In Haiti, Ania's story

It is Tuesday Jan 12th. It’s a regular day in her house. There were a total of seven people inside. Her two aunts were upstairs and the rest were downstairs. Her mom and a little girl were in the kitchen, probably preparing dinner. Her dad was working in a warehouse. She was with her 18-year-old brother and a little boy in the living room watching TV.

She remembers hearing a rumble, the walls shaking, and a painting falling off.

Everyone started running for the hallway. Her brother and the little boy were hit by something that fell on top of them, maybe a cement wall. They both died. She was fighting to get out. As she put one foot outside the door, a wooden beam fell on her, and she was trapped. She heard a child screaming in the kitchen. Then silence.

Ania pauses. When she resumes, she says that she remembers that it was hard for her to breathe. Her mouth was very dry.

The following morning, somebody who lives on their block began screaming her name. She responded. Suddenly, a group of people started trying to get her out by moving the couch, ripping chairs, and finally pulling her out. They find her mother and get her out. The little girl was dead. She thinks that her two aunts upstairs were able to get out on their own. Her father, who was at work, was fine and joined her. Family members pick them up and take them to the hospital.

She describes a lot of people who were hurt in lines waiting for help. The University Hospital was packed. They stayed outside waiting for a few days sleeping on the grass. Still injured. She tells us that by Saturday, they decided to go north to Pierre Peyen hospital. She remembers waiting with her mother. That was the last time she saw her.

She pauses again, looks away, holds her tears. She takes a deep breath. On Monday, she found out that her mother died.

She was brought to St. Nicolas hospital in St. Marc by her father and aunt because Nadia, her cousin, works as a nurse here. Ania needed her right leg amputated because the crush injury had caused compartment syndrome which impaired the blood flow and caused necrosis. It is bandaged and she complains of pain. We tell her that part of the pain is from a phenomenon we call phantom pain. The brain tricks the body into thinking that the leg is still there. And it aches. Apparently, to help prevent this, surgeons will sometimes inject lidocaine directly into the nerve sheath for anesthesia prior to the amputation but it doesn't always work.

Ania has touched so many of us. Despite all of the tragedy that she has recently experienced, she sees a bright future. She aspires to become a nurse and admits that her care here has certainly reinforced this decision. She points to Kristen, Rose, and Sergiline as dedicated nurses who have had a significant impact on her. As we finish talking, I think about what she needs. She needs a prosthesis to help her get back to school and move forward with her life.