You can read the story of Renia here, here, here and here.  Renia was a very special patient that lost her life to cancer and few months ago.  Many of you prayed for and gave funds for Renia,  Solange and her family.  Solange returned home in November, a home that she has not been in for more than a few days in the last 4 months.  She had done everything she could to find help for her daughter.  She travel across the island to our little village in search of help.  She had many sleepless night at several hospitals.  She watched her daughter die. Yet she remains strong and still believes that God’s will was done.  She came this week to visit for a few days and for us to spend time with her boys.

Through the many weeks of pain, sorrow, joy and laughter she made lots of lifelong friends with many of us here in Cazale.  She loves Dr. Jen and wants to someday see her again.  She will never forget all she went through with Renia.  She lives on top of a mountain with 3 other houses, close to some of her other family members.  Not really a part of a village, just the little group of homes.     The staff member that took her home had to stay the night at her house because he could not get there and back in one day.  She is beginning to get her life back in order and is happy to be spending time with her boys.  She lost all her animals in the months she was gone.  RHFH was able to give her funds when she left.  She has already bought a few chickens and brought us one as a gift.  She also brought lots of yams.   

 Her next gift to us is a turkey.  In fact she has 2 babies ones living near her home that she is feeding and caring for.   One for RHFH and one for Dr Jen.  Sometimes people ask us why we receive gifts from our Haitian friends.  Why not tell them to keep the chicken to feed their kids, or keep the fruits, vegetables or other gifts we often get.  Dr Jen, and RHFH were able to help Solange and Renia as best we could.  They were treated like people here and loved.  To us it might not seem like we are doing a big thing, but to them it is.  When someone tells you~ thank you for treating me like a human and not a dog, they mean it from their hearts.  Health care is not an easy thing to find in Haiti.  Health care shown with love and compassion if very rare.  So when a patient brings us a chicken, or other gifts, we accept it and know it comes as something very special from them.  They have carried, walked and taken tap-tap from a far distance to bring the gift.  We often get fresh eggs from the mountains.  They are normally each wrapped in banana leaves, or small rags.  Lovenly wrapped as a thank you gift from them and their family. 

Solange wanted me to tell each of you thank you for praying for her and her family, thank you for caring about her, thank you for making her feel like a person, thank you for the gift of funds and thank you for following her story and caring.