My New Friend Rita

She is 64 years old and has been raising her daughter's two sons since, 1996 when she drowned at 26 yrs old

Rita was on her way to confession when the earthquake occurred. Her legs were trapped under cinder blocks for six days when American soldiers found her and came to her rescue. There were four other women with her and a 10-year-old girl. She helplessly watched and listened to them die.

I just changed dressings of her bilateral above the knee amputations. An agonizing ordeal for her. Also, a team of us moved her from a straw mat on the floor to an army cot and I'm very happy to report that we've since received a few new beds and Rita is now recuperating in luxury....in an honest to goodness real bed!! However, there is no linen to be found, so we became creative and fashioned bed sheets out of rags!

Rita has an amazing spirit and is a role model for the other patients. What a great source for coping skills and surviving life's tragedies. She has not heard from her grandsons since the quake. Her older sister lives on the outskirts of Port-au-Prince and Rita feels very fortunate to have a place to go when she is physically able.

Rita speaks a bit of English and when I medicate her at the end of the night, she summons me down and outstretches her arms to give me a generous warm embrace. She quietly whispers "I love you, God bless you my new girl."

Regina MacKenzie, RN, Carney Hospital