Hello everyone:

Home at last! I left Haiti late Sunday on a C-17 Transport from March AFB. We arrived at an isolated airport near Orlando. We made our way through Customs, then we were placed on shuttles and bused to the Orlando Airport 30 miles away. Once we made the airport, the Red Cross was set up to help with transportation, food, and a place to sleep. I was handed two blankets and made my bed on the floor across from the rental car desks. Three hours later,we were all awakened and escorted up into the terminal for release. Then it was a matter of flying all day to make it back to the Flathead Valley.

I would like to take this time to say Thank You to all of you. It took scores of people and multiple organizations to make this mobilization possible. My wife and family gave me permission to leave them. My partners at Flathead Orthopedics for covering my practice. To all the clinic staff at Flathead Orthopedics for reorganizing my schedule. A special thank you to Kathy Bolme, my nurse, for the hours for triaging my patients and the hours required rescheduling them. Another special thanks to Scott Chille for setting up our web site to share these emails with all of you. As for my patients, I appreciate the disruption this had on your lives, whether it was canceling your surgery to rescheduling your appointments. I owe you all a debt of gratitude.

We will post photos over the next week and hopefully some today. As you reflect on these pictures remember Haiti’s plight continues. Pray for Haiti and her people. Consider sharing some of your time, treasure, and talent. Everyone can help in some fashion. Once again thank you for your support and prayers.

Respectfully,

Albert D Olszewski MD