By Daniel De Pietro | Observer Reporter
On Monday, March 7, Debbie Orre came to Mount Wachusett Community College (MWCC) to speak to nursing students about her organization Forward In Hope, whose mission is to build an orphanage for the displaced children in post earthquake Haiti. The North Cafeteria was packed with nursing students listening intently to the stories of hardships, tragedies, and hope straight from the mouth of a nurse who had witnessed them.
Orre is the head of the Forward in Hope Mission. The mission strives to provide the orphaned children of Haiti a safe environment that nurtures their potential to the fullest. She took a trip to Haiti one week after the devastating earthquake that left the country in ruins.
The runways in Haiti were destroyed so they were forced to land in the Dominican Republic on commercial flights, and then take smaller flights to their final destination of Les Cayes, Haiti. Since there were no runways, the nurses, and other volunteers had to land on the few roads that were still intact. The roads in Haiti were wrecked, but the people did the best they could to get around.
The work that needed to be done when they arrived was exhausting and overwhelming. There were injured people and destruction for as far as the eye can see. U.N. soldiers and U.S. Marines were everywhere and no Government in Haiti, to speak of, was there to organize anything.
Volunteers just jumped right in and went to work helping those in need. According to Orre almost ninety percent of the injuries were orthopedic. Everyone who was there pitched in; even one of the marines turned out to be an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) and he helped out the nurses and doctors after his official duties were completed.
When asked about the children in Haiti and her reasons for going there, Orre said, “We are trying to give them experiences to enhance their lives.” She said that her experiences in Haiti were life changing and encouraged the nursing students to get involved. She is currently working on building an orphanage for the displaced children in the area.
So far Forward In Hope has raised $2500 and hopes to raise a lot more in the near future. At this point there is only a foundation and a wall built around a clinic in the area of the proposed orphanage. Orre will continue to look for ways to receive further funding and accept more donations from anyone who is willing to help.
Comments are closed.