I am home from Haiti. Emily Ann has a legal guardian in Haiti and I am one of her Marin's. It is like a god mother but we are financially responsible. I am not the only one, but technically I am named on the legal document... I have had to do a lot explaining. I hope it is only a temporary situation. I am trying to get her adopted out to the States. She has a wonderful wonderful caretaker in Haiti. She is a night nurse for the hospital. She would take care of Emily at night. Legally Emily, until we had her declared "abandoned," lived at the hospital. This was brought about because of all the legal problems in February with a few Americans taking Haitian children that were not technically orphaned to the US. or at least to Dominican Republic.
Luckily we had a lot of legal advice so we did not get into trouble trying to do something helpful. Anyway she is in Haiti. I will be setting up a fund of sorts hopefully to keep her and her new family supported and also to get money for her to be adopted. The night nurse, Natacha, asked us to find her a good family. She will take care of her while in Haiti so that she does not go to an orphanage.
I graduated barely a week ago. I am an official Medical Doctor! I still have a lot to learn, and do not feel any smarter because of this new title. It was good to see all the people around me for graduation. I was watching the end of RUDY the other night. As corny as that story is, I always tear up when Rudy finally gets to play (see movie for full details) anyway the movie does this great job of panning in on everyone that helped in on his journey. His family: parents, and brother, his tutor, the groundskeeper, his teammates, all the people that helped him get to that moment. That is what I felt on the Friday night I graduated. I had my best friends: Norah, Emily, Sara, Austin, Justin was there too, my roommates: Emily, Lindy, Christina my real family: Mom, Dad, and Lisa my sister, (my other sister Tiffany had her senior show to run and we both could not be at each other events) my friends whom have taken the roles of family in my life during some of my hardest struggles: Gary and Kay with Steve from Ames, Mary Kay and Gregg from Minnesota. Dr. Buresh hooded me. He is one of the co coordinators of the Haiti hospital, he also gave our graduation address, I hugged him and he told me how proud he was of me. I came off the stage and someone called my name. It was an Internal Medicine doctor, Dr. Rosenberger, in Des Moines. he gave me some good advice when I was on service with him, "know what you know, know what you dont know, and dont confuse the two." He is also the step father of the fiance of one of my classmates. My classmate died last year in a car wreck. His son is now almost a year old, and the whole family was there for the graduation. All these people have meant more than the world to me at some point along my journey. They were able to be there for one of my successes and I felt the impact all the more because of it.
My diploma incidentally says: Kristina Louise Sinnott has honorably completed all requirements for a medical degree. After the year I had with myself and my class being investigated for dishonorable behavior, I looked down at that and felt I earned that and I felt really good about it.
I now leave for Grand Rapids Michigan to begin a transition year residency. I am renting a condo. Please come visit any time. I do not know what lies ahead for me this year or the coming years. I continue to live the mystery of it all, some days better than others. It is a new racing season, there are lots of Triathlons in Grand Rapids so I look forward to that. There is a Church in walking distance, the hospitals are all in biking distance. I cannot really complain, I am nervous and more than neurotic about it but things are overall well. More updates to follow but right now I have nothing conclusive to report!
blessings and peace to you
kristina MD
