North Shore Rescue volunteers spend countless hours helping those in need in B.C., and now one member in particular is about to embark on a unique mission to help others in Haiti.
North Vancouver resident Kayla Brolly is an emergency room nurse, NSR crew member, and volunteer with the Canadian non-profit Broken Earth. On Monday night she will be heading to Haiti with the charity’s Lower Mainland branch, comprised of medical professionals offering care to those who need it the most.
“I'll be providing emergency nursing care in the emergency department working with Haitian nurses and doctors,” said Brolly, noting she is using vacation days, paying her own way, and bringing her own medical supplies.
"There are 30 of us that are going and we have 60 to 80 huge red duffel bags [of medical equipment] that we're going with."
This trip will be Brolly’s second time working at a hospital in Port-Au-Prince, the country’s capital. The area was hit hard and is still recovering from a devastating earthquake in 2010, a disaster that spurred the creation of Broken Earth.
“The opportunity to make a bit of a difference globally… is a pretty amazing feeling,” said Brolly. “Last time I came home exhausted, but at the same time incredibly rejuvenated about the work I was doing.”
Volunteering is nothing new for Brolly: she has spent dozens of hours working with North Shore Rescue, including a recent long-line rescue after an avalanche trapped two skiers near Cypress Mountain Resort in early March. Both men survived.
“It’s very rewarding to be able to provide a service to folks that can be incredibly scared about their situation and provide some safety and comfort,” Brolly said.
“Whether it’s North Shore Rescue or Broken Earth, the people are some of my favourite in the world…There is something special about folks that are volunteering their time. “
With files from CTV Vancouver’s Scott Hurst
