1ST SCREENING DAY-STADE DE LOME TERRAIN HANDBALL - FEB16,2010
Feb 16, 2010
I wrote this the day after the first screening!
(currently the rest of the photos are available to friends only through my flickr account. You will have to join flickr and add me as your friend to see the photos…)
The Communications team got in the suv. It’s an all woman crew. It’s Misha (videographer NYC via Bakersfield), Joy (writer Texas), Deb (head photographer Canada), we also have some PR crew that hang out with us too. Udo (head of PR on ship), Anoushka & Lewis. Oh and I just met Elaine last night, she’s a writer too. So we’re full for awhile. Yahoo.
So the events of yesterday…
The hospital coordinator that I have grown to call my hero is doing all the arranging/scheduling for anything related to the patients and what they may be doing on board. They are also very in touch with the onsite locations, hospitality center, and town screenings. We went over in our PR meeting everything that we are to expect. We also had a huge meeting for everyone attending in the International lounge to go over the map/location/protocol of the event. We had security in place, location for our vehicles, etc. So the whole ship was ablaze getting ready for the first screening. The word on the ship was when we were in Benin, or when we were in Liberia, etc. I just listened to everyone, but pretty much figured anything that we do will be new because we are in a new country.
It was about 7am when we finally headed out and the people were scrambling everywhere. Our team scheduled a car for the am. Lewis drove us out to the first screening sight. One of the main streets is called Beach Road, because it runs parallel to the ocean. We kept looking at all the people from Togo along Plage Road. There were a few people relaxing under the palm trees near the beach. The sand and ocean are so beautiful, but from what I hear, the surf isn’t safe due to rip tides. We kept looking for particular landmarks but didn’t happen to find any and we wound up close to the Ghana border. It’s not that difficult to arrive at the Ghana border since Togo is only 30+ miles wide. So we started to drive back and soon found the handball stadium where we’re going to do to the screening.
We made a left and went down a road that reminded me of Oak Alley. There were large succulent trees on either side of the road. The trunks could easily hide all of the Lost Boys of Never Neverland. Gigantic boughs that swung uninvitingly over the cement walls into private residences had a sneak peek into the everyday life of Lome. At the end of the road were familiar faces standing securely by to permit the first potential patients for examinations. At the end of the road were people I would soon meet and shake hands with. At the end of the road were a myriad of people that were in need of a physical miracle in their lives. We jumped out of our vehicles, prepared our gear, and set out to shoot the day’s events.
The nurses were ready to go. The security were ready too with dark shades inclusive to the uniform. The doctors had arrived. The chairs, tables, and canopies were set, the laptop worked (kind of), and the photographers were ready to go. Discovery Channel joined us too. The people outside were standing in line and waiting to see if the doctors would be able to help them out with different conditions. Many were dressed in their absolute “Sunday” best. Gorgeous rainbow tones in woven cotton fabrics. Intricate brocade work carefully sewn on the hem of the garments. Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful people. I stood their humbled by the people in the crowd. All were hoping that by the end of the day they would get a report that would be some type of good news or hope. A report that would state that they are a likely candidate for surgery. You could see it in their face, and as I had scrubs on, many came up to me and began to ask questions about their condition. I simply replied, I am not a doctor, the doctor/nurse is there, I am only a photographer, but I will pray, because God is a big God and He can do miracles. I learned how to say that in French and repeated it. That was all I could say, and that was the truth.
Along the waiting line were children with crocked limbs, men in wheelchairs, mothers worried about their children’s cleft palates, and so many sicknesses I couldn’t even begin to explain. We were specifically at this time looking for orthopedic surgery and max fax candidates. The first nurses stood at the entryway and did the first initial examination. They worked closely with a translator. If the nurses felt that this would be someone that would benefit from our care, they would move them quickly to the second screening. At the second screening they would pass by a corridor that would lead them to either be seen by a doctor or walk to the prayer area. The prayer area was a spot where the translators and the chaplains would offer prayer to the individuals that were not a likely candidate and escort them back out of the handball court. On the opposite of the court was an outdoor waiting room. They were waiting to see the doctors. They had a good chance of visiting the doctors and for being seen in the OR in a few weeks. The doctors each had their own space to set up with a panel of nurses. If they were ok’d for surgery after examination they would then catalog the patients and give them an appointment date to come on the ship. The appointment would be set for a couple of weeks away.
During the time I was photographing, I also had some really great conversations with the people, and as they got their welcome to the hospital papers, I gave them a thumbs up! I’m so glad that God opened a door for this opportunity. Their lives will never be the same. And my heart aches for those that were not accepted. Aches. And even for the ones that did. I recall one girl in particular. The doctors examined her and said she would be a wonderful candidate for surgery. She must be around 6 years of age and was dressed in such a beautiful pink skirt. She began to cry. She was afraid of the doctor giving her an injection. I gave her a tissue and she looked at me in shock. I made a funny blowing the nose sound and she began to giggle. I didn’t realize it but the Discovery Channel had been their filming me the whole time. Ugh. I hate being on the other side of the camera.
We soon loaded up the vehicles and drove back on the ship for a very deserved evening rest.
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