Showing posts with label medical care. Show all posts
Showing posts with label medical care. Show all posts

Saturday, November 2, 2013

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.


Monday, July 15, 2013

CAMP JAKE: Medical care at camp

Ashly & Danielle treat Jean for an aggravated lesion received prior to camp 
(photo credit: Brian Clark)
Thanks to our long-term partnership with Physicians for Peace, campers receive medical care during their week with us. Physicians for Peace sponsored our two nurses, Danielle and Ashly, bringing round-the-clock expertise to our team.

We will be keeping our nurses busy! The pair will:
  • provide guidance to campers and caretakers alike on maintaining clean and healthy habits when caring for themselves or others
  • support the camp in any medical situation that may arise, including recommendations for followup care upon their return to St. Vincent's
  • record any medical concerns campers bring to Camp Jake, address them as possible during the week, and follow up with Fr. Sadoni for further treatment following camp
  • continue the physical therapy exercises taught by Jake during the July 2012 camp, encouraging similar practices
To avoid infection, Danielle applies anti-bacterial creme after swimming 
(photo credit: Brian Clark)
During an interview prior to Camp Jake 2013, we asked each of our nurses to tell us a bit about themselves and why they wanted to participate in camp. (Read about Danielle below and Ashly in our next post.)

DANIELLE, RN
Originally from Baton Rouge, Danielle is a recent graduate of nursing school. For her first mission trip, she brings her bubbly positive attitude, deep love of children, and passion for healthcare to the table. When asked how she felt about going to Haiti, we couldn't write fast enough! "Happy. Excited. Nervous. A touch scared. But mostly excited! I know that my perspective on life will be forever changed. I hope I can be a positive influence on the campers' lives."

In a more formal statement, Danielle wrote "I chose to be a part of Camp Jake for many reasons. I want to refine my vision of life, to broaden my thinking based on this experience, and consider new ways of doing things. By serving these children, I hope to learn and refine skills that can be used throughout my life and shared with others. But most importantly, the measure of success will be based on one thing: returning with knowledge that will help me impact the needs of my own community."
Ashly (left) and Danielle (right)
---------------------------
Interested in serving as medical staff during Camp Jake 2014? 
Please fill out the volunteer interest form on our website and we'll get back to you! We're already looking for people for next year's camp.