HAITI :: Society of Young Black Professionals fundraises for The Red Thread!

Petera and Brandon, two of our counselors from the January session of Camp Jake, are both active members of The Society of Young Black Public Health Professionals in New Orleans. Following their work with our team in Haiti, they wanted to do more for the kids they met from St. Vincent's Center for Handicapped Children. 

Petera with Danika, a hearing impaired girl

 Brandon with the blind guys

Since so many of St. Vincent's students are hearing impaired, Petera and Brandon decided to support our efforts to provide 500 digital hearing aids for the hearing clinic. This would provide enough hearing aids for every child as well as stock the clinic to provide for others in the community where hearing aids are a priceless gift. 

If you are in the New Orleans area, please come out and support The Society of Young Black Public Health Professionals, The Red Thread Promise and the beautiful children of St. Vincent's.

An Evening In Haiti

Saturday, April 28th from 7 - 10pm

1834 Club • $5 cover • Cocktail attire suggested

Enjoy an evening of delectable hors d'oeuvres, door prizes, 50/50 raffle and the rhythmic sounds of the BRASS-A-HOLICS as they vibrate through the 1834 Club on the second floor of the Laven-Berick Center. 

All proceeds go directly to The Red Thread Promise and their efforts in Haiti. Please read below for more information about this amazing organization and their effort. 

The Red Thread Promise (TRTP) is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization dedicated to bringing hope and healing to needy and orphaned children. TRTP has taken on the challenge of raising funds and awareness for new digital hearing aids and establishment of distribution of hearing aids in a permanent hearing aid clinic for St. Vincent’s children. Previous to this venture, children at St. Vincent’s were tested and given refurbished analog hearing aids. 

The Society of Young Black Public Health Professionals, along with your support, would allow TRTP to provide the children of St. Vincent’s and the surrounding community to receive new digital hearing aids.  

Sponsored by The Society of Young Public Health Professionals.

For any questions or concerns please contact: Brandon Darrington bdarring@tulane.edu 

A romp through New Orleans

Following Christopher's first appointment at the hospital, we took the family on a quick tour of  New Orleans. Beginning in the famous French Quarter, we headed toward Cafe Du Monde for a little NOLA tradition: fresh beignets and hot chocolate. 

 Cocoa and beignets

Although tentative at first, it didn't take long for Christopher and his sister to begin lapping up the clumps of powdered sugar heaped on top of the sweet treats. After a rousing rendition of happy birthday for his sister, we set off on foot to do some sight-seeing. 

 Kathy (TRTP President), big sister, Christopher and Mom taking in the sights

 Dreams of Mardi Gras

Nothing escaped our view: the river, barges, stunning architecture, horse-drawn carriages, street performers, artists, shops and everything in between. We piled back into our cars and explored Metarie, the Bywater, the Lower 9th Ward with it's modern "Brad Pitt" homes and then headed back into Lakeview to see some of the huge above ground cemeteries. We ended the tour inside St. Paul's Episcopal Church, looking at the plaque far above our heads indicating the waterline from Hurricane Katrina.

 Hugs with TRTP supporter, Cathleen

Christopher, Mom and TRTP Vice President, Sonya

That evening we met up with some Red Thread supporters to introduce Christopher and his family. It was a BUSY but productive day. We are fairly certain that we wore Christopher out and ourselves as well.

Saying goodbye (for now!)

Haitian Orphan to Receive Free Sickle Cell Anemia Care At Tulane Hospital for Children

NEW ORLEANS – The Red Thread Promise has partnered with Tulane Hospital for Children and the Sickle Cell Center of Southern Louisiana (SCCSL) at Tulane to provide free medical care for a 4-year-old Haitian orphan. Christopher was diagnosed with sickle cell anemia as an infant in his home country of Haiti, the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere. He is expected to arrive in New Orleans on March 9 to begin treatment at Tulane.

