It's always good to run with a buddy
Hello friends-
I’m writing to invite you to join me on a journey in Haiti—I’m NOT asking you to come to Haiti with me at this time, the earthquake has changed our ability to take groups for the time being—but I want to ask you to join me in one of two ways. But first, take a look at this adorable little girl, our little namesake:
Awwe!! O & D and Ti Sarah, born at Heartline May 30th, 2010
As we are finding our bearings in post-earthquake Haiti, Sarah Obermeyer and I have been privileged to attend several births (both in March, May & June) at Heartline Ministries birth center (including the uneventful, normal birth of baby Sarah). Those births were assisted by the wonderful Beth McHoul and Jonna Howard-midwives who run the birth center and women’s education program. They provide the moms with prenatal care (almost unheard of in Haiti) and education, a safe and clean place to labor & birth, as well as 6 months of post-natal care and Child Development classes. The moms who are part of this program are generally young moms coming from Cite Soleil (the poorest slum in this hemisphere). Beth McHoul and her midwife friends, provide all this love and care free of charge.
O & D & Guerline & Daniela--born March 17th, 2010
Sadly we have also been a part of several births that did not go well…births where we had to transfer patients, for the safety of the mom and baby, to another “hospital”. I have not witnessed these facilities first hand--though I have seen both Beth McHoul and Obermeyer, in the aftermath of taking ladies there.
For a few insightful first-hand stories click here:
(I'll link them on a sidebar here too)
http://heartlineministries.org/Blog20.aspx (entry posted July 19th)
http://livesayhaiti.blogspot.com/2010/08/more-from-beth-in-haiti.html
http://livesayhaiti.blogspot.com/2010/08/by-beth-mchoul.html
These “hospitals” are unsanitary & unsafe and many times the moms are alone and in pain for hours. It is likely that you've read the statistics and you know that prior to the Earthquake Haiti had one doctor per 10,000 people. Finding quality, loving care in Haiti was and is incredibly difficult. The care available is often a far cry from what any of us can even imagine. However, there are a few good hospitals in Haiti. The sad reality is that Heartline patients are not accepted because they do not have the money up front to pay for good care. (In Haiti, where there is no such thing as medical insurance, all medical care must be paid for in advance). In response to this, Heartline is in the process of building a hospital where they will be able to perform their own C-Sections eventually. This will take some time. In the interim, we've hatched a plan.
It is about $1000 for all the expenses associated with a C-Section at a good hospital in Port-au-Prince. (That is approximately 3 years wages for the average Haitian).
So this is where you come in.
We would like to supply Beth and Heartline Ministries with a fund specifically to PAY for C-Sections, until they have the capacity to preform the surgery themselves. Our hope is to provide mothers in Heartline’s program -on the rare occasion when they need it- with access to clean, safe, humane surgical care for the safe delivery of their babies. We want to establish a C-section fund for them, so that when a mom has trouble in a delivery, they have the option of taking her to a hospital that will provide good care.
So we (Sarah O and I) along with several of our friends are going to run a ½ marathon on October 24th as a way to raise these funds. If you are a runner, please join us! (Even if you can’t come to LA for the LA Rock n Roll half marathon, find one in your neighborhood and start training and we will send you the link to raise $). Of course we will also send you your “Team Haiti” T-shirt to help you spread the word.
Picture yourself here :) You can do it!!
Our goal is that each person running would raise $1000—enough to pay for one c-section. You are welcome to raise more than that, as our overall team goal is $20,000. Twenty C-sections.
Would you consider joining us? Would you become our "Running Buddy":
1) As a Runner/Walker for the LA Rock N Roll half marathon (to register click here: http://los-angeles.competitor.com/
2) As a sponsor (You can donate any amount directly through this link and it will be set aside in their C-Section Fund)
a. Click on our "Chip In" meter on the right. All donations go right to Heartline!
b. Snail mail your check to: Heartline Ministries, a 501(c)(3) organization, PO Box 898, Sunnyside WA 98944. Tax Identification Number 91-2072330. *please put in the memo of your check C-Section Fund
All donations to Heartline Ministries are fully tax deductible!!
So we’ve put it out there. $20,000. A big goal, yet knowing how it could impact 40 lives makes it worth the risk. “Better to love God and die unknown than to love the world and be a hero; better to be content with poverty than to die a slave to wealth; better to have taken some risks and lost than to have done nothing and succeeded at it.” -E. Lutzer
Yes, it is odd that a midwife would run to raise money for C-sections…it is odd that I-with no medical traning-have attended several births. There are a lot of odd things in life when one loves Haiti.
“Some 99 percent of the estimated 500,000 women who die every year giving birth are in developing countries where medical supplies and skilled workers are in short supply."
-World Health Organization
You can be part of changing this statistic for women in Haiti. Thanks for considering becoming our ‘Running Buddy’.
Sarah D (& Obermeyer too)
Our dear friend Antoinette and her baby Aiden, born by C-Section on the USS Comfort Ship after the January Earthquake
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