On #GivingTuesday this year (December 1, 2020), the Coalition came together in a big way to raise over $44,000. That will go a long way to transform lives through healthcare and education in Haiti! Thank you!!
On Giving Tuesday, we shared with you the story of one life that CCH transformed this year. In case you missed it, here’s what your donations did for Marcel.
A few months ago Marcel was driving his motorcycle early in the morning to take his 7-year-old daughter, Dideley, to school. Suddenly he started feeling dizzy. He could no longer see in one eye. The entire left side of his body went numb.
At that moment he cried out, “God do not let me die like this on the street. Do not let me get in an accident.”Marcel quickly pulled his motorcycle off the road and that is the last thing he remembered.
His daughter and his life now rested in the hands of strangers. He was immediately taken to the local public hospital. Marcel was kept in the hospital for two days.
His doctors told him he’d suffered a severe stroke. As a result, the left side of his body was partially paralyzed and his speech was affected – possibly permanently. Everything about the situation was new to Marcel. No one in his family had suffered a stroke before.
The next morning Marcel arrived at the CCH Clinic for evaluation and to start his long road to recovery. His recovery became his life – day and night. He was determined to succeed. In particular he wanted his speech back. Marcel could not imagine his future if he couldn’t talk to his family and friends. That he could no longer support his family as a construction worker, drive his motorcycle, dress himself or even feed himself was unbearable. So he took action to ensure that his stroke would not define the rest of his life.
Marcel was determined. He could not bear the thought of living his life unable to dress himself, feed himself, go back to work, or talk to his family.Days became weeks, weeks became months, and slowly but surely Marcel’s grit started to show results.
Today, Marcel has come a long way from where he started. He can speak with some challenges, but his family and friends can understand him. He can dress himself, eat unassisted, and come to the PT Clinic alone.He is cautiously not riding his motorcycle. But in a few weeks, he is planning to start light work again, as a construction worker.
While Marcel will ever be able to go back to his former life, he has made great gains because of your support.As Marcel said, without the CCH Clinic “I would have lost my dignity as an individual to be fully independent and never have been able to provide for my family.”
Today Marcel doesn’t want to think what his life would be like without CCH, without your gifts that made his recovery possible. Today he is followed by one of our primary care doctors for the management of his blood pressure and faithfully comes every month to get his blood pressure medications refilled.
All of this, his recovery and care is because of donors like you. Thank you for your generosity on Giving Tuesday and every day!
