La Fyev

     Corey, Luc, Anna Ray and I left Haiti in January 2009.  A year later, in December, we had our youngest, Leo.  Two weeks after he was born, I was sitting in my living room visiting with a friend of ours who had come to see our sweet boy and deliver a diaper cake.  While we were talking, my phone began to ring and ring, the ringing continued.  Finally, after several calls I turned the ringer off… hoping not to offend our guest.  When she left, I fed the baby, cared for Luc and Anna Ray, made dinner and finally took a minute to check my messages.  The messages, of which there were many, told me of the earthquake in Haiti, the earthquake, the earthquake.  Over the next few days we watched the news horrified at the images that we saw, helpless and overwhelmed.

Corey and I with our foster baby, Eronne, in Fond des Blancs.  This is our first trip to Haiti!

Eronne, 2 months, when she first came to live with us.  She had active TB and was malnourished.

Corey and Eronne- 6 months

     A lot has changed since we left Haiti.  The earthquake, more hurricaines, the tent camps, a cholera outbreak, fevers…  The fever, of course, was there long before we left- a term used by the Haitians to explain any and all illnesses. When you ask a Haitian what he died from, or what type of illness she has, inevitably the answer is “la fyev.”  After we left, our housekeeper and my best friend in Haiti, Manita, got pregnant with her fourth child about the same time that I got pregnant with Leo.  During my pregnancy with Leo I had prenatal care- lots of it.  I had appointments, and ultrasounds, lab draws, blood pressure checks, urine dips, discussions about which vitamins to take, which support hose to buy, endless monitoring of me, the baby and even my placenta.  If I had gotten the fever, we can be certain, that my doctor would have known right away.  Late in my pregnancy with Leo, we were having dinner at Senor Manuel’s, and got a call from our good friend Zoe.  A call to let us know that our dear Manita had gotten “la fyev” and died.  We don’t really know what happened during Manita’s pregnancy.  We do know that she didn’t have access to prenatal care, clean water, vitamins, or even enough food to eat.  From what we can gather, Manita’s pregancy involved lots of work and walking, a stomach that was never filled and very little if any prenatal care.  As her due date got closer, Manita and her husband moved to the city of Jacmel- there was a hospital there.  The  first time that Manita got prenatal care, she was bleeding out of her nose, her eyes, and her mouth.  She had, the fever.  After the bleeding began, she began to seize.  We lost Manita that day and her baby.

Madame Manita and Lucas prepare lunch.

Corey, Anna Ray, Lucas, and Mme Manita with the cake that she made for his birthday.

     After Manita died, Leo was born healthy and strong.  He is surrounded by lots of family and four godparents.   Friends, Jennifer and Art, and my sister Mia and her husband Nico agreed to guide and protect our boy when Corey and I coud not.  As Leo grew, his godparents showered him in love and gifts- books and cards, picture frames and paintings.  We have several godchildren of our own- Mary Clare, Bess, and a little, fat Haitian baby named Wiselyn.  Wiselyn was born on a night when there was rain- a lot of it- in Haiti.  Wiselyn’s little brother came to our house the morning after his birth, to tell us the good news, to call us to come and visit.  We found Wiselyn in a simple bed with his Mama.  Despite the 100 degree heat, he was wrapped in a blanket, had a hat on his head, and mittens on his hands.  I still don’t understand this dressing of a baby for the middle of winter in the heat of the summer, but  the parents we know in Haiti they are terrified of the fever.  We loved on that baby the day of his birth- so little and perfect.  We were asked to be his godparents and accepted, thrilled and pleased to welcome this little one into the world. 

Leo with two of his godparents, Mia and Nico

Our godson, Wiselynn

     As Leo grew and got books and stuffed toys and cards in the mail from his godparents, we got a call shortly after we got home.  Wiselyn had the fever- could we send money for a doctor’s visit.  And, soon after that, a call that Wiselyn had died- died from la fyev.

Corey and Wiselynn

Elisabeth and Wiselynn

     So, here we are heading back to a land that is very different than the one we left.  It has been too long.  Corey and I are excited to check in on our goat project families and to help the cooperative in Wozye start a micro-finance project.  I am excited to see the mountains beyond mountains, the ocean, the smells, the music, and hopefully fill my belly with some fried plantains, piles of beans and rice, and sos pwa (blak bean sauce).  I will do my best to update this blog with pictures and stories as the week progresses.  Much love to all of you!  Elisabeth and Corey