Young Christopher has lived most of his life in an orphanage in rural Haiti. His condition requires that he take daily medication and make frequent trips for medical care, putting a great toll on the child. The devastation from the 2010 earthquake in Haiti made it more difficult for Christopher to receive the medical treatment he so desperately needs.

“We have been supporting Christopher’s medical care for the majority of his short life, providing for his treatment while in the orphanage,” states Sonya Yencer, Vice President of The Red Thread Promise. “Now that he is in the States with his adoptive family, we are thrilled to continue serving this child with the generous help and support of Tulane Hospital for Children and SCCSL. We couldn’t ask for a better partnership.”

Christopher will soon travel to the New Orleans for a more comprehensive evaluation and medical care at Tulane Hospital for Children and the Sickle Cell Center of Southern Louisiana. Sickle cell anemia affects millions throughout the world. It is an inherited disorder found more commonly among people whose ancestors come from sub-Saharan Africa, South America, Cuba or Central America. New Orleans has a large population of sickle cell patients and some of the most advanced treatments are available at the Sickle Cell Center of Southern Louisiana, which is good news for Christopher.

Sickle cell anemia causes red blood cells, which are usually smooth and donut-shaped, to become stiff and assume a sickle shape. The sickled red cells can have difficulty traveling through small vessels and begin to stack up and cause blockages that deprive tissue and organs of oxygen-carrying blood. These blockages bring about episodes of severe pain and can ultimately damage tissue and vital organs. Currently, the only cure available for sickle cell disease is a bone marrow transplant; however the disease can be managed through proper medical treatment.

“While at Tulane, Christopher will undergo diagnostic testing to determine the level of disease severity,” said Dr. Julie Kanter, Assistant Professor of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology at Tulane, and the primary physician who will oversee Christopher’s medical care. “This will include blood tests, a cardiac exam and neurological testing. Tulane doctors will then recommend a treatment regimen for Christopher based upon the results of his medical tests.”

The Red Thread Promise will continue supporting Christopher throughout his stay in New Orleans and in the coming months so that he can continue to receive the medical care he needs.

Excitement mounts for Camp Jake!

Tom (left), Shawn (right) and Jake (center), namesake for Camp Jake

Trying to find the right words to describe last week's Camp Jake reception in New Orleans has proven to be considerably more difficult than anticipated! The event was more than a great evening, more than camaraderie, more than fun.

It was an emotional high!

Tom—Camp Jake director and Red Thread board member—and Shawn graciously hosted the event in their loft, a beautiful space that more than accommodated the 50+ people who came to show their support of The Red Thread Promise. Every detail was meticulously ironed out, from the tabletop clean-burning fireplace to the sea salt organic dark chocolate truffles to the rooftop space overlooking the brilliantly lit Superdome. A continuous loop of photographs from Haiti and St. Vincent's played in the media room while people mingled, ate and laughed. The vibe was a refreshing blend of sophistication and Southern hospitality with a modern twist.

While wonderful, all of these things aren't what made the evening so memorable. It was the people, gathered to meet our guest of honor, 14-year-old Jake Richard.

Even with the serious health challenges that his muscular dystrophy continually poses, his parents, René and Stephanie, drove him from Houston to New Orleans to spend the evening with us. What a dynamic and inspiring young man!

As Jake maneuvered his motorized wheelchair from the elevator into the loft, he certainly made a brilliant first impression. Having been apprised of his love for all things orange, he boldly sported the brightest orange sneakers in current history and an orange checkered button down shirt atop the first Camp Jake t-shirt with his name ablaze in—you guessed it—orange.

With impeccable manners, he greeted each new face, graciously answered everyone's questions and spent as much time as necessary with each guest. As we spoke with him, his positive outlook on life was apparent. He posed for photos for anyone wielding a camera and we were able to capture his signature smile time and time again with different guests.

