A Calgary nurse is answering a local Christian relief organization's call for help to join the fight against Haiti's deadly cholera epidemic.
Samaritan's Purse said the need for help in Haiti is enormous, which is why Mary Ann Way is heading back to the country Friday to offer her help.
Way was in Haiti in late October when the disease started to appear and also went to help when the water levels rose after Hurricane Tomas skirted the country.
"I've watched people come back from the brink of death where they were carried in barely responsive. We started an IV line where we've put litres of fluid into them and within hours, they are sitting up," she said.
More than 700 people have died and more than 11,000 have been hospitalized since the outbreak began.
The epidemic has reached the country's capital Port-Au-Prince, where the population is three million, fuelling fears that the number of cholera cases will swell.
The United Stations has said it needs over $166 million to fund medical staff and supplies to help contain the disease, which spreads via contaminated water.
Conditions are challenging, but it's a challenge that could be made easier with more medical personnel, said Jeff Adams with Samaritan's Purse Canada.
"Hopefully we'll have people to rotate in, to find time to continue to help in Haiti."
To learn more about the Samaritan's Purse mission, please visit www.samaritanspurse.ca.
