2nd July 2016
In February 2016, my Mum, Lindsay Lucas, spent
two weeks on the Greek Island of Lesvos; donating her time, money, and nursing
skills to assist the Syrian Refugees making deadly journeys across the Aegean
Sea to the EU in hope of finding a better life. I thought her experience should
be shared; so, I asked her some questions, she very kindly answered, and here
you have them!
How long have you
been nursing?
“I’ve worked in the operating theatres as an
anaesthetic/post anaesthetic care nurse for most of my nursing life. Apart from
general nursing I have trained as a midwife. Since leaving the operating
theatres I have worked as a practise nurse with a GP. I currently work in
public health providing vaccinations, and vision screenings for four-year-olds
before they start school. I have been nursing for thirty-nine years. Yikes,
that’s a long time!”
What is The Moria
Health Point Project and where is it situated?
“A UK doctor called Hadia Aslam began the
Health Point (now Health Point Foundation) in a refugee camp in Calais, France.
It is known as ‘The Jungle.’”
Why is it known as
'The Jungle'?
“I don’t know, I guess people think it’s just
wild. But really they’re just people trying to survive. The Health Point
provides medical and dental care to refugees. Dr Aslam then saw the need for
care on the Greek Island of Lesvos; where thousands of refugees are continuing
to make the treacherous crossing over the Aegean Sea from Turkey. These
people have nothing. Many have pre-existing medical conditions while others
have medical conditions as a result of their journey. These people are
literally escaping death.”
What triggered your
decision to travel to Lesvos and volunteer at the camp?
“I initially felt compelled to volunteer four
years ago when I saw what was happening to the Syrians in their own country. I
eventually came across Health Point Project, which allowed me to volunteer as a
nurse in a time frame that was suitable. Most organisations require a
commitment of at least three months: not suitable when you have children and
work commitments.”
How have people
responded to your choice to volunteer?
“Most people’s responses have been very
positive. I am also aware that there will be people who won’t see it in a
positive light. I am yet to meet the latter.”
What were the
conditions like at the camp?
“The conditions in the camp were okay. There were
tents for accommodation; the refugees’ food tent; the volunteers’ food tent; a
clothing tent; and the medical tent. There was also a designated children’s
tent and a sort of playground. Performers and clowns entertained the children.
There were portable toilets, and no showering facilities. When I arrived, there
was no hot water. However, this was overcome with the building of a compost
heating system. A water pipe is run through a compost heap and the compost
produces heat that warms the water. I hear they now have running water in the
medical tent too. Sheer luxury! And when it rained there was mud everywhere.”
Did it rain often?
“It was winter, so some days. It got a bit
wild though. Windy. The accommodation tents weren’t heated and there were families
with young babies. At Christmas a baby died from hypothermia. There was also a
solar run power station for charging mobile phones in the middle of the camp,
so the refugees could contact their families.”
And how did your
nursing skills come to play?
“I had no idea what to expect when I
volunteered. My general basic nursing skills came into play. So, observations:
temperature, pulse, blood pressure and urinalysis, and antenatal care of the
pregnant women. I helped children and adults with severe frostbite, which is
something I have never seen or experienced in my entire nursing career. We
entertained the children, provided warmth, comfort and sustenance. And, above
all, we provided these two very basic, yet vital, needs: water and rest.”
Who did you meet?
“Where do I start? The volunteers I met and
worked with were amazing. I believe I have made friendships that will last a
lifetime (albeit on the other side of the world). Volunteers included:
translators, nurses, doctors, paramedics, student doctors, entertainers,
university students, and travellers. People from all walks of life, from all
over the world that, with no agenda, wanted to help. The decency and power of
humanity was palpable. The refugees, oh my, what can I say without welling? I
met gracious, humble, and traumatised men, women, children and babies. I have
been kissed, blessed, and hugged by total strangers. People, like you and I,
escaping torture, rape, bombings, and all of the atrocities associated with
war. All they want is freedom. Freedom to live a life without fear.”
