Charlottesville Resident's Mission Highlights Haiti's Need
February 11, 2010 by Bill Mccleery | Indianapolis Star staff
Rachel Detamore grew up believing that when you see other people suffering, you should reach out to help. That conviction helped motivate her to pursue a career in nursing. It’s also what motivated her to get on a plane last month and fly to earthquake-ravaged Haiti on a medical mission. “Things we saw were definitely as tragic as people have imagined,” she said.
Detamore, who lives in Charlottesville in eastern Hancock County, left for Haiti on Jan. 21 and came back to Indiana four days later. She went with the assistance of her church — Realife Church in Greenfield — and a national missions organization called Heart to Heart International. Those who know Detamore were not surprised that she found a way to get to the West Indian island and help, while most everyone else just watched the devastation on television from the comfort of their homes.
While the experience was difficult, Detamore said that she and other volunteers just stayed focused on their jobs. “We were doing medical intervention,” she said. “We set up hospital tents and things like that, and we were addressing people’s injuries and medical needs.” Detamore estimates that she personally treated 150 to 200 people. “Most of the injuries were mangled limbs of some sort and infected wounds,” she said.
“We saw lots of broken bones and head and back injuries. . . . Some of the people were just arriving to Port-au-Prince from outlying areas, and they had just been living with severe wounds for about a week,” she said. Some patients had to lose limbs because of the time that passed since their injuries, she said. “Teams had started setting up surgical units around town, and some patients had wounds that needed immediate amputation due to infection or the limb just being dead,” she said.
She and other volunteers encouraged one another to stay strong, despite the devastation around them. “In some cases, you do cry with people right there,” Detamore said. “But for the most part, as a medical person, you switch gears and you meet the need and weep about it later. You kind of go into adrenaline mode to get these needs met.”
Despite the devastation, Detamore also saw much that inspired her. “I was overwhelmed by the amount of strength in these people,” she said. “We saw the extreme fortitude in the human spirit, and they were grateful to get whatever help they could get.” Detamore’s pastor at Realife Church — who also happens to be her cousin — said the congregation is proud of her contributions to help the Haitian people. The church took an offering to help fund Detamore’s trip.
“It was a great opportunity for us to step up to the plate to make a difference around the world,” said Pastor Adam Detamore. “This was not something we expected or planned, but this is the kind of situation where churches can step up and make a difference.” The church set aside time at this past Sunday’s services to let Detamore share her experiences with the congregation. “It went right along with our message this week,” her pastor said. “Serving the needs of the world around us exemplifies Christ’s compassion.”
Rachel Detamore, brunette in red t-shirt, and easily identified in a snapshot toward end of this video holding a Haitian child nearly cheek to cheek.
Rachel and Realife Church members return to Haiti in 2011. Watch for a follow-up report. click here
