For Immediate Release

Contact: TONH Press Department (516) 869 7794

North Hempstead Honors Haiti Humanitarian

North Hempstead, NY—Supervisor Jon Kaiman, Councilwoman Lee Seeman, Councilwoman Maria Christina Poons and members of the Town Council took time before last week’s Board meeting to pay tribute to Dr. Louis J. Auguste of Great Neck who recently led a relief mission to Haiti.

“It is often said that the biggest part of getting something accomplished is showing up,” Supervisor Kaiman noted before honoring the Long Island Jewish Medical Center oncologist. “Thank you for showing up. Because of it, the world community as well as our immediate community, are a much better place because of it.”

Because of the week-long mission Dr. Auguste and his son took to his native Haiti after the 7.1 magnitude earthquake destroyed Port-au-Prince and other parts of the island Jan. 12, dozens of lives and limbs were saved.

Dr. Auguste was among a group of 60 members of the New York Chapter of the Association of Haitian Physicians.

“Gasps were continuous” he wrote in his account of the trip as the group set eyes on the capital city, most of it reduced to rubble and occupied by tent cities, dead bodies under the broiling sun. The group ultimately set up shop at the State University Hospital, which had been evacuated.

There, even as strong aftershocks rattled nerves and remains of buildings, he repaired life-threatening wounds, changed dressings, provided surgical consultations and even helped with a Cesarean section.

“I don’t think I did anything out of the ordinary,” Dr. August said after Supervisor Kaiman handed him the proclamation. “It was a natural reaction once you saw the devastation,” he said. “The job is far from done,” he added. “We have to go back.”

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