What was the most
touching story that you heard?
“One day, we had a group of pregnant women
come in: they wanted reassurance that their babies were all right. There was
one particular, exhausted, young mother whose story affects me: this woman, her
husband, her girlfriend and her husband were running for their lives; escaping
ISIS and Assad’s army. At one point, they were hiding in a valley with Assad’s
army on the one side and ISIS on the other. These two friends were about the
same gestation in their pregnancies. Unfortunately, her friend lost her baby.
When they arrived at the medical tent, this pregnant woman had lower abdominal
pain and was fearful that she, too, might lose her baby. We checked the baby
and we could hear a healthy foetal heartbeat. She was relieved, I think, but
she was so exhausted it was hard to gauge her emotions. I asked her a question;
one that you would probably ask any pregnant woman: ‘Do you have a name for
your baby?’ Her reply, via the translator, was that she hadn’t been able to
think about this because all she was trying to do was survive. We will never
know or understand what these people have endured. I ended up talking to a
beautiful paediatrician. Such a gentle man. Both he and I cried.”
How can we help?
“This is such a catastrophic man-made
disaster. Where do you begin? You can volunteer: it doesn’t have to be medical;
you can distribute clothes and food, and help terrified people out of the
inflatable boats. You can drive the volunteers to and from camp, or the
refugees to the hospital. You can source equipment to help refugees: for
instance, a stroller for a family who have carried their handicapped child all
the way from Syria. You can donate money; you can petition governments to stop
the bombings in Syria; and you can support the countries where there is a huge
influx of refugees: Greece, Lebanon, Jordan and Southern Italy. And pray. Pray
for the EU to find a solution. Pray for all of the unaccompanied minors. Pray
that the refugees can return home and rebuild their countries. Pray for
acceptance and tolerance from people in other countries around the world. I
really don’t know how to answer this question. I guess at the end of the day it
is up to the individual and what they feel is right for them.”
For
more information about the Health Point Foundation, you can visit their website.
2nd July 2016
In February 2016, my Mum, Lindsay Lucas, spent
two weeks on the Greek Island of Lesvos; donating her time, money, and nursing
skills to assist the Syrian Refugees making deadly journeys across the Aegean
Sea to the EU in hope of finding a better life. I thought her experience should
be shared; so, I asked her some questions, she very kindly answered, and here
you have them!
How long have you
been nursing?
“I’ve worked in the operating theatres as an
anaesthetic/post anaesthetic care nurse for most of my nursing life. Apart from
general nursing I have trained as a midwife. Since leaving the operating
theatres I have worked as a practise nurse with a GP. I currently work in
public health providing vaccinations, and vision screenings for four-year-olds
before they start school. I have been nursing for thirty-nine years. Yikes,
that’s a long time!”
What is The Moria
Health Point Project and where is it situated?
“A UK doctor called Hadia Aslam began the
Health Point (now Health Point Foundation) in a refugee camp in Calais, France.
It is known as ‘The Jungle.’”
Why is it known as
'The Jungle'?
“I don’t know, I guess people think it’s just
wild. But really they’re just people trying to survive. The Health Point
provides medical and dental care to refugees. Dr Aslam then saw the need for
care on the Greek Island of Lesvos; where thousands of refugees are continuing
to make the treacherous crossing over the Aegean Sea from Turkey. These
people have nothing. Many have pre-existing medical conditions while others
have medical conditions as a result of their journey. These people are
literally escaping death.”
What triggered your
decision to travel to Lesvos and volunteer at the camp?
“I initially felt compelled to volunteer four
years ago when I saw what was happening to the Syrians in their own country. I
eventually came across Health Point Project, which allowed me to volunteer as a
nurse in a time frame that was suitable. Most organisations require a
commitment of at least three months: not suitable when you have children and
work commitments.”
How have people
responded to your choice to volunteer?
“Most people’s responses have been very
positive. I am also aware that there will be people who won’t see it in a
positive light. I am yet to meet the latter.”
