Home from Haiti

Catching a glimpse of the 200-foot compound wall swinging wildly to and fro and fearful of the four 500-gallon water vats on the roof above, he rushed two children on the same floor out of the building. Luckily, the tanks only contained a foot of water. “The whole place would have crashed otherwise,” said Comeau. He figures he might have hit three steps on the way down and says that later when he heard that the 7.0-magnitude earthquake lasted 38 seconds, he’s sure that all within the compound were outside safe watching for 28 seconds.

Karen Huxter, founder of the organization, was undressed and in the shower. She grabbed her clothes and was out in 12 seconds, according to Comeau’s estimate. Some of the residents had surprising reactions. “The cook was standing there shaking her fist at the sky and cursing the devils. I don’t know what she was saying, it was in Creole, but she was mad. We all stood there in awe looking at each other,” said Comeau, a volunteer with the HATS Haiti Mission Team 2010.

The team of 14, representing five local churches, arrived on Jan. 5 and included the three children of one couple. Major Peter Rowe of the Salvation Army was also part of the mission group, but had left the country to head back to Canada just two hours before the earthquake hit on Jan. 12.

This was the second trip to Haiti for Comeau in as many months. Just before Christmas, he and his wife Linda arrived at the orphanage with gifts for close to 200 children.

Each was presented with a bag containing a scribbler, pencil, pen, eraser, toothbrush, toothpaste and a little toy.

The Comeaus’ prepared rice, beans, salad and a piece of chicken for each child. Each had a little bottle of pop and a little gift.

Comeau still marvels at the happiness of all that were there that day. “One of the teachers made a comment: ‘Heaven came down on the school today.’ Our (North American) kids wouldn’t even look at that. They’d throw that aside and say where’s the real gift? We have so much and are so thankless,” he said.

Over the past few years mission teams from Yarmouth have helped to expand the HATS school. This year’s goal was to construct an apartment for staff above the orphanage, which houses 16 children and provides schooling for hundreds.

About half an hour after the earthquake, everyone ventured back into the buildings to determine the damage. They attempted to resume a semi-normal life, but with every aftershock they raced back out. From that night onwards, they slept outside.

Two-and-a-half hours from Port-au-Prince, those in the HATS complex felt relatively safe. They wanted to help those who were less fortunate and decided to organize a mercy mission.

Clothing kits were prepared and four pots of rice and beans were cooked to fill 200 styrofoam plates then duct-taped closed. Bottles of water were packed. Comeau added sideboards on the truck to bring the back a foot above the cab.

Three armed security guards, and Huxter’s assistant, Luckner, accompanied the small group. Their first stop was at a school where 1050 students and teachers had been buried alive when the building collapsed upon them. Those aboard the truck had hoped to distribute the supplies in an organized manner but each of the five times they stopped, small riots occurred, with people running from all directions, screaming, yelling, and grabbing. “They said everywhere you looked there was bodies and destruction, people wandering around in shock,” said Comeau.

Two days later he accompanied Serlande, a diabetic child from the orphanage, on an emergency trip to a Port-au-Prince hospital.

Patients lying on cardboard lined the hallways on both sides. Those who were lucky had a nail to hook their IV bag on, otherwise a family member had to stand there and hold it. ‘If you had to go to the bathroom it’s in a bucket in the hall with people watching,” he said. “The stuff we saw is going to be etched in my brain forever,” said Comeau.

On Sunday night the group sat down back at the orphanage and had a meeting about their departure. Fear for their future and how and when they would return to Canada had never really been a worry. “The whole time we were there I was never really scared,” said Comeau. “There was always a peace around us. We didn’t do anything stupid and we didn’t make a move unless we did it as a whole group.

Before leaving, fuel was stockpiled for the generator. It had tripled in price after the earthquake. Four men with sawed off shotguns would be patrolling the compound on a 24/7 basis. Huxter’s safety in the upcoming weeks was on everyone’s mind. “At least we know she’s safe inside. The downside is a lot of these people leave the rural areas for Port-au-Prince to try and find work. Now there’s nothing there. They’re going to come back. The families where we were are already having a hard time to survive,” said Comeau.

The team left the orphanage at 4 a.m. and transferred to a small bus with armed police halfway to the city.

There were cars bumper-to-bumper when they arrived at 9:30 a.m. and people as far as the eye could see, walking about in total chaos. Large clouds of black smoke billowed into the sky and there was a thick stench in the air. “There’s always a smell when you go to Haiti. It’s a dirty smell. This time you knew the smell wasn’t garbage. It was rotting and burning flesh,” said Comeau.

At 11 a.m. they arrived at the embassy and despite the line-up of hundreds, Huxter was able to get them quickly inside along with most of their luggage. It was just one of many amazing feats that Comeau had witnessed of her energetic feats. “She only weighs about 90 pounds soaking wet,” said Comeau. “They call her the helicopter.”

Comeau says he saw a white woman with a pistol behind the gate as they elbowed their way through the crowd. “She reached through and grabbed me and the kid I was carrying and hauled me between the people. She glanced at the passport, looked up and said ‘Welcome Home’. Those were the best two words I’d heard in a long time,” said Comeau.

The team was processed much quicker than any of them had thought possible.

By 6 p.m. an armed escort accompanied the evacuees through Haiti to the airport. The team boarded a huge cargo plane with dozens of others and were strapped to the floor in lines of five for take off. Half a dozen patients on stretchers were placed at the front. “It wasn’t the smoothest surface but hey, I’m going home,” said Comeau. An “awesome” meal of sandwiches, puddings, and juice was distributed during the four-hour flight.

When they landed in Montreal representatives from the Red Cross greeted them with stacks of blankets and they boarded buses. They were led by a police escort with flashing lights to the hotel.

Comeau’s eyes fill up as he describes the overwhelming hospitality of Red Cross volunteers, which provided them with cell phones for calls, food, drink, clothing, passport replacement if necessary and shuttle service.

The next day members of the group were transported on two different flights to Halifax.

Comeau, who has been to Haiti on four missions, says he’s definitely going back. “If anything, this just encouraged me that much more to help. How can you not love those kids?”

He and Linda, as well as each of their three grown children, sponsor a Haitian child for an annual contribution of $240 each. The funds buy a uniform, backpack, sneakers and a year’s tuition.

The couple, which own the New Beginnings Senior’s Home on Argyle Street, point out that many Haitians were in dire straits before the earthquake even happened. “It’s a sin that so many people have to die in order for that country to receive the attention it’s been needing for so long,” said Comeau.

To donate to Hands Across the Sea, or read more about Newfoundland-born Karen Huxter and her passion for needy Haitian children and their families, visit her blog:

http://hatshaiti.blogspot.com.