Valley Stream school nurse helps in Haiti

“When I got there, I knew I belonged there,” Rebekah Trieber, school nurse at the Washington Avenue Kindergarten Center, said about her recent trip to Haiti, an experience she described as a blessing to her.

Trieber, 56, visited the country from Dec. 4-11 on a journey of self-discovery to help and improve the lives of several natives suffering from the cholera outbreak. Concerned about the spread of disease and devastation, Trieber answered the call for relief from World Medical Missions, a Christian ministry, a part of the Samaritan’s Purse international relief organization.

“Ever since the earthquake, I have been following Haiti,” she said. “The organization had a pull for medical volunteers. I was not really planning on going this time, but I got an urgent call that they needed medical personnel and would I consider going.”

Following last year’s earthquake, Hurricane Thomas caused even more damage to the county, leaving behind a major cholera epidemic, she said. “We are so blessed to be here,” she said. “Haiti is just devastated and they just have never recovered from the earthquake.”

Trieber wanted to make a difference, she said, so she filled out an application with World Medical Missions right after the earthquake last February and updated it a couple of months ago. And soon after, she was on her way.

Taking a carry-on bag, donated medical supplies and treats such as balloons and stickers to give to children there, Trieber was focused on her mission to give back to others. She remembered her first reaction when she landed in Haiti: “It was a feeling of oppressive sadness because you can just see they are starving,” she said. “But I just fell in love with the people despite what they are going through.”

Her love affair with Haiti was a heartfelt one as she has history with the country. Trieber’s parents were missionaries in Haiti for many years and she was raised there as a young kid. “It is the land of my childhood,” she said. “I always had a love, always felt akin to them so in wanting to do something to help them in addition to donations was to offer time. I was very happy to be there.”