Provide Healthcare & Education for Haiti's Orphans

Dear SHH Community, 

Happy New Year! As we step into 2025, we want to take a moment to reflect on the incredible impact you’ve made. 

First, a heartfelt thank you for your generosity this past GivingTuesday. Your donations are critical to sustaining our mission and enabling us to continue improving the lives of the children and young adults at Saint Dominique’s orphanage. Your support truly makes a difference—and today, we want to share a story that demonstrates just how life-changing it is. 

A Life Saved: How Your Support Makes an Impact

Recently, one of the young boys at the orphanage began experiencing extreme discomfort, which soon escalated to fainting spells. After an urgent evaluation, doctors discovered he had both an incarcerated inguinal hernia and an undescended testicle, which can lead to infertility or cancer if left untreated. This required two separate surgeries—one to repair the hernia and another to locate and save the testicle. 

Thanks to your support, this critical situation was brought to the attention of SHH’s medical team of physician advisors via our nursing staff at Saint Dominiques. Dr. Ellen Lawson (board member & SHH medical advisor) worked closely with the nurses in Haiti to guide his care, ensure the surgeries were performed immediately, and provide ongoing advice throughout his recovery process.

Today, we are thrilled to report that this amazing young boy is back on his feet and thriving! This wouldn’t have been possible without the specialist expertise and resources you’ve helped make available. 

One Month into the STARS Program

We’re also excited to share an update about the Young Adult Development STARS Program, which officially kicked off on December 13th in partnership with Kids Connection Haiti. This program is empowering 27 young adults from the Saint Dominique orphanage to build critical skills for their future. 

Every Friday and Saturday (excluding holidays and special events), the young adults gather to engage in structured learning and interactive workshops: 

• Fridays: Reviewing and getting feedback on the previous week’s session, planning for the next topic, and completing a pre-test to gauge understanding.
• Saturdays: A guest speaker leads a workshop, provides practical examples and exercises, reviews questions, and assigns work to be discussed the following weekend.

So far, guest speakers have included an agronomist, psychologist, economist/HR leader, and journalist, covering topics such as building self-esteem, being assertive, goal setting, and effective communication. The on-site staff have reported strong participation, and the young adults are enthusiastic about the program, eager to develop the skills they need to prepare for adulthood. 

We’re proud to support their journey and will continue to share updates about their progress. This program is a testament to what’s possible when we come together to invest in Haiti’s future leaders. See the pictures in this message taken from one of the recent workshops (focused on effective communication).

Looking Ahead

Your continued generosity allows us to provide resources & support needed to offer essential healthcare, young adult development, and educational opportunities to this amazing group of children and young adults. We remain committed to being there for every child in times of need—just like we were for this young boy. 

Thank you for being a vital part of our mission. Together, we’re creating a brighter future for Haiti’s next generation and are exciting to have you along for the journey! 

Warm regards,
Tommy Conner
President, Sustainable Healthcare for Haiti

P.S. Want to stay involved in 2025? Follow our updates and share our mission with others. Every voice and every dollar make a difference. 

Links:

• Our website