Living Hope Haiti
www.livinghopehaiti.com/
MISSION

Living Hope Haiti is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that serves the greater St. Michel area of Northern Haiti.

Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. More than 80% of the population lives in abject poverty and more than 70% of the people are unemployed.

Living Hope Haiti operates two medical clinics in St. Michel and regularly conducts visits to surrounding villages to provide high-quality, easily accessible medical care. Doctors at LHH also identify patients in need of more serious care, and arrange for them to be referred to larger facilities for treatment. Living Hope Haiti’s financial information is public on GuideStar, and more information is available on its website.

IMPACT
15
Patients
1
Countries
78
Donors
Patients at Living Hope Haiti

Elifranc is a pastor and community leader from Haiti. He runs a vocational school in St. Michele de Attalaye, and loves his job because “it allows him to see folks in Haiti learn skills that will help them earn a living.” Elifranc recently broke his femur in a car accident. To ever walk again, he needs surgery to repair his femur. Our medical partner in Haiti says this is a "desperate situation" for Elifranc, as he relies on a steady income to support his wife and child. For $1,400, we can fund Elifranc’s surgery so he can continue contributing to his community and supporting his family.

$1,400raised
Fully funded

Fedeline is a single mother of a little girl who has a malignant tumor on her arm. Several doctors have agreed that it is likely a sarcoma (serious cancer). They need to do a biopsy to confirm that it's cancerous, and if it is, amputate her arm below the elbow to save her life. Before she got sick, Fedeline worked as a retailer, selling items from a stand in the market. This allowed her to make enough money to support her daughter. Fedeline says she is scared of what cancer may mean for her future and her ability to work. Her doctors add that the sarcoma has already, "destroyed the bone growth in the area, and it will only be a short time until she loses the ability to move her fingers and hold her hand up." Fedeline's biopsy will cost $90, her surgery will cost $350, and her post-op medication will cost $35. $475 is a prohibitive price tag for a regular Haitian citizen like Fedeline, and we hope to raise the funds needed to cover the cost of her care so she has a chance at a healthy life.

$475raised
Fully funded

Ernest is a 43-year-old man who works as an electrician in Haiti. Ernest is one of millions of people around the world affected by lymphatic filariasis, a neglected tropical disease caused by mosquito borne parasitic worms that attack the lymphatic system and cause extreme swelling of areas near the lymph nodes. As a result of the disease, Ernest has developed a large hydrocele that limits his daily movement and hinders his work. Funds raised on Watsi will go to cover the cost of his $400 surgery (including transportation and follow up care) as well as provide Ernest with medication to prevent the recurrence of lymphatic filariasis. Living Hope Haiti writes, "On his wages as an electrician, Ernest will never be able to afford surgery in Haiti, as healthcare in Haiti is priced far above what the majority of the country can afford, and there is essentially no free care in Haiti."

$400raised
Fully funded

Louis is a 58-year-old Haitian man who earned the nickname "Toutbon" ("all good") because of his perpetually positive attitude. Louis is suffering from the combination of a hernia and a hydrocele, and is unable to work regularly as a result. Dealing with a medical condition on top of Haiti's staggering 70% unemployment rate is difficult, but Watsi's Medical Partner writes, "Our medical staff believes that if he can get the hernia/hydrocele taken care of, it will allow him to focus on obtaining a steady job." Louis has young children, and he wants to do better to provide for them. His doctors write, "When he is able to get a steady job, he will be able to help his kids. He looks forward to the surgery, and getting this problem behind him."

$400raised
Fully funded

Desulma is married with four children. He lives on the Northern coast of Haiti. Desulma struggles to provide the basics for his family as a Tap-Tap (a type of bus) driver and part-time mechanic. His salary is usually prioritized to feed his family and send his children to school. There is no room in the tight budget to spend on healthcare. Desulma is suffering from a hernia. Hernias are quite common, but if left untreated can pose serious heath risks. Strangulated hernias are life threatening and very painful. Desulma’s job can be very labor intensive and the hernia will worsen over time. Living Hope Haiti can resolve Desulma’s condition before it becomes an emergency situation. After the surgery, Desulma will be able to get back to work and continue to to keep his kids fed and in school.

$400raised
Fully funded

Anne is a hardworking mother who needs help accessing extremely inexpensive and basic medical care. Anne has a lipoma on her head, a benign tumor that wouldn't normally pose a significant health risk, but Anne's is so prominent and unprotected that it affects her daily life. She endures significant social stigma because many people believe that the tumor is a physical manifestation of a curse or bad behavior on her part. Without the tumor, Anne believes she will be free to live a much more normal life. Living Hope Haiti writes, "[Anne] struggles to make enough money to afford food for her and her family, and has no resources to afford healthcare." Just $200 will get her the care she needs.

