“People have explosive injuries and we're giving them Tylenol, we're giving them Ibuprofen for an arm that's been blown off, or burns to 30% of their body.”
Reporter: A Portland nurse trained in burn care arrived home overnight after weeks, treating patients injured in the war in Gaza. Monica Johnson, a burn specialist at Legacy, was part of a medical mission of volunteers. The border closed in the city of Rafah two weeks ago. Our Joyce Ogari talked with the nurse today. She’s home but wants to go back.
Monica Johnson: I felt tremendously guilty and tremendously afraid, as I do this moment, for the well-being and the safety of everybody that’s there.
Reporter: Monica Johnson spent nearly three weeks on a medical mission at the Rafah Hospital, the only functioning hospital in Gaza. The trip organized by the Palestinian American Medical Association with a team of 19 nurses and doctors. She cared for patients injured in the war working with few resources.
Monica Johnson: We went to find there was no soap, there was no hand sanitizer, paper towels, no linen to put your patients on. So we would come into the ICU, to find patients on these plastic sheets that are disintegrating. They’re laying in pools of blood, fluids, but nothing to change them on. People have explosive injuries and we’re giving them Tylenol, we’re giving them Ibuprofen for an arm that’s been blown off, or burns to 30% of their body.
Reporter: Monica tells me her team brought 300 bags of supplies with them, still not enough. At the end of the mission Israel closed the main border, they didn’t know when they could leave.
Monica Johnson: What I’m going to do is continue to work and do the best work I can while I’m here. I’m going to keep myself as safe as possible, I have my team.
Reporter: She finally was able to leave, but it wasn’t easy. (“Bye, guys, I love you”). Traveling through the war zone, she saw even more of what was underway.
Monica Johnson: We could see off to our left side, little poofs of smoke, and we could hear all the rounds of artillery. And knowing that we were going to have to drive parallel to that once we got the green light, that was scary. Hoping like I made it this far, will I make it the rest of the way.
Reporter: It was an emotional reunion at Portland International Airport.