Getting Started on our Journey

Hello All,
We have had so many people asking us to journal our trip and to take lots of pictures while Matt, Linda, and Joanne are in Haiti, that we decided to create our own blog so we can document our experience along the way.
John Wipfler, OA's CEO had a vision for our organization's surgeons and staff to utilize their expertise in the wake of the devastating earthquake in Haiti. After a few phone calls, emails, and a meeting to get this underway, OA agreed to commit some surgeons and staff to travel down with Konbit Sante, a well established group in Portland headed by Dr. Sam Broadus.
And so it began....... Linda and Joanne went to Intermed to begin the process of the required immunizations, still not really knowing when and who would be needed to go. Linda called Joanne and Dr. Camuso the very next day, Saturday, January 30 to tell them it was a go. Plane tickets were purchased that day.
Throughout the week we have gathered and packed supplies to take with us. As we speak the 3 of us have 6 bags of surgical and casting supplies packed and ready to go. We have talked alot about what personal items we should bring to get us by for the week. Joanne insists on bringing her really good face cream as her only luxury! Linda has insisted that underwear is overrated...
While Matt..... well, he's just going to show up on flight day with his head in the game ready for whatever.
We leave this Friday morning out of Portland and land in Turks and Caicos at 2:30p. We spend one over night there and then are going to be taken to Cap Haitian the next morning to start our work.... what that will be time will tell. Stay tuned for more details along the way. Thanks to everyone who have sent their well wishes.