Bishop Donald J. Hying announced to the Madison-Jacmel Covenant Committee in November that the Diocese of Madison is offering a matching gift this Advent, in support of midwife salaries at a healthcare clinic affiliated with the Diocese of Jacmel, Haiti. The two dioceses have a relationship dating back two years, when Bishop Hying signed a memo of understanding with Bishop Glandas Marie Erick Toussaint, of the Diocese of Jacmel, in a spirit of solidarity and spiritual support.
“Imagine the vulnerability of Mary in her pregnancy and labor, and the subsequent joy the Holy Family shared in Mary’s divine maternity,” said Bishop Hying. “Our combined effort here in the Diocese of Madison this Advent will allow women and families to echo that Marian joy in their lives today in the Diocese of Jacmel.”
Dr. Jean Judeson at the Haitian health care clinic, Centre de Santé Sacré-Coeur of Thiotte (CSST), does not have a midwife to assist him. Often, he attends to three laboring women at once, and he rarely takes a day off. The care he provides to families often means the difference between life and death.
For example, instead of traveling eight hours to obtain labor and delivery care after a dangerous late-term pregnancy diagnosis from Dr. Judeson, a mother and father safely welcomed their newborn son at CSST.
“Access to prenatal care, skilled labor and delivery staff, and a doctor is rare for most women in Haiti,” said Carole Wakefield, the executive director of the Haiti Medical Mission of Wisconsin, which provides funding for key positions at CSST. “This family was blessed with a healthy baby boy thanks to quick action at the clinic and the support from donors here in the United States.”
Dr. Judeson, the medical director at CSST, urged parents Altagrace and Rodolpho to reconsider a risky trip to the Dominican Republic for a cesarean section after Altagrace’s pre-eclampsia diagnosis. As an alternative, Altagrace stayed at the clinic for the birth.
“It turned out that the newborn needed oxygen,” Wakefield said, “and this was also available through the financial support we provided to CSST.”
The uncertainty Altagrace faced in her pregnancy is similar to that faced by the Blessed Virgin Mary herself as she anticipated her impending labor two thousand years ago.
Mary also happens to be Altagrace’s namesake. Since the 1500s, Our Lady of Altagracia (Highest Grace or Divine Maternity) has watched over Hispaniola (Haiti to the west and the Dominican Republic to the east) as the unofficial patroness of the island.
Political unrest, gang activity, rampant violence and kidnappings, and lack of access to quality healthcare have pushed many families to seek medical assistance outside populated areas.
CSST, located in the relatively safe and rural southeastern portion of the Diocese of Jacmel, has seen a 45 percent increase in complicated pregnancies in the past year alone, with medical personnel assisting with more than 360 births, and another 96 women seeking C-sections — currently not available at the clinic due to a lack of medical personnel for surgical rotations.
“The clinic is still looking for ways to build out options for safe deliveries,” Wakefield said. “In the meantime, this generous match and contribution from the Diocese of Madison will help provide much needed care for pregnant women and infants.”
The salary for a midwife at the clinic is approximately $12,000 per year (U.S. dollars). Two midwives would help the clinic meet the significantly increased demand for maternal and childcare services.
To contribute to the Diocese of Madison Advent 2023 Midwife Match, visit madisondiocese.org/Haiti.
For more information on the matching gift opportunity, contact Jill McNally at 608-821-3039 or Jill.McNally@madisondiocese.org.