Local nurse pleased to be heading to HaitiBrad Bird, Oceanside Star
Published: Thursday, February 04, 2010A local Registered Nurse is heading to Haiti to help those hurt in the recent earthquake.
Will Chambers will be leaving Feb. 19 for a two-week effort with eight others from a group called Samaritan's Purse.
He expects to be doing what he normally does at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital, working as a surgical nurse. But the conditions at Baptist Mission Haiti Hospital in Ferte will be a little different.
Chambers, 36, who attends Parksville Fellowship Baptist Church, said Friday he's preparing himself for what will come.
"I'm praying," he said. "This is something that I've never seen before; I've never seen disaster. This will be my first crack at it."
But don't expect it to be his last.
"I'm willing to go anywhere in the world to serve, to help where I can."
His wife, Heather, is 100% behind his quest to help. "I am so proud of him," she said. "You will never meet a guy with more passion for this mission."
They have two children, daughters Rachel, 5, and Samara, 7.
"That's why I chose to do short-term missions," he said. "My family's first."
He knows there are risks from looters and others, but says the Canadian military will provide security.
"There is some nervousness," he said.
With him will be three surgeons and five other nurses, all through Samaritan's Purse, a non-denominational Christian international relief agency with an office in Calgary.
His employer, Vancouver Island Health Authority, has been very supportive of this, he said, for which he's thankful.
"It's going to be awesome," Chambers said, "a great opportunity to serve others who are in great need right now."
© Oceanside Star 2010
