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Helping in Haiti still a full-time job Continued from page 19Red Cross or other humanitarian relief organi-Cheryl, a Wzation.aterdown, Ontario resident,made the initial move to Haiti after several shortOthers answered the local Salvation ArmyOakvilles call to donate tents as temporary shel-stints in the impoverished country.She had connected with the plight of theter for distribution by the Salvation Army inpeople there and when Mission of Hope HaitiHaiti.offered her a position, she and her familyOakville Dr. John Yates travelled to Haiti tomoved.help at Grace Childrens Hospital operated byThey were there on a long-term stay whenInternational Child Care (ICC) (www.interna-tionalchildcare.org). Others here at home, sup-the earthquake struck.ported his efforts through donations and atten-It was in 2008 that the van der Marks gotdance at a fundraiser hosted by the Firehallinvolved with Mission of Hope Haiti for the longhaul.restaurant in Bronte.Laurens was asked to manage MOHH facili-Reconstruction has now begun on GraceChildrens Hospital, and Yates, who spends timeties there.They moved there with their three children,at his Oakville medical practice and in Haiti, isTheading the ICC Relief & Reconstruction (R&R)eagan, 14; Grayden, 11 and Bridgely, 8.SUBMITTED PHOTOThey now also have Mina and Ana, the twinsOffice in Haiti. The reconstruction and relief efforts includeaged 7.FAMILY EFFORT: Dr.Cheryl van der Mark,her husband Laurens van der Mark,and their chil-Cheryl, after the earthquake, found herselfoutpatient pediatric clinics and psychologicaldren,Teagan,14,Grayden,11,Bridgely,8,and twins Mina and Ana,7.pressed not into chiropractic duties so much assupport services.medical assistance.In mid-December, ICCs Cares Relief andThe day of the earthquake, people were linedReconstruction office in conjuction with Graceoutreach programs and mobile medical clinics.266 orthopedic and plastic surgeries, treatedup outside the Mission of Hope Haiti compoundChildrens Hospital held inauguration of theWe have educated over 10,000 people on16,856 earthquake and ER trauma cases, fabri-now completed hospital transitional facilities inseeking aid. The compounds doctor, a Haitian,cholera prevention and have a comprehensivecated 75 prosthetic limbs for amputees, educat-was missing in the quake.Haiti.community health program affecting overed more than 10,000 Haitians on cholera pre-That day of the earthquake went around theOn Jan. 13, Dave Toycen, who heads up200,000 people, said Cheryl.vention, built 18 village homes and two schools,World Vision, headquartered in neighbouringclock and more for Cheryl. It was repeated dayWe are building over 500 homes for dis-been given 100 acres by government to buildMississauga, visited the hospital.after day for some time afterward.placed families, we have expanded our orphan-500 homes, broke ground to build 50 homes aSomewhere in the time, sleep was finallyStill others in Oakville donated to the localage and are finishing the construction on themonth starting in January, built a patient wardhad, emotions were faced and rebuilding began.Rotary effort that was dubbed Containers ofrest of our hospital that will allow us to contin-and medical storage facility, delivered 15 millionLast fall, the family finally had the paperworkHope for Haiti (http://www.containersofhope-ue with ER care and surgeries. We have alsomeals, served 50,000 meals daily and educatedforhaiti.blogspot.com/) that saw local collec-sorted out on the Haitian twins adoption and alldoubled our school enrollment to approximate-200 family farmers with agricultural training.tions shipped and distributed by Rotary clubs inreturned home.ly 2,400 students, said Cheryl.Donations For Mission of Hope are acceptedthe disaster-stricken area.Tonight will be the first time we are reunit-While Haiti may not be as readily in theat www.FTCCANADA.CA/MOH or FTC Canada,Schools across Oakville did not turn theired as a family for the last three months, the firstheadlines a year after the quake, the need thereAttention: MOH, Box 30, Guelph, Ontario N1Hbacks on the need in Haiti as witnesed by Abbeytime our Haitian twins hit Canadian soil and thepersists.6J6 (memo: Mission of Hope)Park High School students raising fundsfirst time to truly recover as a family since theDonations can still be made and Cheryl saidAll proceeds will support the vision ofthrough a famine event, among the many localearthquake. Yea, Cheryl wrote to the BeaveratMission of Hope Haiti is accepting medical andMission of Hope, including orphan care, educa-school efforts.the time.construction teams.tion, new construction of schools and homes,TodayStill others gave what they could when the, they are back in Haiti.On a personal note, as you know from yourmedical care and food distribution in Haiti.Lions Club of Oakville in conjunction with theWe are still working full-time here in Haiti.last interviews, I sold my Oakville practice and********Besides coming back to Canada for a break, weEmergency Services (EMS) Oakville, HaltonLaurens is still on leave of absence from theOver the past year, after the stories abouthave remained in Haiti. WCanine and Oakville Trafalgar Lions Club, was ate are still workingOPP. The adoption of our twin Haitian girls iswhat it was like to live through the massivewith Mission of Hope with our family of seven.Hopedale Mall collecting to support its efforts tofinal and they are now Canadian citizens, said2010 earthquake in Haiti, the world looked onLaurens is still the site manager here and I haveprovide prosthetics to those who lost limbs inCheryl.and many did what they could to help, includ-moved from medical co-ordinator to healthcarethe earthquake.The familys blog is vdmcrew.blogspot.coming those of us in Oakville.outreach co-ordinatorThe resulting $5,000 was sent to help Team, Cheryl told Theand the website for Mission of Hope Haiti isWhile most were not able to be on theOakville BeaverCanada Healing Hands rebuild the Healingfrom Haiti shortly after thewww.mohhaiti.org.ground and helping in the way the van der MarkHands for Haiti Kay Kapab Clinic, which, oper-earthquake anniversary.MOHH has, since the quake, seen more thanfamily has, residents have done what they could.ated a prosthetics program in Port-au-Prince.I now co-ordinate our community health27,000 patients in the medical clinic, performedFor many, it was a donation or more to thewww.oakvillebeaver.com OAKVILLE BEAVERFriday, January 28, 2011 20