Hi Friends, It’s good to ‘see’ you again this week.
Last week, we told you about our biggest need: to raise funds for children and pregnant women who need hospital-based care.
We told you why some children in our Malnutrition Treatment program need care at a local hospital and how we work with that hospital to make it happen.
We told you how last quarter we spent just over ten thousand US dollars in hospital fees—BUT how this covered medical care for 84 children and 13 emergency c-sections as well!
We mentioned how some children simply require a handful of laboratory tests and medication, whereas other children may need intensive care— and yet even with these two extremes, it costs an average of just $62 per child.
And finally, we mentioned how kids like Fabiola, Ella, and Besly are alive and well today because you helped them get that care!
Today we want you to meet a few of these special warriors.
If you have 60 more seconds read-on, but if you don’t and want to contribute to our hospital fund, you can do so now!
This is Besly. Today Besly is 16-months-old. But this photo was taken in October.
On this day, Besly and his mom were in their 10th week in our Malnutrition Treatment Program and Besly had just spent 8 of the last 10 weeks in a hospital bed.
His mom, Stephanie, was tired, and frankly, she wasn’t feeling exactly hopeful.
By this time, her son had countless interventions meant to keep him alive, including a blood transfusion, but Stephanie had yet to she her son make any true improvements.
Thankfully, she didn’t give up.
Stephanie spent several more weeks at Second Mile Haiti and we helped her get back and forth from the hospital each time Besly’s pediatricians wanted to see him for a check-up.
Eventually the improvement was visible and Stephanie could finally let herself believe that her little boy would survive.
Besly is one of the kiddos who’s hospital bills surpassed the $62 average we mentioned earlier…
but every cent was worth it.
Today, Besly is 1 year and 4 months old. He now weighs 18.5 lbs — more than double the 7.5 lbs he weighed at 10-months-old.
This is Ella.
Baby Ella is 4-months-old, but this photo was taken when she was just a few days old.
Ella was born at our Cap Haitien Maternity Center in January 2024. Her parents love her dearly. Today Ella is having surgery—a “Frenectomie”—a small operation to release a lip-tie.
After today’s surgery, the hope is that Ella will be able to breastfeed better. The surgeons want her to keep gaining weight so that she is healthy enough for a second surgery later this year.
This surgery isn’t just about preventing malnutrition, it’s about keeping a family together.
Ella will need a second surgery to repair her cleft lip.
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Contribute to Ella’s surgery fees here.
Besly and Ella are just 2 examples of dozens of children who are thriving today because they got the care they needed, when they needed it.
If you didn’t catch our last email, which explains why our partnership with the local hospital is absolutely essential for the success of families in our program—you can read it here.
In the meantime, we’re still seeking to raise $10,000 for the next three months of hospital-based care for children and mothers.
Please consider making a $10, $20, of $50 donation today.