COMMUNAUTÉ • COMMUNITY
Rescue
Mission
A LOCAL NURSE SHARES HER
STORY OF JOY AND HEARTACHE
F
or 40 years now, Médecins Sans Fron-
tières (MSF) has brought emergency
medical and humanitarian relief to nearly 70
countries, many of them in the midst of war,
famine and unspeakable atrocities. Montreal
nurse, Elizabeth Hinton, recently found her-
self aboard an MSF ship off the coast of Libya.
Ms. Hinton shared her experience with us.
Montréal enSanté: Why choose nursing as a ca-
ANNA SURINYACH
reer path?
Elizabeth Hinton: I used to help my mother
take care of my siblings whenever they were
sick or hurt. I learned a lot from my parents
who are generous with their time and just care
about everyone, everywhere.
Mission de sauvetage MES: Tell us about your involvement with Mé-
UNE INFIRMIÈRE NOUS RACONTE SON HISTOIRE
DE JOIE ET DE CHAGRIN merly a secessionist state of Nigeria]. The im-
Par | By Jason Santerre
D
epuis 40 ans, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) fournit de l’aide humanitaire et
médicale d’urgence à plus de 70 pays, dont plusieurs sont aux prises avec la
guerre, la famine et des atrocités inexplicables. L’infirmière d’origine montréalaise,
Elizabeth Hinton, s’est récemment retrouvée sur un bateau de MSF en direction de la
Libye. M me Hinton partage son expérience avec nous.
Montréal enSanté : Pourquoi avez-vous choisi de faire carrière comme infirmière?
Elizabeth Hinton : J’avais l’habitude d’aider ma mère à prendre soin de mes frères et
sœurs quand ils étaient malades ou blessés. J’ai beaucoup appris de mes parents, ils
sont généreux de leur temps et ils s’intéressent vraiment à tout le monde.
MES : Parlez-nous de votre implication avec Médecins Sans Frontières.
EH : Un de mes premiers souvenirs est au Biafra (ancien état sécessionniste du Nigéria).
Les images des enfants affamés et malades m’ont donné la détermination de vouloir
aider. À l’adolescence, je suis tombée sur un article écrit par un médecin de MSF. J’ai
conservé cet article et je me suis dit qu’un jour, je travaillerais pour MSF. g
20
MONTRÉAL enSANTÉ HIVER 2017
decins Sans Frontières.
EH: One of my earliest memories is Biafra [for-
ages of starving, sick children made me deter-
mined to help. As a teenager, I came across an
article written by a doctor working with MSF.
I held onto that article and told myself that I’d
work for MSF one day.
MES: What was your initial experience like?
EH: We were on the Mediterranean between
Libya and Italy. We’d wait about 25 nautical
miles off the coast of Libya for a call from Italy
informing us if there was a dinghy with mi-
grants on board. Sometimes we’d find them
ourselves. The captain and his crew were on
the lookout 24 hours a day. As for the first res-
cue, I remember being surprised to see so many
people from Sub-Saharan Africa. I was ex-
pecting Afghans and Syrians. These people had
walked through grueling desert with barely
enough food and water. Many said they had to
drink their own urine. And then came torture,
slavery, rape, and humiliation in Libya. gg