DENISON, TX - When two local doctors who regularly visit Haiti first heard about the deadly earthquake, they immediately offered up their help. And now, instead of taking their planned week of vacation to Mexico, they’re making a mission trip to Haiti.

"We’ve planned that trip for a long time, we just couldn't sit on the beach with this kind of need,” said Dr. Chuck Phelps, a Radiologist at Wilson N. Jones Hospital.

Doctors Chuck Phelps and Jeannine Hatt have been providing medical aid in Haiti for the past ten years. And Sunday morning they'll fly out with a team of eight local doctors and nurses to once again try to save lives in the disaster stricken country.

"What most people might consider overwhelming poverty and illness we've come to expect and deal with, and not be distracted by it. So I don’t know, I don't know how we'll be affected but you know we'll deal with it,” said Pediatrician Jeannine Hatt, from Texoma-Care in Denison.

While they’re paying for the trip and some of the supplies out of their own pocket, they aren't heading over there without help. Several people and organizations have donated pharmacy and medical supplies for their trip.

"A lot of people, these people have supported us over the past ten years, so it's not new for them and they know what's going on, it's one of our passions,” said Phelps.

Both Texoma Medical Center and Wilson N. Jones hospitals have donated supplies, as well as Wal-Mart and several other businesses.

"The community has really opened its hearts to us,” said Hatt.

They say they’ve already lost friends in the quake, and the hospital they work with, Grace Children's in Port-au-Prince, is nearly destroyed. They hope to start rebuilding the hospital and the earthquake victims' lives there.

"This is going to go on not just for a couple of weeks but for months and even years," said Hatt.

And though he’s had some sleepless nights, all of the planning and extra work is worth it for Phelps.

"One thing about doing trips like this, it puts your life in perspective, and if you're here to push God's envelope ahead and this is, it puts everything in your day to day life, those things that are important, it puts all that into perspective,” said Phelps.

They say if you'd like to help, to please donate through their organization International Child Care. Here’s a link to their website:
"http://www.internationalchildcare.org