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Plastic & Cosmetic Surgery Skin & Laser Center

Haiti Humanitarian Trip News

Well, my staff, my daughter and I have have just returned from Haiti, and we have all been moved beyond words. The medical/surgical aspect of the trip was rewarding.  By closing limb threatening wounds, we have certainly touched many individuals and hopefully changed their lives a little, but the close-up view of Port au Prince has had a far more profound effect on me.  Our daily commute to and from the hospital was a full 2-3 hours which I spent in the bed of a pickup getting a truly panoramic feel (and smell) of the city and culture. I appreciate so much more now that the needs of this entire culture are monumental.  I spent hours struggling with how to help these people in a more lasting way than simply patching the residual physical wounds of the earthquake.  I  realized that no form of aid can provide a lasting benefit until the Haitian people know how to use it. Education is the clear and obvious solution.  As a surgeon, I have always been victim of the immediate gratification syndrome, so it took a great deal of processing to realize that changing Haiti will take years, probably generations to achieve.  Clearly, the only hope is to educate the future teachers, politicians, etc who can eventually make a difference.  Through their school, my children have been involved with Life and Hope Haiti ( www.lifeandhopehaiti.org), an organization which will undoubtedly make a difference over time.  My family and I hope to continue our efforts to make a difference.  We’re sponsoring a child and hope to visit as family again this year. – Dr. Richard Zeff

Below we have posted a sampling of photos from the trip.  To view more, we invite you to visit our practice Facebook page.

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