By DAWNE LEIKER

dleiker@dailynews.net

Americans have seen the faces of countless injured, homeless Haitians on the 24-hour news cycle since the Jan. 12 earthquake left the country devastated.

A Hays woman, who recently returned from providing orthopedic services in a clinic in Haiti, has managed to bring smiles and healing to many of those faces, through her efforts as an orthopedic physician's assistant.

Working for Heartline Ministries, an organization established by John and Beth McHoul in 1989 to address women's health issues in Haiti, Amy Glover, a physician's assistant for Hays Orthopaedic Clinic, provided a variety of orthopedic services to Haitians from Feb. 17 to 24.

The decision to join Heartline Ministries was made quickly and came at the suggestion of Glover's husband, Jake. As it was a short-term, week-long commitment, the Glovers made arrangements for Amy to leave the day after the decision was made.

The Heartline Ministries clinic was established prior to the earthquake and had been adapted to provide necessary services post-quake. An anesthesiologist, pediatrician and obstetric/gynonocologist were on hand in less than a week to perform necessary procedures under sterile conditions, but not the "standards we're used to," Glover said.

"Their little clinic became an inpatient and outpatient clinic," Glover said, "They did really complex procedures in this bizarrely unprepared place ... and did a really good job.

"They did as much as they could with what they could. And there were miracles that happened."

One instance Glover related involved a pregnant and injured woman experiencing placental abruption, a complication that causes the placenta to separate from the inner wall of the uterus before delivery.

Doctors in this makeshift environment were able to perform a Cesarean section, making an incision to the baby in 90 seconds.

"They saved the kid's life," Glover said.

Both the child and mother survived the procedure and "are doing fine."

Many of the cases Heartline Ministries saw were referred to the U.S.N.S. Comfort, a fully functional U.S. medical treatment facility on a U.S. naval ship.

Although the primary mission of the U.S.N.S. Comfort is to provide mobile rapid response medical and surgical care in support of military troops in areas of hostility, the ship also provides full medical services for relief and humanitarian operations worldwide.

The humanitarian aid and medical efforts of U.S. soldiers "made me proud to be an American," Glover said. Army rangers would check orphanages to see if they had sick kids or needs for food and water, and work to meet those needs.

She was encouraged by the number of organizations in Haiti doing positive and strong work, but she said, "there is so much work to be done."

Impoverished before the earthquake and now dealing with the aftermath of the devastation, Glover said the Haitian people have indomitable spirits and "are delightful. They are real people with real issues. They would like to find a steady supply of food and water and employment."

"What a magical place with exceptionally loving and kind people who are generous and gracious," she said.

The staggering death toll in Haiti has led to a redefining of the concept of family, Glover said. She remembered the case of Baby Juvenson, who was brought to the clinic with a severe intestinal infection. His mother had died in the quake, and now his aunt had assumed that role.

"I learned that this dear child is orphaned," Glover wrote in her blog. "His mother perished in the quake. What parent doesn't fear this? Who would wish for a death that leaves their infant at the mercy of others? ... It hurts to even think of it."

"The woman, she smiles. ... She's got him. Bottles, diapers, skinned knees, first bike ride -- she is his mama. An earthquake bound these two together -- and joy of all things good -- they are family."

"Family grows where people not necessary biologically related live and grow in community. I love that," she wrote.

Glover spoke of the Haitians she had grown to love with a smile, as one remembering old friends; Rosemond, a child with an open skull fracture, "ornery," always looking for candy; Alex, with "Bob Marley" dreadlocks, night terrors and a devoted father. Cejuste, kind, gentle died of complications resulting from a femur fracture after a house fell on her; Dr. Bobo, a 3-year-old wanted "people food" not "feed the hungry" packages, who went from "lethargic and mostly dead to playing," once again.

The medical needs of the Haitian people were much more extreme than what Glover had dealt with in her past medical experiences. She saw cases she had only read about before in textbooks, with complications much more severe because treatment had not been performed quickly.

"The intensity of illness and progression of diseases was worse than what we see here (in America). Obviously, because of lack of resources and neglect," she said.

Glover said her time in Haiti was "the best and worst experience of my life." Although she and her husband had been on mission trips before, she said "this was so much more horrific with the injuries and the lack of resources in place."

Glover returned to her blended family last week. The Glovers and their children Issac, 7, Joy, 5, Darwine, 5, Grace, 3, Joshua and Joseph, 2, are an example of new families growing out of adverse situations. Three of the Glover children were adopted from Haiti just two months ago.

"Good or bad, I didn't really know what it would be like to have a blended family in Kansas." Glover said. "Those fears were completely unfounded. People are so loving, even complete strangers."

Glover expressed gratitude for her husband Jake's support, and all the others who have pitched in to help their family. She said her experience in Haiti has changed her, and she is dealing with what that means as she moves forward.

She said she plans to stay away from "non-productive" worry about inconsequential daily business.

"Fear, crazy stupid worry about things that are not real, has stolen more joy than I care to admit," she wrote on her blog. "How odd that a natural disaster, suffering and grief -- have given light to freedom in this little way."

Heartline Ministries in Haiti will be revisiting its mission and soon transition back to being a women's health and neonatal clinic. Part of Heartline's mission is a purse sewing outreach for Haitian women. Women are paid for their production of handbags, given occupational training and asked to make plans as to how to use the money.

More information regarding the Heartline Ministries sewing program is available at haitiancreations.com.