As you know, children bump, skid, stumble and crash their way to adulthood. Every parent logs a notable amount of time in the emergency room or doctor’s office while the latest misadventure gets patched up. Rarely do the calamities of children turn horribly tragic; except in Haiti.
In a nation smothered in poverty, poorly nourished and malnourished children do not have the strong immune systems to speed the healing process when illness strikes and bones break. A general lack of vaccinations such as tetanus turns every cut into a potential fatality and the sources of those deadly infections lurk on every makeshift play area.
Every department devotes considerable time and resources to treating children. Many medical programs are designed with one goal in mind: provide children with a healthy future, such as:
The Pediatric Diabetes Program – the only one in northern Haiti—has turned an almost certain death sentence into a manageable issue by providing comprehensive, free care to children and young adults with type 1 diabetes.
Despite the unrelenting hardships of Haitian life, parents toil away to make a loving home for their children. Too often, food scarcity takes its toll. A once bubbly bundle of joy becomes more listless by the day as malnutrition develops. Every year, the Pediatrics Department successfully treats severely malnourished infants and children returning them to active lives.
Thanks to the medical expertise and detection equipment of the Cardiology Department, treatable cardiac problems are detected early in children and appropriate medical plans provide them with the hope of a healthy future.
The recently initiated Vaccine Program reaches out to the region with free tetanus and diphtheria vaccines—two 19th century diseases that still cause deaths in Haiti and are frequently seen at Hôpital Sacré Coeur.
Right now, plans are being developed to build a large Pediatrics and Obstetrics/Gynecology building. When completed, it will be one of a handful of such facilities in Haiti dedicated to children and women.
Milot, Haiti is no exception. The cumulative effects of the hurricanes, an ongoing cholera epidemic, a nationwide drought and a critical food shortage have reached emergency levels. Because basic hygiene is impossible to accomplish without means and significant new resources, we are seeing more serious infections and diseases, particularly in children.
We attack the big problems, one small, solvable problem at a time, that is why we have made a difference for over 30 years. While providing accessible, quality healthcare, we have created an economic engine that is the region’s largest employer. Bottom line: Hôpital Sacré Coeur saves lives.
We can identify problems and propose solutions, but without your financial support, all we can do is stand by and sadly shake our heads at the preventable loss of another young life.
In this season of Christmas hope, celebration, and charity, please remember Hôpital Sacré Coeur.
You have always been so generous and; with all humility, we ask you to be mindful of the hospital and the people it serves. With your “Spirit of Giving” you will keep Hôpital Sacré Coeur as that vital link between a child and their healthy future. Your donation will be as great a gift as you place under any Christmas tree.
Gratefully Yours,
 Harold Prévil, MD CEO, Hôpital Sacré Coeur |
 Sister Ann Crawley, CSJP Hôpital Sacré Coeur Outreach |
 David G. Butler, MD Chairman, CRUDEM Foundation |
P.S. The patients continue to come in search of quality healthcare. The hospital stays open only with your generous support. Send your tax-deductible donation by Dec. 15th. Remember: 100% of your donation goes directly to patient care programs.
