Visit www.GiftHaiti.org for pictures and videos on the Haiti project!
A Message From Doctor Davies:
Dear Family and Friends,
I recently spoke with my friend, Steve Studdert, just after he returned from a relief trip he led to earthquake-ravaged Haiti. It was a very emotional conversation. I was thrilled when Steve announced plans to construct the American Hospital of Haiti, and more than a bit surprised when he announced that I was on the board of trustees.
“You’re not asking, are you? You’re telling.”
“That’s right” he said, “I’m telling.”
Steve is a take-no-prisoners and take-charge kind of leader who once served President Reagan as his Director of Advance Planning. I have always been amazed at his capacity to accomplish whatever good thing he sets in motion, and this is no exception.
Will you please read the article below, go to our website and contribute whatever you can to our effort, and please forward this to all on your email list. With a lot of people doing their part, we can accomplish great things.
Thank your for your help.
Best regards,
Jim Davies
Beautiful Bella and the American Hospital of Haiti
By Stephen M. Studdert
We met Bella in a hospital in Port-au-Prince. Before the earthquake she was part of a loving family of eight: mother, father, five brothers and sisters.
Today, Bella is alone. All the others in her family were killed in the catastrophic earthquake. Their family home was destroyed. Because of earthquake injuries Bella had her right hand and her left foot amputated. As Bella barely began to heal one of our team heading up patient discharge, and with no other options, wheeled Bella out to the street filled with disorder and commotion and debris, set her on the pavement, and wished her well. No family, no home, no food. Bella, at just age 14 and in much pain, alone with nothing.
I have two priceless granddaughters the same age as Bella. I cannot even begin to contemplate the thought of them living alone, injured, family-less, homeless, and hungry – and left to fend for themselves to barely survive.
There are hundreds of thousands of others just like Bella, and every day longer that it takes to get the American Hospital of Haiti open for patient care, the more the indescribable suffering continues. We can’t help everyone in need there, but we can make a very big difference and we can save lives. We can help the Bellas of Haiti.
As I think about beautiful 14 year-old Bella, which I do every day, then I know why you and I must do this.
So today we announce another exciting piece of this expanding heartwarming effort. A wonderful committee of remarkable women volunteers have joined together to spearhead A Million Mothers for Haiti to help build the American Hospital of Haiti.
The vision is that one million American mothers will each give $12 (or more) via www.GiftHaiti.org – and based on the 12th of January earthquake date and the date we hope to open the hospital on January 12, 2011.
Some are even so bold as to say with God’s help and a really concerted email effort this could all be accomplished and announced on Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 9, 2010.
I have always been told, and know firsthand, that if you really want to accomplish something important ask the Mothers to do it. So that is what we are doing. Won’t you Mothers join with them, right now?
Through the world of the Internet and email, it is absolutely achievable to reach many millions of American mothers quickly. And $12 is affordable for almost every American.
When we think of our American abundance compared with what Mothers in Haiti now have, where unemployment tops 98% and a million and a half people are homeless, and where there are now 550,000 orphaned children – then we realize every American Mother can spare $12. Right this moment!
Readers of Meridian Magazine have been the founding financial supporters of Americans Helping Haiti through www.gifthaiti.org and we thank you. We have oh so much yet to accomplish.
Many of you have emailed questions, so here are a few answers.
Things are moving faster each day. The design and architectural planning for the hospital are moving forward under the able stewardship of a committee of hospital construction experts, each of them a volunteer. A committee of volunteer physicians and nurses are providing essential design guidance, and several volunteer returned missionaries from Haiti are ensuring that cultural considerations are included.
Nearly all of the materials which will be used in construction must be secured in the United States and shipped to Haiti. A committee of volunteer construction and logistics experts is overseeing that complex task. We have been gratified by many individuals and businesses around the nation who have contacted us about donating building materials, medical equipment and supplies, and other items which are all part of a functioning hospital.
Donors with questions may email info@gifthaiti.org and one of our magnificent volunteers will respond quickly to you.
Obviously the foremost job to making the American Hospital of Haiti a reality is fund-raising. We invite you to go to www.gifthaiti.org and join with many others who are giving large and small.
Thank you for giving the gift of you. Together we can do this.