Rogue Valley health care workers heading to Haiti

Medford, Ore. — A group of southern Oregon doctors and nurses are heading to Haiti next week. It’s a trip that’s been planned for months through the Haiti Health Initiative. The non-profit provides free services to Haitians in rural communities. But the devastation left behind by Hurricane Matthew means their mission has changed a bit.

Rebecca Rampton and 17 other doctors, nurses, pharmacists and physical therapists will be donating their time and services to provide education and health care to Haitians in need. It’s a country the nurse practitioner is familiar with.

“The last time I was down in Haiti, I was sitting with a woman,” Rebecca Rampton says, “and I looked her straight in the eyes and I said somebody all the way across the world cares about you and cares about your life and that hope for them means everything.”

Along with the health care Rampton will provide, she’s bringing hundreds of hygiene kits to try and put a dent in their immediate need.

“Now it’s going to be a lot of water borne illnesses,” Rampton says.

And while the health care needs will likely be different as a result of Matthew, they’re ready and willing to help in any way they can.

“To be able to witness the healing power of medicine in an area where people really don’t have access to that, there’s really no better feeling,” Rampton says, “and it just, is what drives you to do more.”

Many Haitians don’t have access to education so the non-profit is also working to build a school so that they can learn and be better prepared to deal with natural disasters. If you would like to donate to the Haiti Health Initiative click HERE.