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Medical Forum / Diseases and Disorders / Arthritis / May 2008otp - stunning loss of life
i'm sure most of you have been following the news about myanmar and the tragic loss of 100,000 lives due to the cyclone. an horrendous number. the devastation is shocking. it's heartbreaking that gov't red tape there has been contributing to turning away international emergency aid and disaster relief workers. those survivors certainly need help and prayers. kate > i'm sure most of you have been following the news about myanmar and the > tragic loss of 100,000 lives due to the cyclone. an horrendous number. the [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > kate For some reason, kate, we are in and fully active. Probably because we've been in since 2007. I talked to michael who's Rwanda team is on it's way and they have had no visa problems either. Caroline is already there and says she has never seen anything like this as far a immediate and widespread devastation. Got an email from Kayla who is with Save the Children UK and they are in and fully active. I think the UN and Red Cross teams are having the worst problems getting in. If anyone is going to do donations, my suggestion would be MSF/DWB. We are going to need to work with not just the people who are survivors but there is an unvaccinated population that will need unprecedented amounts of typhoid and cholera vaccine. there is a new oral vaccine that is approved for most european countries for cholera that I am trying to strong arm donations of but that only goes so far. Caroline says this has such a different feel than Thailand did- it just feels scarier. If she who has done things in the field that are legendary, is scared, I am for once, glad I am not there. So I would love it if you can add to your specific prayers all those disaster workers who will be trying to clean up this unbelievable devastation. >> i'm sure most of you have been following the news about myanmar and the >> tragic loss of 100,000 lives due to the cyclone. an horrendous number. [quoted text clipped - 26 lines] > disaster workers who will be trying to clean up this unbelievable > devastation. I'm so glad help is in place or on the way. The media makes it appear that no help is being allowed into the country at all. Prayers on the way for the health and safety of those who are there to help. And that they are allowed to be effective. Jo On May 8, 7:29 am, "d'huit" <threeceda...@comcast2.net> wrote: > i'm sure most of you have been following the news about myanmar and the > tragic loss of 100,000 lives due to the cyclone. an horrendous number. [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > > kate For some reason, kate, we are in and fully active. Probably because we've been in since 2007. I talked to michael who's Rwanda team is on it's way and they have had no visa problems either. Caroline is already there and says she has never seen anything like this as far a immediate and widespread devastation. Got an email from Kayla who is with Save the Children UK and they are in and fully active. I think the UN and Red Cross teams are having the worst problems getting in. If anyone is going to do donations, my suggestion would be MSF/DWB. We are going to need to work with not just the people who are survivors but there is an unvaccinated population that will need unprecedented amounts of typhoid and cholera vaccine. there is a new oral vaccine that is approved for most european countries for cholera that I am trying to strong arm donations of but that only goes so far. Caroline says this has such a different feel than Thailand did- it just feels scarier. If she who has done things in the field that are legendary, is scared, I am for once, glad I am not there. So I would love it if you can add to your specific prayers all those disaster workers who will be trying to clean up this unbelievable devastation. ***thanks for responding, melinda. i'm glad you are not there, too (actually, i was afraid, for your sake, that you were on the way there.). i'm also glad some relief workers made it in, but it looks and sounds like supplies of food/equipment/other essentials are very inadequate to meet the needs. no doubt the staggering toll has doctors without borders spread thin, at every level. have you been strong-arming the pharmaceutical companies for donations of those needed vaccines?--bet the gates foundation can make a huge difference with that issue. kate > <lavenderhouse3...