Survivor

In anticipation of Michael, Walnes, and the dance troupe's return to Port-au-Prince, the St Joseph's guys went crazy cleaning out the courtyard and the street. For 5 days straight, they hauled rubble and filled dump truck after dump truck. For 5 days straight, my entire Shoebox was covered in a thick layer of concrete dust. For 5 days straight, none of us could breathe!



It was utterly worth it. Instead of the street looking like this...


the guys came home to a street that looked like this:


When the dance troupe came home, they brought a special delivery for me: my neighbor, patient, and friend, Bill. For a guy who broke 5 vertebrae, 2 ribs, and was, as far as we're concerned, dead for about an hour, he looks fantastic. After the nightmare that we lived through during the 4 days that I was caring for him with virtually no resources, fearing every day that I was going to allow him to suffer permanent damage or even die, it is such a relief to see him walking around looking like the healthy exhuberent young man that he was pre-quake. It is the ultimate job satisfaction and the sweetest reward.