Jenn's home - my last posting - event timeline Dec.27

This is my last posting. Jenn is home, it is time for her to take her blog back. As my final posting, I thought it would be helpful to the PCV’s and their parents, friends and families to share the following timeline of events from the Peace Corps side of things on December 27th. Their response was truly incredible.

There is a saying “heroes are not born, they are made. They are everyday people, like you and me, that rise to the occasion". The Peace Corps and American Embassy in Malawi truly are staffed by heroes.

In the timeline below, I have substituted titles and abbreviations, to protect the privacy of the individuals involved, and still give them the recognition they deserve. Many of the people involved put their lives at great risk in accomplishing the evacuation of Jenn and Tim. As the Acting Head of Country wrote to me “those of us over here (Malawi) know who we are from the titles – that’s what’s important”.

The rest of this posting is from and e-mail from the PC Acting Head of Country, Malawi:
“So many people have been part of this effort on this side, and two weeks ago I and our management team gave "Outstanding Teamwork" awards to staff who participated in the evacuation of Jenn and Tim. They include:

From the Peace Corps:

Acting Head of Country, Malawi (AHC)
Safety and Security Officer (SSO)
Associate Director, Education Sector (APCD)
Head Driver – Mechanic (HD-M)
Medical Assistant (MA)
Admin Officer (AO)

From the US Embassy, there are:

Medical Officer (MO)
Ambulance Driver (AD)
General Services Assistant (GSO)
Consular Officer (CO)
Embassy Administrative Officer (EAO)

Dec 27th at a little past 1pm US Embassy medical officer called and told me (AHC) Jennifer was hospitalized somewhere in "Zimbe", which made us think it was in "Limbe", in the southern region. I called several Vols in the south, including the PCVL to see if anyone had seen her and knew if she was in the hospital in Limbe or Blantyre. I went to the office immediately and met our SSO who was there updating the out of site records, and together we pored over the Vol lists trying to figure out who might know of her exact location.

1:45 pm: MO confirms she's in Mzimba. Efforts to contact other Volunteers in the area fail as they are out of range or on leave. We get info that she traveled with Tim. Neither PCV's phone is responding.

2 pm: AAO gets word from police in Mzimba there are two PCVs in hospital but info is sketchy and vague. MO says if we don't speak with PCVs in next 30 minutes personally we leave for Mzimba.

2:30 pm: We agree to meet at Embassy to depart for Mzimba. I (AHC) take PC vehicle and go home to prepare for trip. SSO stays in office on phone. APCD likewise making calls from office to get info. SSO preparing to go if needed.

3:00 pm: Get word from Mzimba there may be a third PCV involved (later turns out there was none, but perhaps the driver was this person)

3:30 pm: MO and I (AHC) meet at Embassy, ambulance driver also there. Prepare ambulance for trip.

4:00: pm we depart Embassy for Mzimba about three hours away north. It is foggy.

5:00 pm: MO speaks with Jennifer on phone, she seems upbeat and tells him Tim's condition. MO also speaks with clinical officer at hospital and is told they have mostly soft tissue injuries though Jenn has broken clavicle. SSO and MA told not to come north, that we will stay in touch and let them know if we need anything.

7:00 pm: we arrive in Mzimba town and go to District Hospital. Meet Jenn and Tim there. MO examines and I (AHC) assist with nursing duties until midnight.

00:00: MO decides there's too much risk staying in the hospital overnight and we prepare to leave.

Comment from Jenn – at midnight, the MO decided that Jenn and Tim were not stable enough to stay in Mzimba, and that they needed to leave. MO asked AHC “Are you up for this?” And AHC’s response was “Yes, let’s do it”. The drive was very slow, because of the fog and the extent of Jenn’s injuries.

00:30: am we depart Mzimba Hospital and head slowly south. Tim is in Land Cruiser with me (ACH) and Jenn in ambulance with MO and ambulance driver.

02:00 am: Embassy Management Officer and Consular Officer arrive at Embassy to prepare for medevac procedures, making new passports for the two, which were lost in the accident.

04:00 am: I call MA and HC-M and ask that they go to the office and retrieve trauma kits, including oxygen and IV bags.

06:15: we meet HC-M and MA on the road near Madisi. Jenn gets fresh oxygen and new IV bags for both.

08:30: am arrive at hospital near Lilongwe airport. Jenn gets new chest x-ray.

09:00: am leave for airport on news medevac plane arrives. Met at airport by AO and GSA, who arranges exit and immigrations issues, plane clearance.

Noon medevac flight takes off for South Africa.

Final comment from me - the timeline continues in Pretoria - we receive a phone call from Pretoria mid-afternoon from the PC Medical Officer. He advises us that he is at the Unitas Hospital in Pretoria, Jenn and Tim have landed, and are in transit. He has everything prepared for their arrival, and will be back in touch.