Miriam Zupke hangs on to help the Haitians
Bob and Marge Hayward of International Falls want to help a young Loman nurse who is currently in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Zupke has offered her services to help mend the broken survivors of the country’s devastating earthquake.
She is the daughter of Mark and Ruth Zupke, also of Loman.
The LPN answered an open advertisement which was seeking medical personnel to work in the clinics and emergency rooms of Port-au-Prince. Because it is her nature, according to the Haywards, she booked her flight and headed off to help in whatever ways she could.
But since then, Zupke has realized that she won’t be ready to leave the ravaged patients as her departure date and airline ticket expiration draw near. Attempts to get the airline to extend the date of her return flight have failed.
So the Haywards are hoping that members of the community will help them raise about $700 to help Zupke prolong her stay.
A March 6 email to family and friends from the young nurse exemplify her dilemma:
“It is about time that I write and let you know that I am alive and well in Haiti. The internet connection is poor at times which makes it hard to email...
I am working at a tent hospital and clinic right in Port-au-Prince. I am in the out patient part of it. We see on an average 140 people a day. One day we saw 171! ... As you can see, I enjoy holding the cute Haitian babies that come. The mothers sometimes just plop the babies in my arms and want me to take a picture with them ... One of the Drs. said that I should be come a pediatric nurse.
“Many people have various kinds of infections due to the unsanitary living conditions. Malaria is also very common as is worms, scabies, and the list goes on and on ...
“There are a number of patients with amputations and casts who are staying at the clinic. One little boy had his arm amputated and today when I walked through the courtyard he just ran up to me and gave me big hug. It amazes me how cheerful the Haitians are even though they have lost so much....”
Donations may be deposited in the Miriam Zupke account at the Wells Fargo bank in International Falls, according to the Haywards, and Wells Fargo staff. All donations will go toward Zupke’s air travel, and the Haitian effort, according to Bob Hayward.
Zupke is a graduate of the Rainy River Community College nursing program.
More information is available by calling the Haywards at 283-3456, or Zupke’s parents at 283-3445.
