Telluride Elks Lodge hosts eyewitness account of Haitian crisis 3/29

29 Mar Telluride Elks Lodge hosts eyewitness account of Haitian crisis 3/29

On Monday, March 29, 7:15 p.m., the Telluride Elks Lodge hosts  Dr. Mark Hauswald and Dr. Nancy Kerr,  who worked tirelessly at Ground Zero in Haiti.

Only one month after a catastrophic earthquake rocked Haiti on February 13, these two Telluride locals found themselves on a flight to Port-au-Prince, a journey which made sense for this compassionate, courageous married duo. Over the course of two weeks, Kerr, an Ob/Gyn and Hauswald, an Emergency Medical specialist, worked with those in need, often outside their area of expertise.

“Unlike domestic disasters, there is no place to transfer someone to, no other hospital in the next city,” said Kerr.

Dr. Kerr also holds a masters degree in public health/global health. Her volunteer practice takes her from Montrose and Fort Defiance to delivering babies in Haiti. Hauswald is a Professor Emeritus of Emergency Medicine, Director of Global Health at the University of New Mexico and Assistant Dean of Medicine. Recently the couple received additional degrees in tropical medicine from the London School of Medicine to add to the daunting pile. 

“This was one of those human events that was completely overwhelming," said Hauswald. "We feel grateful to have provided some help, but the Haitians certainly need more,” said Kerr of the 7.0 quake that affected over three million people.

“We’re hopeful people will realize the kinds of resources needed for disasters. And I do believe there will be an increased demand for aid as environmental events increase in the future," she added.

Kerr and Hauswald split their time between Telluride, Kuala Lumpur, Albuquerque and Ship Rock, and have dedicated their careers to easing human suffering, with efforts in the U.S., Nepal, Malaysia and Gambia – and Haiti.

The community is also invited to join the Rotary for dinner at the Elks Lodge before the presentation, at 6:15 p.m. Dinner is $16.50 with advance reservations. The slide show presentation is free.

For more information, or to make dinner reservations, contact Harley Brooke-Hitching at 728-6345 or hbh@telluridecolorado.net.