We would like to take a moment to introduce you to Tayana, a bright, young 10-month-old whom generous sponsors such as yourself are helping to care for through Grace Children’s Hospital. Her parents, only 17 years old, are students and didn’t have the resources to care for her. Thankfully, Tayana’s grandmother brought her to Grace before it was too late. She was severely malnourished and was experiencing diarrhea, vomiting, and fever. Although she has only been in the hospital for two months, Tayana has already made significant growth. At ten months, she still appears to be only 6 months old, but Grace will continue to sponsor her until she is healthy and strong again. Thanks to the hospital staff and donor support, Tayana will live to see the spring and her family will have that hope they so desperately need.
As Spring peaks its head around the corner, we are reminded of the fresh rejuvenation of the earth and of new life. We remember that through the suffering, there is a light and hope for tomorrow. For Tayana, we’ve been able to provide that hope.
The community of Haiti, however, is coming at the new season with a different perspective. They look about and see a dry and cracked earth. Without rainfall, the community is looking toward its fourth consecutive harvest season under severe drought, with a loss of up to 70% of crops in some areas. In February, the United Nations World Food Program announced that the number of Haitians who face severe food insecurity has doubled in the last six months alone. This problem is only projected to worsen. Renewal, growth, and fresh food is not what Haitians will be thinking of this spring; instead, they will worry where their next meal comes from and how they will combat spreading diseases. As the drought continues, more and more Haitians will become malnourished, develop weakened immune systems, and grow more susceptible to life-threatening illnesses such as Tuberculosis and other respiratory diseases. Children are at an even greater risk.
At Grace Children’s Hospital, we have been experiencing an influx of children suffering from malnutrition in addition to the other diseases they face, and we only anticipate that number to increase. With the support of gracious donors like you, we are able to provide a place of restoration for these weak and sick children—even if their families are unable to pay.
The hospital takes total financial responsibility for children such as Tayana whose families cannot afford healthcare. We feed them three nutritious meals a day, supply clean water, give them a bed to sleep in, clothe them, provide education, and treat their medical condition all at no cost to the families.
Each day, the hospital workers see and treat approximately 400 patients. But because we never turn a child away, the funds to care for them have to come from somewhere. That is why the gift of your unrestricted dollars is so important: it allows us to direct funds to whatever the greatest need is at the time.
Your thoughtful gift can make a real change this spring amidst the drought and political turmoil Haitians face each and every day—a gift of revival and stimulation for children who don’t have elsewhere to look for hope. Let's plant hope this Spring season.
Please donate today so that children in Haiti can experience a tomorrow.