What were the
conditions like at the camp?
“The conditions in the camp were okay. There were
tents for accommodation; the refugees’ food tent; the volunteers’ food tent; a
clothing tent; and the medical tent. There was also a designated children’s
tent and a sort of playground. Performers and clowns entertained the children.
There were portable toilets, and no showering facilities. When I arrived, there
was no hot water. However, this was overcome with the building of a compost
heating system. A water pipe is run through a compost heap and the compost
produces heat that warms the water. I hear they now have running water in the
medical tent too. Sheer luxury! And when it rained there was mud everywhere.”
Did it rain often?
“It was winter, so some days. It got a bit
wild though. Windy. The accommodation tents weren’t heated and there were families
with young babies. At Christmas a baby died from hypothermia. There was also a
solar run power station for charging mobile phones in the middle of the camp,
so the refugees could contact their families.”
And how did your
nursing skills come to play?
“I had no idea what to expect when I
volunteered. My general basic nursing skills came into play. So, observations:
temperature, pulse, blood pressure and urinalysis, and antenatal care of the
pregnant women. I helped children and adults with severe frostbite, which is
something I have never seen or experienced in my entire nursing career. We
entertained the children, provided warmth, comfort and sustenance. And, above
all, we provided these two very basic, yet vital, needs: water and rest.”
Who did you meet?
“Where do I start? The volunteers I met and
worked with were amazing. I believe I have made friendships that will last a
lifetime (albeit on the other side of the world). Volunteers included:
translators, nurses, doctors, paramedics, student doctors, entertainers,
university students, and travellers. People from all walks of life, from all
over the world that, with no agenda, wanted to help. The decency and power of
humanity was palpable. The refugees, oh my, what can I say without welling? I
met gracious, humble, and traumatised men, women, children and babies. I have
been kissed, blessed, and hugged by total strangers. People, like you and I,
escaping torture, rape, bombings, and all of the atrocities associated with
war. All they want is freedom. Freedom to live a life without fear.”
What was the most
touching story that you heard?
“One day, we had a group of pregnant women
come in: they wanted reassurance that their babies were all right. There was
one particular, exhausted, young mother whose story affects me: this woman, her
husband, her girlfriend and her husband were running for their lives; escaping
ISIS and Assad’s army. At one point, they were hiding in a valley with Assad’s
army on the one side and ISIS on the other. These two friends were about the
same gestation in their pregnancies. Unfortunately, her friend lost her baby.
When they arrived at the medical tent, this pregnant woman had lower abdominal
pain and was fearful that she, too, might lose her baby. We checked the baby
and we could hear a healthy foetal heartbeat. She was relieved, I think, but
she was so exhausted it was hard to gauge her emotions. I asked her a question;
one that you would probably ask any pregnant woman: ‘Do you have a name for
your baby?’ Her reply, via the translator, was that she hadn’t been able to
think about this because all she was trying to do was survive. We will never
know or understand what these people have endured. I ended up talking to a
beautiful paediatrician. Such a gentle man. Both he and I cried.”
How can we help?
“This is such a catastrophic man-made
disaster. Where do you begin? You can volunteer: it doesn’t have to be medical;
you can distribute clothes and food, and help terrified people out of the
inflatable boats. You can drive the volunteers to and from camp, or the
refugees to the hospital. You can source equipment to help refugees: for
instance, a stroller for a family who have carried their handicapped child all
the way from Syria. You can donate money; you can petition governments to stop
the bombings in Syria; and you can support the countries where there is a huge
influx of refugees: Greece, Lebanon, Jordan and Southern Italy. And pray. Pray
for the EU to find a solution. Pray for all of the unaccompanied minors. Pray
that the refugees can return home and rebuild their countries. Pray for
acceptance and tolerance from people in other countries around the world. I
really don’t know how to answer this question. I guess at the end of the day it
is up to the individual and what they feel is right for them.”
For
more information about the Health Point Foundation, you can visit their website.