I just wanted to update everyone on how everything went.  I took some photos with my iPhone but I will have to send them later today.  I did not take too many, it was difficult finding the time to do so. However I did get a couple of good shots.

After checking in at Logan Airport in Boston, I will be shocked if I don't end up on the 'no-fly' list.  We pretty much broke every security rule possible.  There was an aerosol can of Axe Body Spray, a big jar of peanut butter and probably 100 ounces of of creams.  They looked at me like I was crazy and if it wasn't for J's condition I probably would have been questioned in a dark room somewhere (the letter from Shriner's meant nothing to them). I responded to the inquiries that someone else packed the bag, which is not the correct answer in the airport. They threw away all items that did not pertain to medication, mainly the peanut butter, body spray and any scented lotions that were for Lydia. They tested every cream and medication in the liquid tester to make sure that nothing was explosive.  TSA was pretty nice about everything and at one point they tried to explain to Lydia that she can't take more than 3 ounces of liquids on the plane...in Spanish.  I told them it's ok they are not frequent flyers.  J then walked thru the metal detector which immediately went off.  I emptied his pockets and they were full of change, marbles, and a hand full of other miscellaneous trinkets.  I took off his belt and his pants fell to the floor and he waddled his way thru. 

After repacking all of the bags we sat down for a quick bite to eat.  Apparently J's digestive system works like a high octane garbage disposal and he was in the bathroom before we even got to the gate.  Lydia started walking in the men's bathroom at which time I explained how bathrooms are separated which was probably peculiar to them.  I caught J just as he was about to go #2 in the urinal and explained the magical automatic toilets and sinks.  I think he washed his hands 4 times.

We got on the first flight and the stewardess gave him a set of pilot wings which I stuck on his shirt.  He probably thought it was just part of the flight process.  After the plane took off, J and L had to go to the bathroom again so I escorted them to the back of the plane (we were all the way up front) to go to the bathroom.  The stewardesses then started serving drinks and we ended up standing behind them almost the entire flight to NY.

We got off the plane, retrieved our bags and started walking towards the exit of the airport.  This young woman came up to us and asked if we needed a ride.  She works at Children's Hospital in NY and Boston (she showed me her badge).  We accepted her help and she brought us to the hotel and even offered to pay for it, but I would not let her.  The hotel that was booked was in a really sketchy area in Jamaica NY and she did not want us there so she brought us to a better area closer to the airport.  She was very kind and I would have been in trouble without her. Lydia crashed as soon as we got into the hotel.  I helped J take a shower and get ready for bed.  I got him a bucket of ice because he kept asking for it on the plane and you would of thought I gave him a bucket of candy.

The next day we got up, had  breakfast and made our way to the airport.  Security wasn't as bad this time, I repacked everything so that I could easily pull out all of the creams for testing.  Again, J went to the bathroom about 2 more times before we got to the gate.  J was obsessed with those treadmill things in the airport.  I could not get him off of them.  He went the right way, the wrong way, he sat down, it was like a carnival ride for him.  At one point I was chasing him going the wrong direction, I probably looked ridiculous. 

We sat down at the gate and almost everyone was Haitian, which I think made Lydia feel better.  Everyone was asking about J and were amazed at how energetic and well behaved he was.  He had this little St. Patrick's Day felt bag that he put his CD player in and a bunch of loose change.  The Haitians at the gate started putting money his little bag and by the time we left he had a nice chunk of cash.  It was nice to see Haitians giving to their own like that. 

We got on the plane and J went to the bathroom a couple more times.  Luckily we were in first class this time and the bathroom was near by.  The stewardesses were great and kept bringing him cookies which didn't help the bathroom situation.  At one point he had to use the stewardess and pilot's bathroom because there was someone else in the other one.  He slept for some of the ride, looked at the in-flight magazines and listened to music.  He was very well behaved.

We landed in PAP and somehow we were the first ones thru customs, retrieved our bags, and were out the door in under 10 minutes.  I fought off the usual bag handlers and everyone telling me they were here to pick us up.  Finally I found our driver, Bin Laden (no joke that was his name), and jumped in the back of a pick up with our luggage.  We got to MAF and they weighed in and were on their way.  It was so chaotic at MAF that I didn't even really get a chance to say goodbye to him.

We had a really great time and I would travel with him anytime, I can only hope that my kids are that well behaved someday.  I think the world can learn a lot from him and his attitude.  I saw him looking at himself in the mirror when we were in the bathroom and it was like it didn't even bother him.  He was just happy to be alive.  He was constantly looking out the windows of the airport waving at the planes going by and at one point another boy came up to him and stared for a minute.  J just kept looking out the window like he wasn't even there, entranced by the activity on the runway.

On my way back thru Miami, the customs officer asked what I was doing in Haiti and I explained the story.  He asked me 'how much did that cost me and the US taxpayers?'.  I told him nothing and if he wasn't the man who was letting me back in the country I would have said something else.

