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Under the best of circumstances, the journey by car over the rough, rocky roads from Port au
Prince to Milot takes seven or eight hours, but only twenty-five minutes by helicopter. With roads
blocked in and around the capital city, helicopter transport made the most sense, particularly when
every minute counted for a trauma patient. With town approval, Traynor and Gilbertie and their
crew of volunteers, hospital staff and Milot residents quickly converted a soccer field, 200 feet
from the hospital, into a helicopter landing zone and positioned ambulances at the edge of the
field. Hospital and CRUDEM Foundation staff immediately sent the landing zone coordinates and
satellite photos to various foreign military and aid organizations with the message that Hôpital
Sacré Coeur was prepared to receive patients from Port au Prince.
PG