to do so, and I had a call from Rashid Abdu who had asked me to review his book and go with me on some adventure of the kind I used to report to him and which he has taken up in missions to Mexico and to the Indian Reservations. He would like to go with me to the Dominican Republic but his family has misgivings about him going to Haiti. I am not sure if it can be pulled together but I put in a request for the MAP packs and told Bryan to try to organize it for later July, so we will see what happens. I will attach some of the correspondence about the possibilities.

Hey Dr.G,
That's awesome that GWU can go back to Haiti this summer. I just wanted to let
you know that I passed on all the info and all the documents that we have
accumulated to the rising 2nd years who will be taking over the club next
year. They should contact you soon. Unfortunately, Danielle and I won't be
able to go back this summer (gotta take the Boards!)....but i can't wait to
hear all about it.
Julie



>===== Original Message From Glenn Geelhoed <msdgwg@gwumc.edu> =====
>Bryan is ex-PCV working in Thumonde and now a ready to graduate MPH student
at GWU who had guided our last Operation MediShare Mission to Thumonde and
CAnge Haiti.
>
>MAP is my consistent source of medical supplies for which we pay a wholesale
and handling fee of about $500 for approximately $35,000 wholesale value of
antibiotics, vitamins, analgesics and other line item medical supplies that I
have been using for decades when I was first a volunteer for them back in
1965! That goes back even further than you and I!
>
>Paul Farmer is the ID Harvard based MD who like me has an interest in
anthropology and a passion for the care of the underserved. He has developed
Cange and PIH "Partners in Health" with Loune who has made the local
arrangements work in Cange. The other web sites I sent you on the Batey
Relief Foundation is all I know on that subject but that pertains to the DR
side of our journey.
>
>Good luck on your Indian Reservation voyage. You are going to LOVE the next
one!
>
>GWG
>
>>> "Rashid Abdu" <raa1@neoucom.edu> 05/20/04 01:06PM >>>
>Dear Glenn,
>It was good talking with you today. Our conversation brought back good
>memories. Needless to say, I am looking forward to working with you, and
>participate in caring for the poor.
>Who is Bryan Schaaf? What is MAP?
>Waiting to hear from you.
>Rashid
>The July 21, spilling into August is a perfect time for me. I will block
>that time, pending your approval.
>----- Original Message -----
>From: Glenn Geelhoed <msdgwg@gwumc.edu>
>To: Bryan Schaaf <bryanjschaaf@yahoo.com>
>Sent: Thursday, May 20, 2004 9:21 AM
>Subject: Re: ...
>
>
>I had just told several students interested in the Haiti trip (that was
>canceled for which the Spring Vacation Honduras trip was substituted) that I
>was unsure of the summer schedule.
>
> Can you publicize the word that we are now ready to make the plans, and see
>if we can round up any of those who had been suspending their summer plans
>until they had heard from us?
>
>I will let a few of the students who have spoken with me, and may refer them
>to you for the final dates. I can also begin the clearance of the
>application for MAP packs to supply some of our meds.
>
>Cheers!
>
>GWG
>
>
>>> Bryan Schaaf <bryanjschaaf@yahoo.com> 05/19/04 03:05PM >>>
>Doc,
>
>All right, we'll spend a few days in DR and then go on to Haiti. Neither
>place is expensive. We'll border cross in the middle western portion of DR.
>The northern portion has the worst roads in the country and would take a
>long time to get down from.
>
>Do you have a window of time in July that works better than the others?
>Maybe mid to late July? Or late July into early August? It would make
>planning easier if we could set aside a time period give or take a few days
>either way.
>
>Theyve told us what medicines they need. Well do our best to bring down a
>big bag and see what they have going in terms of public health projects as
>well.
>
>Here is the website: http://www.bateyrelief.org/
>
>Talk to you soon!
>Bryan
>
>
>Glenn Geelhoed <msdgwg@gwumc.edu> wrote:
>2 and 2
>
>GWG
>
>>> Bryan Schaaf
>05/19/04 10:30AM >>>
>Doc Geelhoed,
>
>C'est vrai. When is best for you? We have some options....
>
>Dates:
>1) Go in the last week of August when the Exec Director will be there
>2) Go in July
>
>Destinations:
>1) Work in the DR exclusively
>2) Work in the DR, take a trip to Haiti after.
>
>If we choose to go to Haiti afterwards, I think we will have to have a much
>smaller and more adventurous group. Perhaps a few medical students and a few
>public health students, a manageable and mobile group.
>
>What are your thoughts?
>
>Bryan
>
>
>Glenn Geelhoed wrote:
>I have just dropped the Himalayan trips from the summer schedule, so I may
>be able to carry a few students and do a number of the dates suggested.
>Since nature abhors a vacuum, now would be the right time to set them up,
>since a number of people are now aware that I may have some time freed up
>and are eager to pounce!
>
>Cheers!
>
>GWG
>
>>> Bryan Schaaf
>05/19/04 10:00AM >>>
>Doc,
>
>Thank you for the photos. I look forward to seeing them. The Dominican
>Republic is nice because it is close, cheap, and the need is there in the
>Western portion of the island.
>
>What dates would be good for you? July? August? The executive director said
>he would be there the last week of August but thats only one possible window
>of time. Myself, I would not be averse to hopping the border to Haiti and
>visiting Kanj as well as Thomonde before we go back.
>
>But we can talk about all that later. Let me know what dates might be good
>for you and we'll take it from there.
>
>Kenbe!
>
>Bryan
>
>
>
>Glenn Geelhoed wrote:
>Yes! It certainly interests me!
>
>I will send you a photo smorgasbord of the Ethiopian/Somaliland experiences
>and a second photo feast of the Amazon on a second missive!
>
>Cheers!
>
>GWG
>
>>> Bryan Schaaf
>05/18/04 03:58PM >>>
>Hi Doc,
>
>How are you doing? Are you going to be around at the end of the summer? The
>Batey Relief Alliance, which works with immigrant Haitian cane cutters in
>Western DR, gave us permission to do a medical/public health mission there
>and to talk about long term partnerships. If this interests you, let me know
>and we can talk about it.
>
>Hope you are doing well and Ill talk to you soon
>
>Bryan
>
>PS. Next time you head to the office, could you bring 'uses of haiti' with
>you? Ill pick it up from you there sometime.
>
>

Return to May Index
Return to Journal Index