@gmail.com> wrote in message > [quoted text clipped - 40 lines] > > kate Well Melinda is always my first call whenever I need anything... However, there are such political issues involved with vaccines and shortages and pharmaceutical companies. My first experience with this was during the tsunami when I was home finding vaccine doses. you just have to piece it together because of both the politics and the storage life of many vaccines. This is a world that is defined by shortage. It always makes you feel so impotent to know that the formula is there but it's a long road to getting that in someone's body. I'll keep you posted, Kate and maybe forward some of Caroline and Michael's updates if you're up for reading them. But no, not me anymore. It was a very clear agreement I came to with myself while sitting in the Las Vegas desert when I was debriefing katrina first responders. I am too old and my family needs me too much and it took me too long to recover from 9-11. I am so glad there are those wonderful people willing to go where they're needed but it is not me. m >> <lavenderhouse3...@gmail.com> wrote in message >> [quoted text clipped - 71 lines] > > m You did what you could, when you could. And don't forget it would never have been possible without support staff at home. Still hard not to want to be there though, isn't it? Just the getting there and getting back and being effective while there gets harder and harder. Jo On May 8, 10:10 am, "d'huit" <threeceda...@comcast2.net> wrote: > <lavenderhouse3...@gmail.com> wrote in message > [quoted text clipped - 43 lines] > > kate Well Melinda is always my first call whenever I need anything... However, there are such political issues involved with vaccines and shortages and pharmaceutical companies. My first experience with this was during the tsunami when I was home finding vaccine doses. you just have to piece it together because of both the politics and the storage life of many vaccines. This is a world that is defined by shortage. ****sigh . . . politics. politics has its root in the latin, "poli", meaning "the people". to me, it is such a cruel irony that politics too often gets in the way of helping "the people". It always makes you feel so impotent to know that the formula is there but it's a long road to getting that in someone's body. ***and it must be excruciatingly frustrating. i know i would be frustrated beyond measure. I'll keep you posted, Kate and maybe forward some of Caroline and Michael's updates if you're up for reading them. ***i'd like to do that. if/when you have the time to forward them, of course. But no, not me anymore. It was a very clear agreement I came to with myself while sitting in the Las Vegas desert when I was debriefing katrina first responders. I am too old and my family needs me too much and it took me too long to recover from 9-11. I am so glad there are those wonderful people willing to go where they're needed but it is not me. ***i remember you saying that. i knew that you meant it, melinda. but i also know that love has a way of summoning up inner-strength and a way of rising to meet a stark need, without consideration of and sacrificing the body that holds that love's desire to express itself by helping. i'm sooo glad and grateful that you are way more balanced than to allow that to occur. and you'r eright, there really are a lot more, and other, wonderful people who are willing and able to go and to meet the need (and i tend to believe that each generation will have more such loving and capable people). and yet, here you are, melinda--you're still helping, in very meaningful ways, while not going. you're amazing, my friend. kate m M, those disaster workers will surely stay in my prayers. Gwen On May 8, 7:29 am, "d'huit" <threeceda...@comcast2.net> wrote: > i'm sure most of you have been following the news about myanmar and the > tragic loss of 100,000 lives due to the cyclone. an horrendous number. [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > > kate For some reason, kate, we are in and fully active. Probably because we've been in since 2007. I talked to michael who's Rwanda team is on it's way and they have had no visa problems either. Caroline is already there and says she has never seen anything like this as far a immediate and widespread devastation. Got an email from Kayla who is with Save the Children UK and they are in and fully active. I think the UN and Red Cross teams are having the worst problems getting in. If anyone is going to do donations, my suggestion would be MSF/DWB. We are going to need to work with not just the people who are survivors but there is an unvaccinated population that will need unprecedented amounts of typhoid and cholera vaccine. there is a new oral vaccine that is approved for most european countries for cholera that I am trying to strong arm donations of but that only goes so far. Caroline says this has such a different feel than Thailand did- it just feels scarier. If she who has done things in the field that are legendary, is scared, I am for once, glad I am not there. So I would love it if you can add to your specific prayers all those disaster workers who will be trying to clean up this unbelievable devastation. m, i'm relieved to hear that DWB is in, but i can't imagine how overwhelming their task, and that of other relief workers, must be. i'm glad too, that you're taking care of