This post has nothing to do with Africa but with another life I once had, that of an offshore sailor - so long ago I sometimes wonder if it really happened.
I'm not sure if you've seen the news, but a 25 year old Canadian woman (named Laura, who'd lost her mom to cancer when she was younger) went overboard off a tall ship on Friday night. They can't find her.
Its amazing how much this single person - who I've never met, had never heard of before Friday - has brought back my experience of falling overboard, in the middle of the South Pacific Ocea, over 1500nm from anywhere (back when I was about 25). Last night I laid awake thinking about how I could have been just like her, disappeared without a trace.
The Picton Castle was in 7m swells, and it was night time (9:30pm) when a wave washed over the boat and swept Laura into the water. The crew threw life rings & life jackets into the water to mark the spot & give her something to hang on to, they sent out a mayday and the search started. That was more than 48 hours ago, and they haven't found her despite the ongoing search by a tanker, the Picton Castle and US Search & Rescue.
When I went overboard, it was day time. That was the biggest thing that saved my life that day. I also managed to grab the side of the boat and then onto the fishing line and hold on for a little while - long enough to know they'd seen me go. Even then, the stuff that they threw was a ways away from me. When I was at the top of the swells (they were around 5-6m), I could see the man overboard pole (which is about 8ft high, with a bright yellow flag to mark the person in the water), and the white ring and was able to swim to them. By the time the boat came to a stop and a dory launched, they were a long way away from me; only the pole marked my position. The open ocean is so featureless, so changing, and the boat is floating on the top, turning with the wind and waves... its nearly impossible to find an object that isn't well marked.
When I was in the water, I knew the Swift would find me. I knew they'd seen me go, and I was hanging out next to the pole; I wasn't even frightened at the time (just felt really foolish). I can't get out of my mind what it would have been like for that other Laura, in the pitch black. Maybe able to see the boat but knowing that they wouldn't find her.
My thoughts and prayers are with that woman and her family.
Monday, December 11, 2006
Sunday, December 10, 2006
Ouagadougou and back again
With the slow progress and the fact things seem are more mundane, there doesn't seem to be as much to write about lately. We spent last week at the First Annual Mother-Infant Congress in Ouagadougou - basically, a joint meeting of the Burkinabe Pediatrics & Gynecological societies. It was good to be there, and make some more connections. I've never seen so many retrospective chart reviews in my life (without understanding of their limitations)! There were some useful studies though.
We visited the main hospital in Ouaga and were impressed by their malnutrition service; they have dedicated nurses, WHO-based protocols and the hospital provides the ingredients for the therapeutic milk. Each meeting and site visit gives us more of an understanding of how things work (or not) here. I think we are slowly convincing people that we are interested in integrating into the existing system. All 4 of us are anxious to start doing more HIV related clinical work. The 3 pediatricians will continue to look after the Over 3 Ward in 2 week blocks. After Christmas in addition to taking my turn on the ward, I will spend a couple weeks at the TB clinic that currently sees the few identified HIV/TB infected kids - will work on developing those partnerships.
Our major focus over the next while will be to work on getting kids tested for HIV. There are around 1500 "Orphans and Vulnerable Children" (that is, children of parents with HIV)registered with the various agencies and only about 20% have been tested. Plus, few of the kids in hospital are tested even though in our hospital about 10% of the inpatients are HIV+. And we are also working on linking with programs that work to prevent mother to child transmission of HIV - those kids are nearly all lost to follow up.
For a variety of complex reasons, I have decided to go home for Christmas - will be swinging through Baltimore, Calgary and Victoria. I am worried about the cold, and the culture shock. So many things took some getting used to all seems quite normal to me...
... most consumer goods are sold from roadside stands, from the clothes from bales of used clothes sent from North America, to hardware (hammers & nails), to artisanat, to fruit from the roadside table that I pass each afternoon on my way home...
... everytime I am in town men wave cell phone recharge cards in my face (OK, I still don't like that)...
... people (away from the sellars of artisanat and the market vendors) are so polite, and kind even to strangers...
... most school age kids I pass stare and call "toubabou, toubabou" and smile their beautiful smiles...
... the roads are all unpaved, rutted red dirt roads that require one to pick their route carefully through on any kind of vehicle...
... kids in the hospital arrive far to late because their parents have no money, and even then sometimes can't buy the medicines they need....
... the taxis are dilapitated vehicles that you would wonder that they are still on the road, no mirrors, door handles usually broken off...
... in the mornings people are people are dressed in toques and heavy coats to ward off the cold - and its rarely colder than 18C (and worse yet, I need to wear a coat to ward off the cold)...
It should be interesting, at any rate. I am really looking forward to spending some time with my friends & family and putting some perspective on these last few months.
Take care!
Laura
We visited the main hospital in Ouaga and were impressed by their malnutrition service; they have dedicated nurses, WHO-based protocols and the hospital provides the ingredients for the therapeutic milk. Each meeting and site visit gives us more of an understanding of how things work (or not) here. I think we are slowly convincing people that we are interested in integrating into the existing system. All 4 of us are anxious to start doing more HIV related clinical work. The 3 pediatricians will continue to look after the Over 3 Ward in 2 week blocks. After Christmas in addition to taking my turn on the ward, I will spend a couple weeks at the TB clinic that currently sees the few identified HIV/TB infected kids - will work on developing those partnerships.
Our major focus over the next while will be to work on getting kids tested for HIV. There are around 1500 "Orphans and Vulnerable Children" (that is, children of parents with HIV)registered with the various agencies and only about 20% have been tested. Plus, few of the kids in hospital are tested even though in our hospital about 10% of the inpatients are HIV+. And we are also working on linking with programs that work to prevent mother to child transmission of HIV - those kids are nearly all lost to follow up.
For a variety of complex reasons, I have decided to go home for Christmas - will be swinging through Baltimore, Calgary and Victoria. I am worried about the cold, and the culture shock. So many things took some getting used to all seems quite normal to me...
... most consumer goods are sold from roadside stands, from the clothes from bales of used clothes sent from North America, to hardware (hammers & nails), to artisanat, to fruit from the roadside table that I pass each afternoon on my way home...
... everytime I am in town men wave cell phone recharge cards in my face (OK, I still don't like that)...
... people (away from the sellars of artisanat and the market vendors) are so polite, and kind even to strangers...
... most school age kids I pass stare and call "toubabou, toubabou" and smile their beautiful smiles...
... the roads are all unpaved, rutted red dirt roads that require one to pick their route carefully through on any kind of vehicle...
... kids in the hospital arrive far to late because their parents have no money, and even then sometimes can't buy the medicines they need....
... the taxis are dilapitated vehicles that you would wonder that they are still on the road, no mirrors, door handles usually broken off...
... in the mornings people are people are dressed in toques and heavy coats to ward off the cold - and its rarely colder than 18C (and worse yet, I need to wear a coat to ward off the cold)...
It should be interesting, at any rate. I am really looking forward to spending some time with my friends & family and putting some perspective on these last few months.
Take care!
Laura
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