Father of Haiti Earthquake Survivor Contacts the Surgeon Who Operated on His Daughter
Volunteer surgeons who serve in disaster areas do not expect to later hear from patients they helped. But, Gaston Mydream, a beautiful eight year old girl from Haiti proved otherwise.
Oklahoma City, OK (Vocus) October 5, 2010
Oklahoma Orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Houshang Serdage, with the Orthopedic Institute (http://www. ortho-ok. com), was one of the early volunteer surgeons, who flew to Haiti on his own, right after the earthquake. Dr. Seradge operated on many victims of the earthquake, under difficult conditions, as an equipment garage had been converted to a hospital wing. Gaston Mydream was one of the patients he treated.
Gaston lost her Mother, her house and everything she had in the earthquake. Her loving Father carried Gaston for several miles to seek help for his daughter. She had lost a large portion of her calf, which had been bandaged at a Red Cross first aid tent. Her Father was frightened that her badly infected right leg might have to be amputated. Dr. Seradge performed several operations on her leg and was eventually able to save her leg.
During the time that Dr. Seradge cared for Gaston, he grew very fond of the little girl and her Father. They lost everything they owned and had been sleeping on the ground, without a roof over their heads. When it came time for them to leave, Dr. Seradge and his assistant gave them what they had; dried rice and beans, a tent, towels and blankets. Neither Gaston nor her Father spoke English. Her Father, a proud, giant man, conveyed his feelings with tear filled eyes and heartfelt gestures, murmuring in broken English, “Thank You.”
“One of the hard things to cope with after treating so many earthquake victims, is not knowing what happened to them after they left our care,” said Dr. Seradge. “You share your life with them and feel their misery. You become attached to your patients and you don’t know how they are doing, physically or emotionally, so it was exciting to have recently received an email and pictures from Gaston’s father. He thanked us for how we cared for his daughter and sent his prayers and blessings.” Gaston’s cousin, who knows how to use the internet, wrote, “she can’t stop thanking Dr. Seradge and says to her Father, “when will Dr. Seradge be back in Haiti?” “I am humbled and thrilled to know that they are doing OK and hope that some day I will be able to visit them," added Dr. Seradge.
The Orthopedic Institute (OI), founded in 1980, by Dr. Houshang Seradge is one of Oklahoma City’s most comprehensive orthopedic care centers, in a single location. Orthopedic Institute’s physicians are on the leading edge of their respective fields in orthopedics, rheumatology, neurology and pain management. OI treats all musculoskeletal conditions through the use of the most advanced techniques in orthopedic care. Physicians at OI are dedicated to helping patients return to a healthy life style.
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