I am writing to anyone who wants to learn a story I was so blessed to have been a part of. I was asked on January 19, 2010 to be a part of a Christian relief efforts team down in Haiti with an organization called CURE International. The organization primarily focuses on pediatric orthopedic injuries- however given the circumstances in Haiti everyone who needed orthopedic treatment were served. I want to share an amazing story of the bravest young Haitian survivor. The stories from Haiti are once in lifetime stories that can only be told by the survivors themselves, however because this Haitian angel is only 8 years old I would like to share her story with you. Yveline (pronounced- Eveline) was an ordinary 8-year-old girl who enjoyed playing outside with her friends and family. Just a few days prior to the earthquake she was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. This particular type of diabetes requires strict management of the glucose level in her blood. Too much or too little glucose can be deadly. Because I am a registered nurse at University of Chicago Comer Children’s Hospital as well as Children’s Memorial Hospital- I understand the importance of this disease process. This particular disease process would be nearly impossible to manage in the case of Yveline living in Haiti without the proper medications and medical devices.
On Tuesday January 12, 2010 Yveline and her family were at home when the 7.1 earthquake rumbled through their house. She and her family were trapped in her house without being able to escape. Yveline, just 8 years old, was a witness to both her mother and her father’s last breath. She was trapped under the debris of her once standing home lying motionless as she watched her parents die. I met Yveline at Haiti Community Hospital while I was serving as a relief member. I remember Yveline sitting in a chair motionless with a severely injured right arm and wounds around her face- yet she was smiling at me when I approached her. It took me a while to learn the story of Yveline because she is a very shy young girl. She told me via an interpreter that she remembered her house falling and she was “very sad because she knew her mom and dad died, but then after it became light again she was very sad again because she was so hungry”. Yveline was trapped under the rubble for 3 days while her parents lay next to her already perished.
Yveline is by far the most extraordinary young person I have ever met. Not one day went by that she was not smiling or running around happy as can be, I could not help to think that Jesus Christ has saved this young child to be a model of strength and courage to everyone she encounters. Yveline suffered a severe crush injury to her right arm that will most likely end up non-functional for the rest of her life. Again, Yveline has already persevered through one of the most unimaginable “deformities”, having an arm attached to your body with no ability to use it functionally. I sat and watched her as she played with a doll given to her by another relief team member from Sweden, as she brushed her doll’s hair and put cloths on her doll. She was able to find a way to hold the doll between her legs while she used her left arm to brush her hair. I sat and thought to myself, ‘I wonder what I would be like if I lost functionality of one arm, would I be able to function as well as she does?’
As the week progressed Yveline was placed on the surgical schedule due to complications in her right arm, a complication called compartment syndrome due to her crush injury. This particular complication is repaired by a procedure called a fasciotomy, where the fascia in her arm is cut to relieve tension or pressure that could impair circulation of the affected extremity thus causing the extremity to become dead. Following the procedure Yveline was suffering from extreme pain and refused to eat, drink or talk to anyone. A nurse from Sweden found me and told me that Yveline was in extreme pain and began crying my name aloud. After hearing this I raced to her room to find her lying on the ground (her bed) with tears streaming down her little face. Her aunt and grandmother were both at her bedside, however her aunt revealed that Yveline said, “Tiffany makes my pain go away, where is she?” My heart melted knowing that my stay in Port-Au-Prince Haiti would soon come to an end however her suffering would remain forever. After knowing this I sat beside Yveline and rubbed her back while she held one of my hands tightly to her heart. She soon drifted into a slumber only to be woken every 2 hours in order to receive her needed medications and frequent assessments of her affected arm.
The next morning Yveline woke with her brilliant smile sparkling asking if I would sit and play with her doll ‘Tiffany’. I again sat beside her mesmerized at her ability to cope with everything she had endured in the past 13 days. My final day in Haiti was extremely emotional knowing I would be leaving, not only Yveline but everyone else the Lord put in my path.
This is only one story of more than two hundred thousand people who were affected by this earthquake. The importance of knowing such a story is my intention with this letter. Yveline is among many who require your thoughts, prayers and support. I am very concerned knowing that Yveline’s condition may only get worse without the support of others, both financially and spiritually. My days were extremely long, but each day ended with the beautiful thought of my little Haitian angel…Yveline.
I appreciate any support you can give to this beautiful young Haitian girl. Thank you so much for taking the time to read the story of a little Haitian survivor named Yveline S.
May God Bless You,
Tiffany Cupp RN
Chicago, Il 60613
