08GOOD THINGS
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am Byrne’s first encounter with Haiti was a bit traumatic: in February 2007 during the Montego Bay Race, also known as the Pineapple Cup, his yacht dismasted off the Haitian coast leaving him and his crew forced to seek shelter across the Windward Passage to Cuba, at the US Navy base in Guantanamo Bay. Now, three years later, he has come to Haiti under much different circumstances. “When news of the earthquake started getting back to the States it was just impossible not to want to get involved in the relief effort. The Haitians needed everything and we lack nothing, it was only natural that we lend a hand”. At his pilot Pete Simpson’s suggestion, Mr Byrne began lending his private plane for ferrying the wounded back to the States where they could get necessary emergency treatments. As much as these privately sponsored relief flights were helpful, after a month it was clear that an even greater effort would be required. “I have always been involved in charity, but up until now have kept it on a local, community based level. But the disaster in Haiti was just too great. The damage, the shortages and the suffering were unimaginable. One evening I was out to dinner with some doctor friends who are also part of the crew who regularly does Bucket races with me on my yacht Freedom. We started asking ourselves what we could do to help and before long I knew that I had found a way to make my contribution to positive change”.
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Long before the earthquake struck privately run nonprofit organisations worked in Haiti to help the local population get access to proper healthcare. Project Help Haiti and Partners In Health are two non-profit healthcare organisations that have been active in Haiti for decades. They have several hospitals there including the Pierre Payen Hospital, a general surgery facility that was well positioned to help,