"We are each of us angels with only one wing,
and we can only fly by embracing each other." Anonymous
My Journey Back Home
I was born in Port-au-Prince, the capital of Haiti. Because of our family’s economic situation while growing up, I occasionally had to go to bed hungry. I grew up in a country with very few resources and an extremely oppressive and dangerous political climate.Schools closed at the first sign of political unrest, books were banned and rare to find.
I also lived in a caste society wherein women were considered second-class citizens without the opportunities and rights that men automatically enjoyed. In spite of these challenges, I was given tremendous support from my relatives and was brought up to believe that I could do and be anything I desired. Because of them, I decided that I was going to be smart and go as far as any man could ever go. I was going to be different, I was going to be a champion of hope!
Several important events compelled me over the years to become a doctor. When I was 9 years old, I became very ill and was brought back to health by the caring of my paternal grandfather, a well-known indigenous healer. At age 16 my desire to be a doctor and serve the poor was cemented when I acted as an assistant to Joseph, a nurse who was running a clinic in Source Chaude, a poor rural town.
My dream, while growing up, was to build a hospital, just as Albert Schweitzer had done, to provide medical care for the poor. In pursuit of this dream, I became an obstetrician-gynecologist and was fortunate enough to work among diverse populations and conditions in New York, Mexico, Jamaica, and Milwaukee.
In 1982, I established my ob/gyn practice in San Diego, and in 1993, the non-profit Health Through Communications Foundation. Through HTCF, I developed "Let’s Stay Healthy," a cable television talk show geared toward low-income viewers and reaching over 600,000 households. In addition, I’ve recorded several audiocassettes, written articles for various publications and a Spanish-language newspaper column covering women’s health issues. I’ve made numerous talk show appearances discussing the importance of helping women to become better informed about their own health to become self- empowered to take charge of their own well-being.For almost two decades, I had been providing free medical care to under-served women through Catholic Charities, St. Vincent de Paul Village, and Native-American Health programs. In addition, I have received multiple community awards for my on-going efforts to improve the life of the women and children of San Diego.
I met Charles Rene, MD in 1989. He was an ob-gyn with a private practice in New Orleans and the co-founder of AHDH – Association Haïtienne de Development Humain - Haitian Association for Human Development.. He asked me to join his team of health-care workers who travel to La Vallee de Jacmel, Haiti, three times a year to provide free medical care. On these charitable visits, they provide outpatient care, minor surgery, and when permitted, emergency C-sections.
The team helps an average of 150 patients per day, putting in long days of 12 hours or more. There is a single non-sterile operating room without adequate supplies, therefore, only minor surgeries under local/regional anesthesia can be performed. A generator provides electricity, but only when there is gas. Often, surgery is performed with an assistant holding a flashlight while a citronella candle wards off mosquitoes and flies.
During my “search for myself,” I returned to Haiti several times, often attempting to do volunteer medical work, in addition to the money I often sent to help those in need. Dr. René asked me to go with his group of medical missionaries, but I put it off. I realized that I believed that I could not join Charles and the others because I just did not have enough guts to do it.
This small dispensary hospital, built by the people of La Vallee, is
located in the southwestern part of Haiti, an arduous three-hour journey from
Port-au-Prince.
During the rest of the year when the team is not present, the majority of ill people
die from a lack of basic medical care.
Currently one of the poorest underdeveloped countries in the Western
hemisphere, being plagued throughout its dynamic history with catastrophic political
upheaval and unrest. Haiti’s demographic breakdown is startling:
No basic necessities to sustain life and health such as electricity, safe running water,
or food and shelter for the majority of its people
No infrastructure for basic medical care for its poor
The highest rate of infant mortality in the Western hemisphere
A life expectancy for adults of only 45 years
85 percent illiteracy rate
80 percent unemployment rate
On July 4, 1999 the answer came to me, although I am not sure how. The message was clear: It’s time to go home to use the skills I had acquired through the years. I knew that the conditions would be horrible, but that it was the right thing to do. Before, I had always let my fear talk me out of going. This time, when fear tried to take over, it was met with: “Vas ou tu veux, meurs ou tu dois.” “Go where you must, die where you have to.”
How can I explain what I felt when we finally landed few months later? When I set foot on Haitian soil, it was like being reborn. "I am home," I said. It was like a rejuvenating potion had been instilled into my veins. I was finally home!
Soon afterwards after meeting with Joseph Lauture - one of the founders of Fraternité Valléenne de New York – Vallean Fraternity of New York, Dr. René, Professor Aubies Franck co-founder of CODEVA, the NGO who built most of the infrastructure in the county of La Vallee de Jacmel, and I, the Angels for Haiti Project was born.
The mission of the Angels For Haiti Project is that future generations of Haiti
inherit an infrastructure, which includes adequate health care access, education and economic development, as well as create a clean environment.
To enable young people as well as adults to look toward the future with renewed hope while at the same time developing as integral and responsible members of their families and community.
The Angel for Haiti Project through the generous contribution of many angels has been instrumental in:
Providing a warm daily meal to 35 kindergarten children who otherwise would have gone hungry in La Vallee de Jacmel.
Building a primary school in Bizoton and Belladheres.
Obtaining funding through our angel benefactor Marshall Saunders to open two branche of Fonkoze – a credit union that helps the poorest of the poor in Haiti through micro loans.
Providing art and music classes, instruments and art supplies to Ridore and Muzac.
Pay the salary of 38 teachers for the above schools.
Continuously providing medical supplies for the St. Joseph Hospital in La Vallee.
Build a park large enough to accommodate a soccer field as well as providing uniforms and sport equipments.
Pay for food and lodging for those who cannot afford to leave their village to go for Rheto & Philo exams in Jacmel.
Creating the scholarship for 40 laureates as well as for 200 destitute students enabling them to go to school each year.
Renovating the latrines, building a modern toilet for teachers, as well as quarters for the school custodian at the Lycee Philippe Jules in Ridore.
The creation of a school band at the Lycee Philippe Jules in Ridore.
Organizing since 2002 the Journée des Enfants Pour la Paix where about 1,000 children participate in a day of art, contests with prizes, music, free breakfast, lunch and fresh water.
Building a water tower for the hospital
Renovate many areas of the hospital that includes a fully functionning operating room.
Dr. Carolle's Wellness & Retreat Center
P.O Box 2348 La Mesa, CA 91943-2348
619-741-7261 drcarolle@cox.net
Copyright 2010, Carolle Jean-Murat, M.D.,
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