Haitian orphans expected tonight in Pittsburgh

A plane carrying a medical team left Pittsburgh for Haiti today, and it is expected to return tonight with a group of orphans from a facility run by two sisters from western Pennsylvania.

U.S. Rep. Jason Altmire, D-4th, the governor's office and other groups worked to arrange the flight, which was expected to arrive in Haiti late this afternoon.

The mission came in response to messages last week from sisters Jamie and Ali McMutrie of Ben Avon, a community that lies a little more than an hour east of Pittsburgh. The McMurtries said this month's devastating earthquake endangered the health of 130 orphans in their care. It is unclear how many of the children will be on the flight.

Since then, officials have been trying to organize an evacuation of the facility while groups in the Pittsburgh area have been holding fund raisers.

That's Church, by blogger Virginia Montanez, posted a message from the McMutrie family at 1:45 p.m.: "Please stay tuned. Things are progressing, but still very fluid. We will update Virginia with information as soon as it is appropriate, and she will pass it along to you. Thank you so much for all of your support and please keep Jamie, Ali and all of the children in your thoughts."

The flight is led by Dr. Mary Carrasco, director of A Child's Place in the Pittsburgh Mercy Health System, which provides care for children who are abused, neglected or in foster care.

A pediatrician, Dr. Carrasco is leading a team of medical providers and a Haitian interpreter who speaks Creole to communicate with the children, according to Joan Mills, who works in Dr. Carrasco's office.

The team of health officials and others on the flight include Dr. Joyce Leifer, a local pediatrician who is associated with Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC.

The flight also includes Ed Sites, of the University of Pittsburgh School of Social Work, along with a pediatric nurse and a physician assistant from Excela Health Systems based in Westmoreland County.

In the past few days, Dr. Carrasco and her team also gathered medical supplies including Pedialyte, wipes, diapers, cups, bottles, pacifiers and other items to care for the children, most of whom are under 5 years of age.

Ms. Mills said they are expecting to find children beset with dehydration, diarrhea and other problems related to lack of food, water, health care and sanitary facilities. The plane will be permitted to be on the ground at Port Au Prince Airport for only two hours before being required to takeoff.

Specialists from West Penn Allegheny Health System are on board, including Dr. Chip Lambert, an emergency medicine doctor, said spokesman Dan Laurent. Also onboard are Deborah Bohan, a physician's assistant, pediatrics critical care, AGH-Suburban, and Dr. Arc Balest, a neonatalogist.

"So far the only other information that I have is that our AGH Suburban Campus in Bellevue will be prepared to admit some of these children as well if needed," said Mr. Laurent. "Suburban Campus is the site of our inpatient pediatrics program -- including pediatric critical care. Dr. Susan Kaczorowski, a pediatric critical care specialist and chair of the Department of Pediatrics, has been involved locally in the effort. She said the on flight medical crew will likely be triaging the kids on the flight to determine who needs to go where."

Luke Hingson, president of Pittsburgh-based international charity Brother's Brother Foundation, said the plane left around noon today. Dr. Lambert is also the volunteer medical director of Brother's Brother.

Mr. Hingson said Dr. Lambert planned to remain in Haiti to consult on medical matters for at least several days

Mr. Hingson said sponsors of the flight, whom he declined to identify, approached Brother's Brother and offered space on the plane to carry medical supplies. He said the organization provided "several thousand pounds" of supplies, including antibiotics, surgical packs and instruments.

He said he did not know when the group intended to return to Pittsburgh.

The U.S. State Department was made aware of the flight but did not organize it, according to spokesman Matthew Buffington. He said that the airport is incredibly clogged and there is typically a long wait to get in.

The offices of Reps. Mike Doyle and Sens. Bob Casey and Arlen Specter also were involved in arranging the flight. Tess Mullen, spokeswoman for Mr. Altmire, would say only that he was "doing everything he can to bring Jamie and Ali home safely."

Former U.S. Attorney Mary Beth Buchanan also had been attempting to aid the Ben Avon sisters and the orphans.

"I had little prior knowledge of the attempted air rescue mission that departed from Pittsburgh today," she said in a statement, "though I have since been advised that some of the resources aboard the flight were collected through the efforts of myself and others. Now that it is underway I am hopeful for the best, and continue to pray for the safety of young Jamie and Ali, this group of Haitian orphans and all of the people suffering in Haiti."