HAITI :: Serving Needy and Orphaned Children

The Red Thread Promise is a non-profit organization whose vision parallels that of women everywhere: to unite women by bringing peace and healing to the world. For The Red Thread, this means serving needy and orphaned children in Haiti, Uganda, China and the U.S. Our programs improve the quality of life for disabled children and battered girls by providing medical care, nutrition, mobility, and education so they can live independently with dignity and improved health. Through this critical work, we strive to cultivate passionate followers who advocate for the rights of disadvantaged children around the world.

It is this shared vision that compels us to reach out to the women of your community for help. While we can do much as individuals, we can accomplish so much more as partners. The Red Thread team asks for both your prayers and financial support as we strive to expand our programs and serve more children—children like Christina in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

An otherwise completely healthy infant, Christina was born with a birth defect that caused clubbing in both of her feet. Following multiple unsuccessful surgeries and castings to correct her condition, she was no closer to walking than she was the day she was born.

But we are here to offer her hope! Through our partnership with a clubfoot specialist from Memphis and surgeon from Port-au-Prince, we celebrate the completion of Christina's first successful surgery on her right foot in August 2013. The surgical team performed a tendon release, bone and soft tissue correction, and finally a foot rotation, all at a cost of only $1800. Christina's second surgery is scheduled for spring of 2014 and her prognosis is excellent!

Our goals are two-fold: first, for her be able to put both feet flat on the ground, something her condition has never allowed her to do; and second, for her to be able to walk independently, leaving her wheelchair behind.

Being wheelchair-bound is a huge obstacle for Christina. Only 12 out of 1,000 Haitians own a car and the phrase “wheelchair accessible” is a virtually unknown in the country. Rough, unpaved streets as well as lack of sidewalks and smooth surfaces make wheelchair use nearly impossible. These conditions often isolate the individual from their community and prevent them from gainful employment and independence, thus deepening the existing social stigma against handicapped people.

Christina is a bright, energetic girl who can and will lead a relatively normal life when both feet are corrected. We invite your group to be a part of this life-transforming process, helping kids like Christina, kids whose biggest obstacle in life was being born into poverty where adequate medical care isn't an option as their families struggle to put food on the table.

There are many more success stories like Christina’s shared on our Facebook, website and blog. Our team is available via phone or email to answer any questions you may have about how we serve impoverished children with disabilities. We invite you to join us in making a difference in these children’s lives. Financial support can be sent via our website, PayPal or check. Thank you for caring.