As many of you know (because if you are even reading this blog, you probably got the mass email that I sent out in December), I am traveling to Haiti twice this year.
During my first trip this April, I will be going as part of a women’s health team from Emory to provide medical care and humanitarian support to the underserved Central Plateau. Our team is part of an established non-profit 501(c)3 organization, Project Medishare, and we will be running clinics near Haiti's border with the Dominican Republic. The team will include physicians, residents and medical students, and we expect to see close to 900 patients in our five days running clinic.
In terms of fundraising for the trip, we have 2 major costs that we are trying to cover: the trip costs for ourselves and for the physicians and interpreters that generously volunteer their time, and supplies for the trip, including much-needed medications, medical supplies, nutrition supplements, bed nets, water filters, diagnostic testing, and other public health interventions.
Because of the nature of our project, we are able to get medicines and supplies at very reasonable rates -- that is to say that even a small donation can make a huge difference and go a REALLY long way. Just to give you an idea, here are some estimates...
$0.55 covers 1 liter of oral rehydration solution to treat diarrheal illness, which we'll see in hundreds of kids
$5 covers a bednet to protect one patient from malaria for the next year
$10 covers antibiotics to treat malaria in one patient
$20 covers a water filter to protect one family from future parasites and diarrhea
Your donation will be put towards buying these supplies, which we will then deliver to patients during what will be, for many of them, their only visit to a doctor all year long.
Right now, I am about a third of the way to my fundraising goal. It would mean so much to me to have your support. Please consider making a donation... even $5 would make a big difference!
The easiest way to donate is through my personal (secure) fundraising webpage:
Or, alternatively, you can send checks made out to "Project Medishare for Haiti" with “Cathy McDermott” in the memo line. My address is 1445 Monroe Drive NE, Apt. C31, Atlanta, GA 30324.
If you know anyone else who might be interested in supporting this project, please feel free to pass this along.
Many of you know how long I have looked forward to being able to make a difference for those in need around the world… I would love for you to be a part of my first experience as a medical student doing global health work.
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