The days are long, the work is endless and the needs of the people are virtually infinite but we all, patients, families and volunteers alike, move forward.
There has been a subtle but palpable change in the atmosphere here at Good Samaritan. Our roles are becoming more well defined and we are becoming more efficient in them. Our group, many of us virtual strangers at the beginning of the trip, are now a close knit group. As all of us become more comfortable in our individual roles here, we reach out to assist others in their roles here. We reach out to assist others in their roles, especially those who are newly arrived.
But most importantly, the energy of the patients and families have changed. Immediately following the disaster, everyone was concentrating on survival. Obtaining basic necessities and getting through to the next day was all consuming. That phase has past here. Now, the true healing is beginning. Patients, despite devastating injuries, are focused on getting better and stronger, not merely surviving. While the optimism here has astounded all of us from the beginning, it continues to grow daily. Certainly, the disaster remains the focal point of life here and will for many years to come but the strength of the people, once so drained, is growing. The feeling here now is that these people will survive, thrive and grow; we all will as the result of being here together.
Rich Salerno, MD
