By: Lisette Hilton
National report As dislocated residents were emptying out of Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi in Hurricane Katrina's aftermath, Dima Ali, M.D., felt "a calling" to help. Dr. Ali, an aesthetic medicine physician practicing at the Well Medica Anti-Aging and Wellness Center, Reston, Va., along with Jan Setnor, C.R.N.A., and Debbie Marinucci, R.N., of the Austin-Weston Center for Cosmetic Surgery, Reston, Va., headed south with all the supplies that would fit into their U-Haul.
In describing her motivation, Dr. Ali says, "We are born with nothing and leave with nothing and what matters in life is how you treat fellow human beings." Natural disasters really show how people can come together and show human support, she adds.
The three went to give help, supplies and medical care to the many hurt, sick and homeless left in Katrina's wake, including Ms. Marinucci's own kin numbering 10 families who all lived in Louisiana and Mississippi. They and their pets were living at a niece's home in Prairieville, La.
Dr. Ali, whose practice focuses on cosmetic dermatology and laser surgery, rode to Baton Rouge with the group to provide general medical care.
Donations
The friends and colleagues had intended to drive a pickup truck to Louisiana, but soon discovered that the outpouring of money, clothing and supplies from friends and patients required them to rent a U-Haul.
People donated Wal-Mart gift certificates, clothing, food and more. McKesson Corp. and Anda Inc. sent antibiotics, blood pressure medicines, Tylenol, Benadryl, antihistamines, antiviral medications and surgical supplies overnight, without charge.
Ms. Setnor and Ms. Marinucci's employers, board-certified plastic surgeons George Weston, M.D., Rob Sigal, M.D., and Byron Poindexter, M.D., supported their employees' efforts.
"They sent down a generator with us. Whatever funds the office collected, the docs matched," Ms. Setnor says.
Journey an adventure
The journey from Virginia, through Alabama and into Louisiana was an adventure in itself, the women say, particularly because the axle broke on the U-Haul van in North Carolina. They rented two minivans and transferred the supplies.
Their first stop: Alabama. Ms. Marinucci's brother had left Mississippi with his wife, son, daughter and grandchild. All they had were the clothes they were wearing when they evacuated.
"Auburn and Georgia Tech were playing football that night, so it was really fun getting into town," Ms. Setnor says. "Then, (it was sad) to go there and see this family sitting in a dark RV park with just what they had. They were so appreciative of just getting some toilet paper and baby formula."
Ms. Setnor, Ms. Marinucci and Dr. Ali took Ms. Marinucci's brother and his family out to dinner on the night of their arrival. During the meal, the family got a call informing them that their home and everything they owned had been moved about 350 feet and then bulldozed because it was blocking the road.
"To say the least, it was a very distressing evening," Ms. Setnor says. She adds that the people waiting on them at the restaurant were very sympathetic , wrapping food for the family and picking up the bill. "Folks ... were as nice as they could be," she says. "It has been like that the whole trip."
Makeshift hospital
Dr. Ali first set up a makeshift hospital on the Louisiana State University campus in Baton Rouge to aid victims. Then, at the urging of the head of pediatrics at Our Lady of the Lake Hospital there, Dr. Ali went to the Pete Maravich Assembly Center (PMAC), a sports arena, which had been turned into a hospital, complete with separate units, including an intensive care unit.
"(Dr. Vickery) gave me a list of supplies that they were in desperate need of, including Pedialyte and formula. She said the kids did not have socks and even shoes to wear," Dr. Ali says. "I got supplies there and unloaded them at the hospital, and they were distributed to the people that needed them the most. People were streaming in. A family came in and had four kids, no shoes and they had been wearing the same clothes for about a week, so they were really happy to get the items of clothing."
In the three days that Dr. Ali provided care almost around the clock, she treated people with lacerations, patients with diabetes who did not have insulin and had severe foot ulcerations, and many others, including an eight-months-pregnant woman on methadone for heroine addiction.
"My background is primary care, family and emergency medicine, so I had a lot of that training," she says.
The volunteers, she says, did a lot of basic wound healing, with antibiotics and debridement.
"Basically we would give them enough medication and supplies for about a week," she says.
Dr. Ali was struck by the all-encompassing influence of the disaster.
"People get the impression watching TV that the people that were affected by this were mostly indigent. This affected everybody. This affected fellow physicians, attorneys, CPAs. They lost their practices. They lost their patients. They lost their homes, as well," she says.
Clinging to memory
While Dr. Ali went to Baton Rouge, Ms. Setnor and Ms. Marinucci headed to Prairieville, about 15 miles outside of the city, to distribute supplies and medications and answer basic health questions as well as remove debris and clean out refrigerators.
Ms. Marinucci describes her experience with people she met.
"It is just unbelievable, their generosity. Even the places along our route that were open, they were eager to help us to see what we needed for the rest of our journey. I don't think there are words to describe it," Ms. Marinucci says.
Ms. Setnor says people still go back to their homes even after finding out that their homes have been destroyed. They have to see for themselves.
"What they want is any little piece for a memory. If they could find that picture ..." Ms. Setnor says. "Deb's brother found some of his tools and he was thrilled (even though) his riding lawn mower was hanging from the power lines."
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