$200raised
Fully funded

Obed is a dedicated and focused student. He is in the 10th grade, and has managed to continue with his education for much longer than the average Haitian student. When Obed is not at school he works part-time with his father as a farmer. This is hard physical work that requires a lot of heavy lifting. Obed has suffered from a hernia for some time (a weakening of the abdominal wall through which the abdominal contents protrudes). So far the hernia has not caused him any serious problems, but if left untreated there is a risk of strangulation of the intestine, which can be fatal. For just $400, Obed can have the surgery he needs to repair his abdominal wall and fix the hernia. He will be able to go on attending school and working with his father to provide for his family.

$400raised
Fully funded

Damicien lives with his family in a small village in Northern Haiti. He is married and a father of six children. As a farmer, his livelihood depends on his ability to perform manual tasks. However, Damicien is suffering from a hernia, which will likely worsen over time if not addressed surgically. Hernias can become life threatening. A strangulated hernia is a serious medical emergency and extremely painful. In a place like Haiti, where urgent healthcare is often difficult to access, hernias can be lethal. Damicien needs his hernia to be treated now, before the condition escalates. Living Hope Haiti can treat Damicien’s hernia, alleviating the current symptoms and avoiding a medical emergency. Damicien needs this operation in order to live a healthy and prosperous life.

$400raised
Fully funded

At two years old, Ricky won’t live past the age of four unless he gets immediate medical care. Ricky was born with Hirshsprung’s Disease, an abdominal disorder that occurs when a part of the large intestine has no nerves and therefore cannot function. The result is that Ricky cannot have a bowel movement. Fecal matter just backs up into the part of his large intestine that doesn’t work. Over time, it will reach the part of his intestine that does work, and cause it to expand, creating a life-threatening problem. Ricky’s doctors say he will not live for more than two more years in Haiti with this disease, but his family cannot come close to affording the medical treatment he needs to save his life. “Ricky is only two, and has no idea of what is wrong with him. Because of the overwhelming nature of Ricky’s illness, his mother is not able to work very much, and therefore is very poor.” For $1100, Living Hope Haiti, in partnership with Project Medishare, can remove the diseased section of Ricky’s large intestine. Let's help this little guy overcome his condition and live a normal, healthy life!

$1,100raised
Fully funded

Joseph is in the second grade. He is a good student, but his future is threatened by a hernia that could become strangulated. Joseph's hernia is inguinal, which means it's a protrusion of his abdominal cavity contents through his inguinal canal. This kind of hernia is usually asymptomatic, presenting as an uncomfortable bulge, until it starts to strangulate. At that point, it becomes a life-threatening issue in a country like Haiti, where there is little healthcare for people without financial resources. If Joseph's hernia strangulates and he doesn't have access to emergency medical care, it could be fatal. $400 covers the cost of transportation, pre-operative care, and surgery via Living Hope Haiti, and ensures that Joseph's hernia won't prevent him from living a normal, healthy life. *Apologies for the low-quality photo. The Watsi coordinator at LHH is working with limited resources - "Gotta love Haiti," he says, "and I do!"

$400raised
Fully funded

At the age of 27, Rosemene is enduring social stigma and difficulty working because of a lipoma, a large tumor on her side. Lipomas are normally benign. They can be easily removed with surgery, but Rosemene can't afford the surgery that could remove it. High-quality medical care is hard to come by in Haiti. Surgical care is even rarer. If you're part of the poor lower class, it's nearly impossible to access the kind of specialized care Rosemene needs to get on with her life. Rosemene's lipoma has grown so large that it is interfering with her ability to work on her farm and support herself. To make matters worse, members of her community believe that the growth symbolizes the presence of an evil spirit, and that Rosemene is cursed. For just $300, Living Hope Haiti can help Rosemene get her lipoma removed. With surgery, she will be able to return to a productive and socially accepted life.

$300raised
Fully funded

Fritzson is in the second grade and loves to draw. He has a hernia that, if left untreated, could become strangulated and turn into a life-threatening medical issue. Strangulated hernias are very dangerous, especially in a country like Haiti, where healthcare is largely inaccessible to the poor. In the event Fritzson's hernia becomes strangulated, it's unlikely Fritzon will be able to seek medical care in time. Fritzon's doctors say he needs to get his hernia taken care of immediately to avoid a potentially fatal outcome. For $400, Living Hope Haiti can provide Fritzson with surgery to treat his hernia. Fritzon's parents are farmers. They want their son to live a healthy and prosperous life. Getting this hernia taken care of is the first step towards making that possible.

$400raised
Fully funded