18 Feb Impossible Choices
If you are ill and suffering, can you imagine facing the impossible choice of seeking care and relief that comes every 3 weeks or protecting your life due to the real possibility of being killed while journeying to seek that help?
As I write this message to you, I sit with stillness in my heart realizing again how blessed I am to live in America with all the comforts that come with life here. The people we serve in Haiti are crushed by circumstances beyond their control and they are depending on the medical help we provide.
Until the political turmoil calms down, it is too dangerous for our staff to venture to the clinic on a specific day as it creates a target for violence. The staff and the patients cannot go due to the fear that their lives are at risk. This threat is real.
In response to that threat, we want to create a separate path to provide important medical care. We are investigating hiring a local nurse weekly to go to the clinic site. This would increase patient choice as to when it might be safe to come to the clinic to pick up meds for chronic conditions and would avoid the risk involved with patients coming to the clinic on a set published schedule to be seen by a doctor.
Will you help us? You see, because they depend on their monthly income, we are hoping to pay our staff even if they can’t go to the clinic for safety reasons. As the costs of medicines have risen substantially so has the monthly expense – now running over $1800 per clinic if we see a full 200 anticipated patients. Additionally, we need an additional $200 to send a local nurse with the chronic care medicine to the clinic site weekly.
I urge you to go to the donate button and help in whatever amount you can. I have made a personal commitment to remember these people who face life and health uncertainty daily and I hope you will join me by taking quick action today.
The Good Shepherd Foundation continues to create hope and provide care for 13 communities in the Grand Saline area of Haiti even in times of tribulation. Although there is social unrest constantly, we are working to provide support during dark days, and we can only do this with your financial support.
If you would like more information or want to learn how you can help, please contact Linda McGurn, The Good Shepherd Foundation Vice President, at 860.805.1006 or send an email to [email protected].
Learn more about the Good Shepherd Foundation by staying connected with us on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/thegoodshepherdfoundation/
Contributed by Sharon A. Lundberg – Board Member