Coast Guard ensign Jen Ferreira, a four-year letter winner on the Coast Guard Academy women's soccer team, had four years of academic and military preparation at the Academy, but delivering a baby wasn't part of the curriculum.
Ferreira was aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Tahoma, with a crew of about 100, when they arrived in the harbor off Port-au-Prince two days after the earthquake struck. They discovered several injured people and no medical care available. The crew created a makeshift clinic near the Coast Guard base and stabilized severely injured Haitians so they could be taken to the American ship for better treatment.
"We gathered members from the crew with any medical training to go and help", Ferreira wrote in an email. Jen had taken an EMT course in high school which allowed her to be able to contribute a great deal in the crisis as hundreds of people were injured and dying at the clinic. Many members of the Tahoma had CPR and basic first aid training. Most crew members who went over had no more than CPR and basic first aid, but they were still able to provide vital care.
"I witnessed many members of our crew pushing themselves outside their comfort zone to provide crucial care." But they weren't the only ones on the crew pushing themselves. Their bravery saved a lot of lives. I spent my time ashore trying to stabilize patients," added Ferreira. "I made splints and slings as well as cleaned and covered open wounds to prevent infection. Many of the injuries I saw were way beyond the level of care I'm able to provide however; just taking the time to clean and wrap it gave these people hope."
On Jan. 17, the crew went ashore with the Navy medical team. They had proper training to be dealing with the severe injuries that the crew was finding.
"That day a second woman approached saying her water had broke the night before and I informed a doctor," said Ferreira. "There were only the two doctors that day and they had a lot of patients to see so I told him I could take care of it for now and that I had previously been trained to deliver (during my EMT course)."
They cleared out some space in a room that they had been using for storage so she could have some privacy. Ferreira stayed with her along with a Haitian interpreter, a Haitian woman who was there to support her, and she also had a female field nurse from the CGC Mohawk there for assistance.
Ferreira then described what happened next: "I took her blood pressure, checked the baby's heartbeat, coached her on breathing (it was her first child), until she was ready to deliver. When I saw the baby was crowning I got the doctor. He came in and together we delivered the baby. The baby came out healthy and was already trying to open his eyes. After the baby was born, I cleaned him off a bit and gave him to the mother. I then gave the baby to the (field nurse) to clean him off some more while we handled the afterbirth. I asked the woman what she wanted to name him and she asked me to name him. We decided on Jeffrey after the baby's father.
"After delivering I went back to helping with other patients waiting outside the clinic to be seen. Later on, I went back to check on the baby. I cut the umbilical cord shorter, made sure they had clothes for the baby, and sent the mother on her way."
"I was absolutely terrified the entire time I was over there. I acted strictly on instinct and adrenaline. I took the EMT course over five years ago and Professional Rescuer/First Aid at the Academy over two years ago. I don't consider myself a medical provider by any means, however in Haiti people were calling me "Doctor." The most basic medical care can save a life," added Ferreira.
Laura Gibbings ('09), also a crew member of Tahoma, wrote in an email "It's easy while you're at the Academy in Professional Rescuer to think 'man, I'm never gonna use this. You'd be surprised how valuable that class can be when you're in a situation where you have to rely on instinct and knowledge that you didn't realize you remembered from a class you took two years ago."
A day earlier, a pregnant woman went into labor. The health service technicians tried to deliver, but the baby appeared to be stuck in the birth canal. Neither could recognize a heartbeat. They got her over to the Tahoma for MEDEVAC as they were worried the baby had died. While awaiting MEDEVAC, she went into labor on the flight deck. Members of the crew and a flight crewmember from the helicopter on deck delivered the baby.
Over the next few days, more medical support arrived. As professionals came in, their mission shifted from medical care to medical support and evacuation. Ferreira focused on assisting the doctors and medics with whatever they needed and preparing patients for medical evacuation.
Over the past week, more doctors have arrived as well as the Army, Navy and Marines. The members of the Tahoma have now been working more as coordinators and directing the Coast Guard helicopters as to where the injured people are and where they need to be transported.