yourself and working as much as you can from home. thanks for keeping us informed and suggesting we contribute to doctors without borders. my 22 year old neice is getting married in two weeks, and instead of gifts, she and her fiance have asked people to donate to DWB. amazing young couple! Diane M, I also appreciate the update. It's a small bit of comfort to know DWB and others are already there or on the way. If only the gov't would put aside politics for the sake of humanity, but I guess that's too much to ask. From the news reports, I get the feeling that this may be a lot worse than we know. Please keep the updates coming. Diane, I just can't imagine a 22 year old giving up wedding gifts! What a wonderful young woman and her husband-to-be you have in the family. Those two give me hope for the future. Ann I heard on the radio today that the US is considering dropping needed items, food, etc, even though not approved by their government. Hope we do! Gwen M, I also appreciate the update. It's a small bit of comfort to know DWB and others are already there or on the way. If only the gov't would put aside politics for the sake of humanity, but I guess that's too much to ask. From the news reports, I get the feeling that this may be a lot worse than we know. Please keep the updates coming. Diane, I just can't imagine a 22 year old giving up wedding gifts! What a wonderful young woman and her husband-to-be you have in the family. Those two give me hope for the future. Ann Diane, what a wonderful, gracious thing your niece & fiancee are doing. They really are amazing! Gwen m, i'm relieved to hear that DWB is in, but i can't imagine how overwhelming their task, and that of other relief workers, must be. i'm glad too, that you're taking care of yourself and working as much as you can from home. thanks for keeping us informed and suggesting we contribute to doctors without borders. my 22 year old neice is getting married in two weeks, and instead of gifts, she and her fiance have asked people to donate to DWB. amazing young couple! Diane > m, i'm relieved to hear that DWB is in, but i can't imagine how > overwhelming their task, and that of other relief workers, must be. [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > > Diane I love that, Diane. There may be hope for us all, after all! They are the age that Bobby is and that was a very magic special generation of kids. m > my 22 year old neice is getting > married in two weeks, and instead of gifts, she and her fiance have > asked people to donate to DWB. amazing young couple! how proud you must be of them - and a couple with such priorities surely have a headstart on a happy life together!  SignatureNann remove the Gator cheer to email me Change everything. Love & forgive. > it just feels scarier. If she who has done things in the field that > are legendary, is scared, I am for once, glad I am not there. I know you always suffer when you are unable to do your taditional work following these disasters, Melinda. I, for one, am very glad you are nt there tis time - I believe it would be too destructive to your health and the world needs you to much. Somehow, I suspect you will be most effective in garnering stateside support for the field workers - less directly hands-on, but certainly no less valuable! SignatureNann remove the Gator cheer to email me Change everything. Love & forgive. > i'm sure most of you have been following the news about myanmar and the > tragic loss of 100,000 lives due to the cyclone. an horrendous number. the [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > kate They sure do! I can't believe that govt is not letting people in to help. I've been saying prayers for them for the past few days. Carole > i'm sure most of you have been following the news about myanmar and the > tragic loss of 100,000 lives due to the cyclone. an horrendous number. the [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > kate calling it "gov't red tape" is being exceedingly kind. the regime there is astonishingly repressive, isolationist &, above all, corrupt. A friend of ours was doing some rivate relief work there, building schools & such. I won't go into more detail on an open forum, but suffice it to say he was routinely risking his life just to get the money for the schools into the country and to the people who were using it for its intended purpose. last fall his contacts told him it was too dangerous to visit for a while. the behavior of the regime following this disaster does not surprise me. It is overwhelmingly sad though. Some NGOs ARE managing to get relief in, through their own channels. The one I know the most about is Episcopal Relief & Development - here's the link about what they are doing through the Anglican Church in Burma http://www.episcopalchurch.org/79901_96968_ENG_HTM.htm --- Nann remove the Gator cheer to email me Change everything. Love & forgive.
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