By Tyler Marshall and Kelli Maddock | Communications and Resource Development
The Spirit of the Bahamas
When International Medical Corps’ volunteer, Dr. Myron, heard about the devastation in the Bahamas, he put his neurosurgery residency on hold to deploy with International Medical Corps and care for the survivors of Hurricane Dorian. “I’m Bahamian,” he said in a recent interview. “When I saw the devastation from what had happened, I looked for a way to help. I have the skills to practice medicine and my country is hurting. I felt helpless sitting in my apartment in Boston. I knew I needed to be here.”
Once in the Bahamas, it was quickly apparent that doctor would be able to provide far more than medical care to his fellow citizens during a time of enormous need. His very presence — treating patients at our deployed clinic in the community of High Rock, in hard-hit central Grand Bahama island — served as an inspiration to those he treated.
The response was understandable. Dr. Myron is Bahamian, and he’s also a considered a national hero in this small island country — a native son who has succeeded on the larger world stage. His accomplishments, together with his modest, respectful manner and obvious affection for the land of his birth, make him a source of national pride and a role model for thousands of young Bahamians.
During his two-weeks with International Medical Corps on Grand Bahama island, Dr. Myron helped treat an array of conditions, including lacerations and puncture wounds, and tended to patients with non-communicable disease and chronic conditions, such as diabetes and hypertension.
Dr. Myron said he has drawn strength from the public’s response to the storm, as the country faces the daunting task of rebuilding and starting again. “The resilience, the spirit — the energy — of the people here has been uplifting,” he said, adding that he believed International Medical Corps’ clinic’s opening in High Rock was as important psychologically for local survivors of the giant storm as it was medically.
“People see a structure here go up that wasn’t here before the hurricane, and it has an impact,” he noted. “It means a lot to them. It gives them hope.”
Since the devastation of Hurricane Dorian, International Medical Corps has provided more than 1,000 medical consultations across the island of Grand Bahama. Thank you to the GlobalGiving community for such assistance, and supporting resiliency and hope — the spirit of the Bahamas.
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