In February 2009, a little girl named Loveka was brought to our compound by her father.
Loveka's story is a perfect example of why we
must urgently and quickly build the
Danita's Children's Hospital of
Hope, and why we ask you to prayerfully consider getting involved today.
Please read Loveka's story below. She is just one example of the
thousands of children's lives and souls
that we believe will be saved as
a result of your involvement in this project.
On Feb. 10, 2009 a desperate Haitian
father arrived at the Haitian/Dominican border in Ouanaminthe with his
3-and-a-half year old daughter, Loveka. Mr. Daniel, her father, was
frantic to get Loveka to a Dominican hospital. Her mid-section was
swollen to several times its normal size, as though the tiny girl had a
basketball on the inside. She was unable to walk, and barely able to
stand or speak. Mr. Daniel had been to several Haitian clinics over the
past ten months, but doctors, limited by their ability and lack of
tools to treat her, could only surmise as to what was causing the
bloated belly. Meanwhile, Loveka's grandfather
had administered a hundred folk cures without positive results.
Loveka's life was now hanging in the balance. 
The Dominican border would not
allow Mr. Daniel and Loveka to cross. As Mr. Daniel's desperation and
insistence grew, the border guards recommended that he seek the help of
"Mami Danita", as she is referred to in the city. The border guard
suggested that Danita and the missionaries may be able to help the
desperate child. Mr. Daniel made his way to the orphanage, and Danita looked at the child who may
have only lived another week or two without medical attention, and called missionary friends Annie and Mike Floyd. (The Floyds live
in Santiago and have been visiting Hope for Haiti Children's Center
once a week for nearly eight months now to assist at our school.) Danita
made arrangements for Loveka to cross the border and asked the Floyds
to pick her and Mr. Daniel up in Santiago.
The Floyds met Loveka and her father at the bus station, and immediately took her to the public children's hospital in Santiago. She was admitted to ICU by 10:30 that night. X-rays revealed a giant "light bulb" of water being retained in the child's abdomen. Doctors began treating her, and for the next four weeks, the Floyds visited with Loveka and her father frequently, bringing them food, clean clothes and many prayers. Slowly, Loveka began to reduce in size. For two weeks the Floyds drove around Santiago running the many errands that medicine in the Dominican Republic demands. Instead of ordering blood directly through the hospital, a blood sample had to be taken directly to a blood bank, where bags of blood can be purchased, wrapped in styrofoam. Then, vials of Loveka's blood had to be taken all over the city for various tests: proteins, electrolytes, white blood cells, etc. Every test is brought in by hand and paid in cash, and if there is an error, one must get in line and start again. Results have to be picked up in person and then hand delivered to the doctors. The process of caring for a sick child is not only tiresome, but also expensive, making it nearly impossible for the average Haitian child to obtain medical care, even in the Dominican Republic.
After nearly three weeks, the Floyds returned to see Loveka. But this time, rather than seeing a sickly and weak little girl, they saw a bright-eyed and smiling Loveka. Her face lit up when she saw them. What a blessing to witness the miracle of health in little Loveka's body! The gratefulness and joy on Mr. Daniel's face was obvious as he watched his little girl smile.
When Mr. Daniel returned from the pharmacy, he told missionary Karris that both he and Loveka had accepted Christ as their Lord and received salvation during their stay in Santiago.
A simple Gospel of Christ's purest love and acceptance was shown, often with hands, food, a
bit of cash...or even syringes and pills, to Loveka and her father during their journey, and it was life-changing. You are part of that love, as a member of the family of God. Know that in a little
corner of a sun-drenched cement-block house with a tin roof, in a dusty village
of a nation that sometimes feels cursed, often forgotten, Mr. Daniel and
Loveka will continue to tell each other of the time they went on a long trip together, saving lunches, saving hope, saving life, saving mercy and love - in order to use them, again and again.
(written by Amy Porter as told by missionary Mike Floyd)
About Danita's Children's Hospital of Hope
Danita is responding to the need for better medical care for children in Haiti by building the Danita's Children's Hospital of Hope. It is currently under construction. As you can imagine, a project like this requires significant funding and support. Danita cannot complete the Children's Hospital of Hope without increased support. Please prayerfully consider how you might give to make it possible to save more children. Here's some ways you might want to consider:
If you are a medical professional or medical equipment or supplies
provider, your help is needed. Lab technicians, nurses, pharmacists,
optometrists, surgeons, doctors, clinic managers and more will be an
important part of the Hospital of Hope. We are also in need of
qualified construction experts, plumbers, electricians, medical
equipment installers, cooks and long-term missionaries to work at
Danita's Children's Hospital of Hope.
The cost to complete this much-needed Children's Hospital of Hope is greater than any project we've completed to date. This large number may seem
impossible to some, but we believe that the Children's Hospital of Hope is part of God's
plan for Haiti, so we are confident He will provide through supporters
like you. Won't you please ask Him how you might be able to
participate in this important effort? Other creative ways you might be
able to participate might be by donating equipment and supplies, or perhaps Frequent Flyer miles to help professionals and staff with travel. >> Give Today
Please tell everyone you know about the important work of Danita's
Children and the Children's Hospital of Hope project. We cannot complete the
hospital without increasing our supporter base. Contact our stateside
offices for your Tell5 cards to help you spread the word. Tell
your friends and family to log on today and encourage them to make a
donation or sponsor a child like Loveka.
If you'd like to help with the construction of this project:
The Danita's Children's Hospital of Hope
will be a fully operational medical hospital that will provide for the
physical, emotional and spiritual needs of impoverished children in
Northeastern Haiti and the surrounding region. What began as a promise
made to dying child by our founder, Danita Estrella, has grown in to a
full-scale medical facility that will provide care and health education
to thousands of children each year who would not otherwise have access
to medical treatment
Some basic facts supporting the need for medical care and education in Haiti:
• There are 490,000 orphaned children in Haiti, a country of roughly 8 million people.
• Nearly 1/2 of the population of Haiti are children under the age of 18 years.
• According to UNICEF, only 36% of adults are aware that they can transfer HIV/AIDS to their children. As a result, over 17,000 children are infected with HIV/AIDS in Haiti, most of whom are not on proper medication.
Special thanks to Annie and Mike Floyd, who made Loveka's journey possible, and to the doctors, nurses and other medical professionals who used their skills and minds to bring God's healing to Loveka.
