On January 12th, to commemorate the second anniversary of the earthquake, we held a small program for our spinal cord injury (SCI) patients and the hospital staff. We all gathered in the hospital waiting room at 4:30 in the afternoon to ensure that everyone would be together at the exact time the earthquake happened. At 4:53 p.m. everyone paused to observe two minutes of silence. 

The event was organized by Myzraelle Zidor, a social worker,  Dr. Roland Desire, the SCI clinical care coordinator, Dr. Wendell Blaise, our medical director and myself, the SCI project coordinator. 

We opened the program with a prayer lead by Katiana Mathieu, an SCI patient, followed by a song of remembrance sang by SCI patient Mamaille Louis-Jeunes.  

Dr. Blaise spoke about the past two years and how the hospital started our SCI program. He spoke about how proud he was of the patients he has seen come through the program and how impressed he has been with the capacity of our staff to provide such outstanding care. 

Dr. Desire spoke about the future of the SCI program, setting three main objectives he would like to see realized before we come together next year to mark the third anniversary. First, to have a finished and functioning rehabilation center so that we can ensure that all persons in need of our services have access to them. Second, he wants to continue to increase the staff's capacity to provided even better clinical care for persons with new SCI injuries. Third, he wants to continue to advocate for the rights of persons with disabilities in Haiti to ensure they are empowered to live as active members of their communities with equal and fair access to opportunities.

When it was my turn to speak, I thanked the hospital staff and community for their support and  unwavering commitment to providing exceptional care. 

After, we watched a photo slide show, prepared by Jean Yves Jean Pierre, the SCI community reintegration assistant. We compared photos of SCI patient arrivals at our hospital and recent photos of those same patients thriving at home with their families and friends. 

Many of our patients shared their personal stories about the earthquake, but the overall theme of the program was gratitude, with thanks given to God for saving their lives on that day. Others who spoke expressed their gratitude for the doctors, nurses, rehabilitation staff, social workers and support staff at the hospital who have helped them to find independence again. And they also expressed thanks for their family members who have made large sacrifices over the past two years. 

It was a small program, but a wonderful way to remember the lives of those lost and celebrate the lives of those spared.