Running For Haiti

My favorite part about being pregnant and having a baby is, actually, the giving birth part.  I get this peace that comes over me as I head into the hospital in labor, or to be induced as was the case with Bethany.  I feel calm and excited all at the same time.  Part of it is because I know that I am going to finally meet that sweet baby that has been growing inside me for the last nine months.  Part of is it is because I know I won’t be pregnant anymore (Phew!).  And part of it is that I am totally comfortable in a hospital setting.  I know that I am going to walk into the hospital, be greeted with a smile, put in a room, taken care of while I labor,  given the option of an epidural (which I will NEVER say no to), and have trained professionals assist me and encourage me as I deliver.  I also know that if there are any complications, there are nurses and doctors there that care and will do whatever they have to to make sure my baby and I are healthy and safe.  I know that I will have a warm bed to sleep in for the next 24 to 48 hours, meals will be delivered to my room, my bed will be changed whenever it needs to be and even if it doesn’t need to be, I will have my own warm shower, a toilet to use, a squirty bottle to keep my sore bottom clean, pads, ice packs, pain meds and a nurse there to help me with anything I need help with.  I know that I will have a nurse help me with breast feeding if I need it (which I always do), and if the baby needs it, they will bring me bottles and formula to feed the baby.  I know that if I run out of diapers, they will bring me more.  I know that they will give my baby a hearing test and immunizations before we leave the hospital.  I know the staff will be sure I am comfortable and have all my questions answered before I am sent home with my sweet baby.  And when I get home I will have a loving husband, a warm home, adorable clothes to choose from for the baby, a camera to take tons of pictures, my family and friends will come by to hold the baby and even bring us warm meals so I don’t have to worry about cooking.  You tell me, what is not to love about all of that?

Did you know that 1 in 83 women will die from childbirth in Haiti?  Did you know that for every 1000 live births, 57 babies will die?  Did you know that there are women in Haiti giving birth in their home that is really a “tent” made from tarps and scraps of wood?  Could you imagine being in labor and not even having the option of going to a hospital, birthing center or calling the midwife to assist you in your home that has been set up for a home birth?  Could you imagine giving birth on a cot in a tent made of tarps that never dries out from the rain and has a mud floor?  Could you imagine having a complication and not having the option of calling 911 for an ambulance to take you to the hospital to be taken care of?  Could you imagine actually getting to a hospital only to be told they are too full or you can’t stay because you don’t have the money to pay?  Could you imagine having a newborn and not having a family to help you because they turned you away when you got pregnant?  Could you imagine bringing your baby to an orphanage because you don’t have the means to care for your baby?  Could you imagine not having the option of formula for your baby if your milk dried up?  Could  you imagine your baby starving right in front of you?  Could you imagine?

It really feel hopeless, but it’s not.  Heartline Ministries is there, changing the story of the women and babies in Haiti.  They are providing loving prenatal care, nutrition and education for pregnant moms, a safe place to give birth, medical care for moms and babies, and 6 months of follow up care and education after a woman delivers.  The people of Heartline are right there, living in Haiti, loving the women of Haiti.  They build relationships with these women, gain their trust and give them much needed love and support.  Since I learned about Heartline Ministries almost 3 years ago, all I have wanted to do is help.  How can I not want to help the women of Haiti have a wonderful, safe birthing experience like I have? 

As I told you all before, Heartline is in the process of raising funds for a new maternity center that will allow them to bring in even more women than they do now and perform more high risk births.  Barry McDonald is going to run 315 miles across Haiti to help raise the $800,000 necessary to build this new maternity center.  In 57 more days he will begin his 12 days of running about a marathon (26.2 miles) per day.  I am so excited to help with this endeavor.  Mine will be a tiny contribution, my personal goal is to raise $1000.  Last week I shared this with all of you here on my blog, but I also shared this with Shad and my small group from church.  And now, instead of just me running a 5K in January, I have an entire team running with me!  I didn’t even ask, they all just stepped up and said they were in.  So now our team, 4 The Love, is in training for a 5K.  For some of us, like me, we truly have to train.  For some of our team, a 5K is just a jaunt compared to the half marathon they are used to running.  But none of that matters.  We are all teaming up for the same cause.  So will you please join with us by sponsoring our team?  Every penny you give will go straight to the maternity center.  Any overhead  in our endeavor to raise funds will come directly out of my pocket.  You can donate by using the link in the upper left hand corner of this blog.  If you are not comfortable doing online payments, you can leave a comment on this post and I will email you back an address that you can send a check to, instead.  Please, if you are even feeling slightly prompted to give, do it. If you cannot give, I ask you to pray for a God glorifying successful fundraising.  Please do it for the love of the moms, for the love of the babies and for the love of Jesus.  Thank you for reading this and considering making a donation.