After enjoying hors 'devours and mingling, Tom shared the brief story about the inspiration for Camp Jake. While attending a summer camp for children with muscular dystrophy with Jake years ago, Tom felt his heart begin to change. The experience was so profound that he embraced that change and, on New Year's Eve of the same year, decided to stop just writing checks to charities. He made a promise to himself to take a hands on approach to his philanthropy and never looked back. He and Jake shared a dream to provide a similar experience to other children with disabilities, specifically those who would not otherwise have the opportunity.

Following several mission trips to Haiti with The Red Thread, the students at St. Vincent's Center for Handicapped Children emerged as the perfect fit for the concept. Soon after, the idea had a name and a face: Camp Jake.

René, Jake's father, also shared a few words on his son's behalf. He told how, at a young age, Jake had been able to do nearly everything that his two older brothers could do: run, play, and all things "boy". As he grew, they knew that something wasn't right and Jake was eventually diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a rare and progressive disease that involves rapid degeneration of the muscles with a life expectancy in the late teens.

Tom, Stephanie (Jake's mother) and Jake

Jake's wish has always been to make a difference in the lives of other people who may have lost hope due to a disability. He has taken his wish to heart by working with the Muscular Dystrophy Association as a Goodwill Ambassador, attending fundraisers and media events, and being featured on the national MDA Telethon. He and his mother run 5k, 10k and half marathons together, evoking the spirit of their motto “Always look on the bright side of life.”

It is with this tenacious spirit that seven volunteer counselors will join 35 disabled orphans at St. Vincent's in January 2012, providing each child with an opportunity to wholly experience the motto that the camp's namesake, Jake Richard, lives by each day of his life.

This beautiful and inspirational evening will remain in our memory for years to come.

New Orleans, Day 1

Fr. Sadoni, Director of St. Vincent's,

with Kathy, President of The Red Thread Promise

Tuesday, 9/14 – Late in the afternoon, we all arrived safe and sound in The Big Easy: Sally from Washington state, Sonya from Ohio, Randa from Canada and Fr. Sadoni from Haiti. Tom and Kathy, our local counterparts, greeted us at the airport, exchanging hugs and kisses with friends old and new. The group gathered around a well-used wooden table at an airport café for quite some time as we began drafting a press release announcing the partnership of the Episcopal Dioceses of Olympia and Louisiana, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church-Lakeview and The Red Thread Promise to support the children and rebuilding efforts of St. Vincent's Center for Handicapped Children School & Medical Facility.

Following some traffic meant to give us all a lesson it patience, we made it to our hotel where we unpacked and freshened up for dinner. Since Fr. Sadoni, director of St. Vincent’s, had never been to New Orleans, we made time for a super-condensed tour of New Orleans, driving through the French Quarter, Central Business, Warehouse and Garden Districts and Uptown, all in about 45 min! The architecture, or what we could see of it in the dark, was fantastic. Stories of Hurricane Katrina were shared as we looked on at the water lines still evident on many buildings. New Orleans has made great progress in the last 5 years, but so much still needs to be done to restore the city to its former glory.

The beautiful chandelier in the hotel's vestibule

Our work began again at dinner that evening, getting to know each other and building a personal relationship with Fr. Sadoni.

Born in Gramonde, Fr. Sadoni grew up in Port-au-Prince. He studied management at the Episcopal University (which was destroyed by the quake) and simultaneously went to seminary. Sadoni has worked in schools, hospitals and churches in different parts of Haiti since he completed his studies 5 years ago. Prior to the earthquake, he was appointed Priest in Charge of Ephiphanie Church and Director of St. Vincent’s Center for Handicapped Children School & Medical Facility.

The Center was founded in 1945 by Sister Joan Margaret to care for handicapped children, who were (and still are) treated as sub-human in Haitian society. The sisters traveled through Haiti and brought these little ones to St. Vincent’s for medical care and to receive an education, an innovative idea in Haiti.

