Haiti Mission Update
MPC missionary outreach to Haiti Update - May 29, 2024
On Monday, May 13, 2024, a letter was received from Jonas Jean Louis, our contact person in Haiti. Jonas described the health of the boy in the picture. His name is Gold Smith and he and his father, Wedson, worship in the church of Nan Sema on the island of La Gonave. This picture shows him with his aunt Denise on a hospital bed in Anse a Galets. He has been diagnosed with Osteomyelitis. Simply put, Jonas reports that “inside the bone is becoming black” in his left foot. According to an article by Johns Hopkins Medicine “…this disease has a mortality rate of 1 in 5 people if the treatment is not started rapidly.’ We hope to get him the necessary medical help just as soon as possible. This is, as is often said, "a work in progress." I’d like to share with you just a little about how complicated the whole situation of getting medical assistance is now in Haiti.
Besides all of the discomfort, anxiety, and fear, the boy without help faces a dim future. Gold has been in the hospital for about 5 weeks, which now means that the family has to pay a $598 US fee before Gold can be released from the hospital. Jonas used his credit on May 17, to cover the expense so the bill did not continue to grow. Gold was released, why? Because the hospital does not have a surgeon that can perform the necessary procedures. Now comes the difficult phase of the road to possible recovery. Because gangs control most of the roads in and around Port au Prince, the family cannot go to any of the better-equipped hospitals in the country. There is a surgeon and a hospital on the south fork of the country that can perform the surgery. While the gangs do not have a stranglehold on that part of the country, it is not safe to go there and then return to Anse a Galets. It is also fairly expensive for the people of La Gonave. It has been estimated that the cost of the surgeries and travel could be $1200 US (I had a tooth extraction here costing more than that). After some conversations with Jonas, we learned that Jonas and the doctor in AAG are trying to get a qualified doctor to come to the island from the south fork to perform the surgical interventions.
Praise God, we had donations enough so we could do the following: Monday, May 20th the Haiti Task Force sent $1200 to Jonas that he will oversee in an effort for Gold to get the needed operations. An additional $600 was sent to pay off the hospital debt. We also sent $200 to a dear friend of all those that have traveled to Haiti, that is fighting breast cancer. As we learn of the outcomes of these situations we will share them with you.
Unfortunately, these stories are not rare. In the weeks ahead, we would like to share with you some of the situations that the MPC Haiti team deals with regularly.
We have been able, for over 35 years, to be a part of bringing the Gospel message to Haiti and to walk ‘alongside’ our brothers and sisters in Christ through situations like those shared above. We have been able to offer relief/aid all these years through the generous contributions to this ministry. Please prayerfully consider contributing to this MPC program so that people, such as Gold, can receive necessary lifesaving medical interventions.
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October, 2022
Please see the attached letter below from the MPC Haiti Task Force that describes an urgent need for the people of Haiti.
Thanks in advance for your help to the people of Haiti!
God's Blessing to you!
If you wish to donate, click the link below.
In the 'Fund' drop-down menu, choose Haiti.
Thanks for Giving!