Video footage from Le Nouvelliste of the
November 18, 2013 Anti-Martelly protest on the streets of Port-au-Prince.
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
Lauren Pierre - Nose Surgery
When the Leap Foundation was here in Haiti was a day of turbulence in Cite Soleil (actually for the last few weeks it has been like that almost every day). Lauren Pierre lives with her mother and twin sister in Cite Soleil. Lauren was born missing the cartilage in her nose. Dr. Hobar had seen her in May 2013 and wanted to do surgery for constructing a nose in October 2013. There has been a lot of shooting and gang fights in Cite Soleil. Cite Soleil is a slum of over 300,000 people, yet gangs of 20-30 when they are fighting with other gangs create havoc for the people who live in the area. They struggle to go about their everyday lives. Lauren's mother called me that morning and said that there was shooting going on. We told her not to take chances but if she could get out of Cite Soleil when it was calm we could pick her up at Carrefour Aviation. Around noon she was able to get out of Cite Soleil and called us from Carrefour Aviation to drive her over to Hopital Espoir. We have good news! Dr. Hobar told Lauren's mother that the surgery is too complex to be done in Haiti and they want to bring her to Dallas for surgery in 2014. Pray for all the mothers in Cite Soleil who are trying to raise their children in a violent environment. Pray for peace in Haiti.
These twin girls are Laurence and Lauren. They are inseparable. Where one goes so does the other :)
Please pray for the paperwork process for Lauren's passport.
These twin girls are Laurence and Lauren. They are inseparable. Where one goes so does the other :)
Please pray for the paperwork process for Lauren's passport.
Anti-Government Protests In Haiti Turn Violent
ANTI-GOVERNMENT PROTESTS IN HAITI TURN VIOLENT
(USA Today) - AP
PORT-AU-PRINCE — Thousands of critics of Haiti's President Michel Martelly staged protest marches Monday that turned violent as people threw rocks and shots were fired in the air.
...
It appeared at least one person was shot. An Associated Press reporter heard several gunshots, and then a crowd loaded a man onto a motorcycle and took him to an ambulance. The ambulance driver said the man was shot in the back. His condition wasn't immediately clear.
The marches were among the biggest demonstrations against Martelly since he took office in 2011, and the crowd in the capital swelled as protesters passed each neighborhood. Their complaints ranged from the cost of living to high levels of corruption.
Protesters lit fiery barricades of discarded tires on one of the busiest streets as they called for Martelly's departure from office. Demonstrators also smashed car windows and tore down posters and billboards bearing the leader's face and burned those too. Pro-Martelly groups held separate marches, and the two sides took turns throwing rocks at each other as riot police dispensed canisters of tear gas.
"We are moving forward to removing him from power and won't stop until he leaves," said demonstrator Jean Daniel.
Martelly, his prime minister, Laurent Lamothe, and the first lady attended a church ceremony in the northern city of Cap-Haitien, the site of another, smaller protest Monday, a national holiday that commemorates Haiti's final battle before it secured independence from France in 1804.
In a speech that followed at a historic site where the fight apparently took place, Martelly appealed for unity. "If we didn't put our heads together, we wouldn't have had the Battle of Vertieres," he said. "If we didn't have our heads together, we wouldn't have a Haitian state."
The U.N. peacekeeping mission in Haiti on Saturday urged Martelly and opposition parties to sort out their differences in a peaceful manner. The world body also dispatched armed troops for the demonstration to join riot police with shields and helmets.
The mounting tension between Martelly and his opponents stems in part from the government's failure to hold legislative and local elections that are two years overdue. The U.N., U.S. and others have been overly supportive of the Martelly administration but relations seemed to be straining in recent months because of the delayed vote. The election was supposed to have been held before year's end, but it most likely won't happen until next year.
"The international community should take notes," said Moise Jean-Charles, a senator and vocal critic of the government. "The people are rising for a change. Martelly and Lamothe aren't doing anything for the country but stealing money."
(USA Today) - AP
PORT-AU-PRINCE — Thousands of critics of Haiti's President Michel Martelly staged protest marches Monday that turned violent as people threw rocks and shots were fired in the air.
...
It appeared at least one person was shot. An Associated Press reporter heard several gunshots, and then a crowd loaded a man onto a motorcycle and took him to an ambulance. The ambulance driver said the man was shot in the back. His condition wasn't immediately clear.
The marches were among the biggest demonstrations against Martelly since he took office in 2011, and the crowd in the capital swelled as protesters passed each neighborhood. Their complaints ranged from the cost of living to high levels of corruption.
Protesters lit fiery barricades of discarded tires on one of the busiest streets as they called for Martelly's departure from office. Demonstrators also smashed car windows and tore down posters and billboards bearing the leader's face and burned those too. Pro-Martelly groups held separate marches, and the two sides took turns throwing rocks at each other as riot police dispensed canisters of tear gas.
