Canadian nurse who died in Haiti

January 21, 2010.

On the front page of our local  paper, The Record of Waterloo Region, today is a photo  of Yvonne Martin, the area nurse who died in Haiti’s earthquake last week. In the photo she holds two Haitian babies. One baby sleeps, cradled in one arm, and the other lies awake in the other, gazing into Yvonne’s face. Yvonne wears a smile as she looks into that small dark face. Her arms must be very strong, for she holds them like she’s used to doing so.

Martin took the latest trip to Haiti, arriving just a short time before the earthquake hit last Tuesday.  She apparently was the only one of the seven-member team inside the Port-au-Prince guest house when the building collapsed.  Her body was recovered the following day. While her family awaits her body’s return, they gather,accompanied by many in the community, to celebrate her life and mourn their loss.

Brent Davis, Record reporter, wrote of the pastor’s eulogy that Yvonne had a heart for the poor, for the needy, and for the oppressed. “That’s what took her to Haiti, to be the hands and the feet of Jesus.”

According to the paper, she’s worked as a nurse for 36 years at the Elmira Medical Clinic, prior to her retirement, so many people knew her.  She’s also a grandmother of 10. Seeing her in the photo smiling and holding those babies makes me believe that she showed the same warmth and love to her patients and her family as she did to those babies in Haiti.

Son Terry said, “My mom’s desire was to be a faithful servant of God.”  His words were affirmed by their pastor Karen West, who said, “She not only died doing what she believed in, she actually lived them too.”

As we pray for the people of Haiti and send them aid, let’s also remember Martin’s family who have lost their loved one.

Read more here .