Sixty-five years ago and to this day, there is little hope for anyone born with a disability in Haiti. Often neglected or abused by their families, handicapped children are literally left in a corner by themselves in their own homes, isolated from the rest of the family. The fortunate ones might receive an education after all other healthy siblings have been to school. It is also common practice for parents to abandon their special needs children, discarding them in bathrooms, on the streets, in front of buildings – so much that hospitals have a special area for abandoned babies. Some are even given to Voodoo priests so people can engage in sexual intercourse with them to bring good luck, according to Haitian belief.

Sadoni, a soft-spoken man of few but deliberate words, showed his passion for these children when he firmly stated that he “wants to change the children’s lives AND to change Haitian’s perception of people with disabilities.”

Our discussion then turned toward Voodoo, how it is an integral part of Haitian culture and is intermixed with nearly every other faith, especially Roman Catholicism. Interestingly enough, people of the Catholic denomination commonly practice Voodoo openly while those in other denominations tend to practice in secret.

New Orleans has an “underground” Voodoo subculture that boasts many similarities to that of its Haitian counterparts. Many practices are the same in both countries. However, there are some fundamental differences as well, including who practices the religion. In Haiti, Voodoo is primarily practiced by less educated people and there appears to be a direct correlation between level of education and the practice. In New Orleans, however, it is sometimes practiced by those who are very educated and is deemed more a cult than part of the culture.

We ended the evening on a positive note as we celebrated Sadoni’s upcoming wedding, wishing the couple good luck and a life of happiness together. As we rode back to the hotel, we considered the heavy agenda for Wednesday: gathering detailed information about St. Vincent’s needs since the earthquake; identifying and prioritizing their immediate needs; and fleshing out an action plan for the partnership to move forward and begin supporting the children of St. Vincent’s.

(Author's note: Exhausted after a day of traveling, meeting new people, and ending with a very long and late dinner, we had some comic relief at 11:00 pm that night when I was unable to view the MANY photos I had taken that afternoon and evening. Puzzled, I started examining the camera more closely and, after further investigation, realized that I had forgotten to put in the memory card. Thankfully we were all able to laugh it off, however we did ensure that the card was there every time I pulled the camera out the rest of the trip! So, the photos shown were actually taken on Wednesday, but I'm sure you won't tell anyone.)

In the News

This was published in the Times Picayune in New Orleans. Click on the image below and it will open a new window that allows you to read it without a magnifying glass!

ORPHAN UPDATE - Christopher

We are so grateful to all of you who have reached out to us to see how you can help the children of Rivers of Hope orphanage following the earthquake. Your support in prayers, email and donations has been astounding. It is amazing to see how a tragedy can really bring people together and bring out our own compassionate spirits. The silken red thread of destiny is indeed visible again.

At this time, we are particularly concerned about Christopher, the adorable two-year-old with sickle-cell disease. Previously, when Christopher would suffer a sickle-cell attack, the orphanage staff would take him to the hospital for emergency treatments. For obvious reasons, this isn't an option right now.

In late December / early January, we were working out the details with Tulane Hospital to bring Christopher to meet with sickle-cell specialists in New Orleans. The specialists have graciously agreed to access Christopher and prepare a more sustainable and preventative treatment plan, addressing his ongoing medical needs. In the midst of the planning process, the earthquake hit. If Christopher's treatment plan in his native country was difficult to accomplish prior to the earthquake, it is much more complex now, causing The Red Thread Promise to accelerate our plans to bring him to the United States.

In order to bring him to New Orleans, Rachoul, Rivers of Hope director, is working tirelessly to get Christopher a visa so we can expedite his trip. Thankfully she managed to secure his passport on January 29, 2010. Stateside, our mountain of paperwork is moving along as quickly as possible. One of the many things we have to do is prove to the Haitian government that we have been in contact with and worked with Christopher prior to the quake.

Please check in for more details in the coming weeks. In the meantime, if you want to make a real difference in the life of one needy Haitian orphan, please consider donating to help cover Christopher's expenses. Tulane has put together an incredibly generous package for his treatment, but we still need your help to cover travel and other expenses.