I hope we see J again in the summer.

Thanks
Corey

An update from Jim:

We arrived on time last night in Boston. The trip consisted of a gastronomical nightmare. He started off with a 1/2 lb hotdog in a pastry shell
in PAP. That was not enough. He than consumed half of my 10" Philadelphia steak and cheese with the works. All washed down with a large coke ??
After we were air born we were hungry again. Half pound chicken and cheese in a bread pocked with peppers and onions came next with a coke and a big smile followed by nap He is still getting real bad spasms in his neck. i worked on that the better part of the trip. His bandages were also way to tight so I had to cut them open mid flight to take the pressure off his ears. Last leg of the flight was the same chicken pocked only this time we gave in and quit half way thru, followed by two cokes. I can't even eat that much !!!! Mom ate good and slept the last leg of the flight. We went thru customs without a question and people did a lot of staring.

American Airlines was on top of it. wheelchairs were there, blankets pillows etc. We were picked up by Judith and her brother Roman. The camera crew and a reporter from the local paper were there also. when we arrived at shriners there were escorted to a room right away. Nurses did the usual looking at temps and pressures swabs in the mouth, nose etc. They also attempted to change his bandages without putting him under and found out he is a fighter. They quit half way thru and will finish tomorrow in the OR.

It appears we are going to be a little late getting to Boston. Dzefet wants to take the truck ( see Attach). 

His mom has him all dressed up for the trip. He looks pretty sharp in those sun glasses. He insisted on holding on to the wheel on the way to the airport. He is also under the influence of narcotics !!  Bandage was changes just a little while ago.
MAF should be here in a few minutes.

Updates to come

We are all packed and ready for the journey to Boston. Now that his mom is back from Port au Prince he is all perked up again. The bond with his mother is pretty close. Those two have been through hell in the last three months.

All paperwork and passport are ready! 

---

From Mike:

Here is the travel schedule for tomorrow.

7:20AM  MAF plane lands in Pignon.  (David, our pilot, volunteered to fly this trip on his holiday!)

A shuttle will carry everyone to the American Airlines terminal at the International side of the airport.

Travel Schedule:

10:30AM  American flight 816 from Port au Prince to Miami

12:35PM  Arrive Miami, transit customs and manage luggage

3:00PM    American flight 1758 from Miami to Boston

6:05PM Arrive Boston and transfer to Boston Shriner's Hospital

We have flights booked on American Airlines for Monday morning (first class all the way to Boston, thanks to Mike Evans' air miles!) for Celime, his mother and Jim Scheller, who will accompany them and stay for a few days until they are settled. WE did have another curve ball thrown at us when we discovered that the missionary pilots we had planned to use for transport to Port-au-Prince were not flying on Monday for the holidays. Fortunately, one of the pilots did volunteer to do a flight for Celime after Jim made a passionate plea. We are once again indebted to those dedicated individuals.

We have been overwhelmed by the support that has been shown to help this unfortunate young boy and his family. So far, we have received over $7,000 in donations. We also have had amazing people like Shelly Nelson from Iowa step up and agree to sponsor Celime. She has signed the necessary documents for the visa application. This is a daunting commitment and our promise to her is to help with financial support and other logistical issues that might arise.

We also have been in contact with people in Boston who have Haitian connections, like Judith Benjamin, who is from Pignon and whose sister is an anesthetist at the hospital there and has been involved in Celimes' dressing changes. There are also the parents of Corey, an intern working with Haiti Outreach, who have agreed to help out. The Shriners Hospital has also been generous in their support which is very important when we consider how difficult it will be for a 34 year old Haitian mother of 5 who has never been more than 30 miles from her village of St.Raphael who will be landing in Boston, in the middle of winter with little more than the clothes she is wearing.

Thank-you to all who have donated time and resources.
Henri

Henri P Lanctin MD,FACS
Adult & Pediatric Urology,PLLp

Vice President, Project Haiti, Inc.
www.projecthaiti.info

The paperwork is coming along smoothly and we were able to locate birth certificates for both mom and Celine (despite mom's being stolen). Next week we will hopefully get their passports secured and they will hopefully be out soon. 

Here is another photo of Celine with his new, and very well used, DVD player that Jim had brought in to help him pass the time. 

All,

Bandages were changed late last night again. He looks good. He has pain where is shoulder is burned. He said his face and head do not hurt him? If that's true he is a tough camper. He has his DVD player now and that runs from sun up to sun down. He will probably be a karate star when he is all healed up watching that stuff all day long. MFI came in with the powdered supplements yesterday and we will start them today.

- Jim

Again, thank you everyone who has donated. 

- Kohl Threlkeld

Before 6am they had already taken him to the operating room for bandage change. We sent stew for him last night. His mother told me this morning that he looked like he was pregnant when he went to sleep last night. Our President is bringing in a new c/d player for him today and I have some local kids that are going to sit with him a couple hours a night and play karate video's with him. Lets stay proactive on this.

-Jim