Haitian quake victim walks again

The 130-year-old Catholic landmark in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, was filled with worshipers.

"At 4:50 (p.m.), I felt the church shaking," the 29-year-old said months later from his hospital bed at Anne Arundel Medical Center. "I was scared. The church fell."

Both of his legs were broken; one had a compound fracture so severe that it tore open his leg. A younger brother pulled him from the rubble. Thomalus later learned that another brother and a cousin had not been as fortunate.

Soon after, the soccer player was under the care of Arnold-based The Helping Hands Foundation and was on a journey that would lead to Anne Arundel County and the restoration of his mangled legs.

The foundation, founded in 2005 by orthopedic surgeons Drs. Jeffrey Gelfand and Tom Harries, sought to provide assistance in the hours after the devastating earthquake in Haiti on Jan. 12.

The doctors and other volunteers have stepped in to help people in need of life-altering reconstructive surgery on arms, legs or digits.

When the earthquake struck, Helping Hands volunteer Richard Skinner of Annapolis hustled, contacting people in his network.

Chris Lieb, son of Len and Adele Lieb of Annapolis, was in Haiti with the Baptist Haiti Mission. Lieb connected Skinner with physicians affiliated with Samaritan's Purse, a Christian charitable organization deluged with the quake's mangled victims.

Gelfand said he received a call from John Yezerski, a surgeon in Kentucky who had been treating Thomalus' leg fractures. The left leg was easily handled, but his right leg had compound fractures of the tibia and fibula and had lost soft tissue.

The exposed bone became contaminated with a vicious organism. Thomalus needed a tissue transplant and a bone graft - soon.

Yezerski was blunt. He asked Skinner: "Michel has a very salvageable leg if we can get him to the states, but he will undoubtedly require below-the-knee amputation if he remains in Haiti. Can you help out?"

Quick action

The fate of earthquake amputees in Haiti is grim. There are no hospitals in which to recover. Wheelchairs are scarce and prosthetics are luxuries.

Skinner said he spent days negotiating with officials to get Thomalus, who speaks French and Creole, out of Haiti. Thomalus did not have a passport, which complicated matters.

"Our government was issuing medical paroles, allowing people to come to the U.S. for treatment," Skinner said. "But, once (the paroles were) issued, they had to leave Haiti within five days. The parole was granted on Feb. 22 from the U.S. Embassy, but all the commercial flights were booked through March 2."

At the last moment, Skinner found two seats on a flight on Feb. 26. Thomalus was accompanied by Regina Gireau, 31, his translator and a cousin of his fiancee.

Meanwhile, back in Anne Arundel, Helping Hands volunteer Denise O'Neil helped recruit Ricardo Michel and his wife, Dr. Suleika Michel, who are affiliated with OB-GYN Associates of Annapolis, to host Thomalus and Gireau in their Bowie home.

"We were looking for a way to assist in a tangible way, not just sending a check," said Dr. Michel, whose parents, Philadelphia residents and natives of Port-au-Prince, were alerted.

His mother temporarily moved into the Bowie home, to cook Haitian-style meals for the guests during their three-month stay.

With the assistance of another volunteer - Jennie Jacobs, clinical director at Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine - Gelfand and Harries asked fellow surgeons to help with the intensive 11-hour microsurgery. Drs. Ed Holt, Mark Peeler and Chris Morgati participated in the operation, along with several nurses and an anesthesiologist.

"We transferred a muscle from the left groin to his right leg, to replace muscle that was lost," Gelfand said.

Gelfand said this was needed to cover a hole in his leg, which was encased in a heavy cast.

"He now needs six weeks of IV antibiotics to eradicate that organism growing in his wound. That treatment costs $200 to $300 a day."

Ongoing care

The cast on the left leg was removed Thursday. And the Parole hospital has been generous.

"We've worked with Helping Hands on several cases," said Tori Bayless, AAMC's president. "In a complex surgery like this, there's a lot of planning on the front end, a lot to orchestrate. We green-light these cases and make sure the hospital's resources are allocated. AAMC is here to care for people locally, but sometimes we are able to reach out beyond our borders."

Thomalus faces at least six more weeks of treatment, but will be discharged from the hospital soon.

"AAMC is donating its facilities and IV treatment while Michel is in the hospital, but Helping Hands needs to raise $15,000 to $18,000 to cover his medical treatments, physical therapy and other expenses while living at the Michels' home," Skinner said.

After he has recovered from his injuries, Thomalus said, "I would like to go to school, have a job and praise God more."

Would he like to return to the United States some day?

With a dazzling smile, he said simply, "Oui."

For information or to donate, visit The Helping Hands Foundation at www.helpinghandsfoundation.us.

Wendi Winters is a freelance writer who lives on the Broadneck Peninsula.

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Rick - 2010-03-18 15:10:15

It could be from the wounds sustained as a war hero. Yes, Shubbie did claim that in another post.

unhide Comment hidden due to low ranking. Why is this comment hidden?

Mary Ann Donnell - Annapolis, MD - Karma: Excellent

Mary Ann - 2010-03-18 11:54:55

There you go again!!!!!! You know that Mr. Flip Flopper can't remember what position he takes from one post to another. That college education he brags about sure has worked well for him!

Rick M - Laurel, Md - Karma: Excellent

Shubbish - 2010-03-17 20:55:28

Have you forgotten in another post you said it was time to stop providing elderly with Medicare. You said "If I have to pay for health care then they should to". What changed your mind?

Medical care for all - 2010-03-17 19:41:16

How dare we deny our own citizens free medical care, why can we not apply the concept of aid to humanity to our own suffering people as a shining beacon unto the world.

Until we protect the least among us, we can not be great. Therefore, in the name of humanity it is time to guarantee medical care for all.

Fred Shubbie - annapolis , md - Karma: Terrible

great story - 2010-03-17 18:48:18

What a wonderful group of people! I wish Michel Thomalus well. Edward, I'm with you about Fred. While we have freedom of speech, some of us choose to use it only to express hatred and meanness of spirit toward our fellow man.

julia h - crofton, md - Karma: Neutral

Hey Fred..... - 2010-03-17 16:04:29

I've resisted, until now, some of your heartless, and depite what you call "fact", fact-less posts. It's called "Humanitarian Aid". I'm sure that there are many Americans who, through no fault of their own, receive such aid as well. What about all the Hatians who received needed medical care aboard the USNS Comfort? Should we send the ship to ports only to take care of U.S. Citizens??

Edward Casey - Crofton, MD - Karma: Excellent