Stories from the field
Making prevention a priority
George’s story
December 30, 2010
On December 15, 2010 George Desilme wasn’t feeling well. His mother knew something was very wrong and rushed him to their local hospital. The hospital, already overwhelmed, referred the family to the Canadian Red Cross cholera treatment centre in Carrefour.
“If this centre wasn’t here, my little boy would have been worse,” says George’s mother as she looks around at the other patients in the centre, many who are also children. Luckily, the ten year old’s cholera was caught early and George is responding well to treatment.
Like many of the children in the Centre, George misses his friends and is eager to get home. However unlike some, George’s first priority when he returns home is not to get back out to the soccer field.
“When I get home, I will call all my friends over and tell them about cholera,” says George. “I will tell them how bad it is and I will teach them how not to get it.”
In addition to treating patients at the Centre, the Canadian Red Cross is also engaging in community health activities to help prevent the spread of this disease.
“Many people in Haiti have never seen cholera before,” says Denyse Bourgault, community health delegate with the Canadian Red Cross. “By educating people like George and his mother we can help stop the spread of this disease in their homes and communities.”
Before any patients are discharged from the treatment centre they receive a one-on-one consultation with a member of the community health team. In addition, each patient is provided with a kit they can take home that includes tips on hygiene, oral rehydration salts and water purification tablets.
And what will George be doing after he has finished teaching his friends about how to protect themselves from cholera?
“Soccer!” he says with a giant smile from ear to ear.