"We are moving forward to removing him from power and won't stop until he leaves," said demonstrator Jean Daniel.
Martelly, his prime minister, Laurent Lamothe, and the first lady attended a church ceremony in the northern city of Cap-Haitien, the site of another, smaller protest Monday, a national holiday that commemorates Haiti's final battle before it secured independence from France in 1804.
In a speech that followed at a historic site where the fight apparently took place, Martelly appealed for unity. "If we didn't put our heads together, we wouldn't have had the Battle of Vertieres," he said. "If we didn't have our heads together, we wouldn't have a Haitian state."
The U.N. peacekeeping mission in Haiti on Saturday urged Martelly and opposition parties to sort out their differences in a peaceful manner. The world body also dispatched armed troops for the demonstration to join riot police with shields and helmets.
The mounting tension between Martelly and his opponents stems in part from the government's failure to hold legislative and local elections that are two years overdue. The U.N., U.S. and others have been overly supportive of the Martelly administration but relations seemed to be straining in recent months because of the delayed vote. The election was supposed to have been held before year's end, but it most likely won't happen until next year.
"The international community should take notes," said Moise Jean-Charles, a senator and vocal critic of the government. "The people are rising for a change. Martelly and Lamothe aren't doing anything for the country but stealing money."
Monday, November 18, 2013
Haiti's Remembrance Day - Battle Of Vertieres
November 18, 2013 -
Haiti's Remembrance Day
Today is a national holiday in Haiti. The Battle Of Vertieres was a revolutionary battle against slavery and resulted in the birth of Haiti as an independent nation. It was through this struggle that the Haitian people defeated Napoleans' forces and also resulted in the state of Louisiana being formed. To cover his losses in Haiti Napolean sold the Louisiana territory and an American state was formed.
Today there are protests happening. One group of protesters who don't want Martelly as president are walking through the streets of Port-au-Prince are voicing their opinions for his removal as president. Another group of protesters are walking to voice their support for Martelly. Pray for unity in Haiti.
Today is a national holiday in Haiti. The Battle Of Vertieres was a revolutionary battle against slavery and resulted in the birth of Haiti as an independent nation. It was through this struggle that the Haitian people defeated Napoleans' forces and also resulted in the state of Louisiana being formed. To cover his losses in Haiti Napolean sold the Louisiana territory and an American state was formed.
Today there are protests happening. One group of protesters who don't want Martelly as president are walking through the streets of Port-au-Prince are voicing their opinions for his removal as president. Another group of protesters are walking to voice their support for Martelly. Pray for unity in Haiti.
Emerson Simplice - Plastic Surgery
Emerson Simplice was born with a severe cleft lip/palette/eye. People would tell his mother to throw him away and to let him die. Emerson had good parents. They were both christians and wouldn't listen to those who would insult Emerson. His mother would go to prayer services at the church she attends in Petit Goave and pray for help for Emerson. In 2007 Emerson's father came with him to Port-au-Prince and came to Coram Deo in search of help. A mission in the United States that finds surgeons to donate medical care found a hospital that would treat Emerson for free. The hospital and surgeons waived any costs.
On October 13, 2007 Emerson traveled to the United States.
He had 2 surgeries to repair his cleft lip/palette and eye.
The surgeons said that Emerson would need further surgery on his right eye in the future.
In 2008 Emerson returned to Haiti and to his family in Petit Goave. Since that day his family has kept in contact. They are very grateful and call us from time to time to say hello. Emerson's eye was bothering him and his father brought him to Port-au-Prince. There was a visiting eye surgeon from the United States helping to do surgeries in September 2013.
Emerson had a surgery to close his eye partially. Because of his congenital malformation he has no eyelids and can't blink. Plastic surgery is necessary. The University of Miami plastic surgery team looked at Emerson while they were doing plastic surgeries at Bernard Mevs Hospital. They took photos of him and will be doing fund raising to bring Emerson to the United States for surgery. We give the Lord thanks for this contact.
Sunday, November 17, 2013
Christelle - Cleft Lip Baby
Christelle and her mother live in Cap Haitien. Her mother came with her to Port-au-Prince searching for medical for her daughter and to begin a new life for herself. The father of her child abandoned the family. People she met on the streets of Port-au-Prince led her to Coram Deo.
In October Dr. Hobar and a Leap Foundation medical team came to Hopital Espoir to perform plastic surgeries. Christelle was one of the babies selected for surgery to repair her cleft lip.
This is Christelle one week after her surgery :)
Christelle and her mother live in a refuge camp near Airport Rd. She sleeps inside a church within the refuge camp. Pray that she can find work to support herself and Christelle. Inside these tin walls is the church she attends and a place to sleep at night.
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