17-Year Old Marne Garretson Prepares for Medical Mission Trip to Haiti

2012 Oct 23

Marne Garretson, a 17-year old senior at Bard College at Simon's Rock in Great Barrington, MA, is preparing for a medical mission trip to Haiti at the end of December. The Owing Mills, Maryland resident is a Pre-Engineering major and aspiring Physician Scientist with plans to earn a joint M.D./Ph.D. Degree.

Garretson is part of a team bringing medicine and medical supplies to save lives in Haiti. While there she will also conduct research for her senior thesis: Perceptions of the Use of Point of Care Medical Devices to Diagnose Mycobacterium tuberculosis in Haiti.

This is her second medical mission trip sponsored by International Medical Relief. Her first was to the Dominican Republic a year ago.

Garretson, who started college at age 14, is well prepared for her trip to Haiti. She spent the past four summers assisting scientists in research laboratories, gaining knowledge of research on substance abuse treatment, tuberculosis diagnosis, and cardiovascular disease treatment. She also studied global health through the University of Virginia's Semester at Sea Program, bringing medical care to Honduras, Guatemala, Venezuela, Cost Rica, Trinidad & Tobago, Bahamas, and Belize.

She is currently reviewing the French Language and learning as much as possible about the healthcare system in Haiti.

"In Haiti, healthcare is either completely unavailable or, at best, difficult to obtain. There are 12,000 children living with HIV/AIDs," Garretson explained. "There is a 74% infant mortality rate, and there have been 24,000 deaths associated with HIV/AIDS."

Garretson has been seeking financial support and collecting supplies to take to Haiti, including over the counter medicines like children and adult vitamins, ibuprophen/analgesics, antibiotic ointment, antifungal creams, toothbrushes, antibacterial soap and much more. To learn more or to donate, visit www.marnegarretson.com.

About International Medical Relief

International Medical Relief (www.internationalmedicalrelief.org) provides medical, dental and surgical care to underserved people in community health clinics in several countries.

About Bard College at Simon's Rock

Bard College at Simon's Rock (www.simons-rock.edu) has been a leader in educational innovation for more than 40 years. The first early college, Simon's Rock is the only residential college in the country specifically designed to let bright, highly motivated students start college immediately after the 10th or 11th grade. At Simon's Rock, students experience a transformative education in the liberal arts and sciences in the company of smart, independent, creative peers who share their excitement about learning and their desire to be part of a vibrant intellectual community. Students who successfully complete the requirements receive the Associate in Arts (A.A.) degree after two years of study and the Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree after four.