Dominican Republic Medical Missions

Many of you know that I took 2 1/2 months off of work to be in the Dominican Republic. Last year after I came home from Azua, I knew I had left my heart there. I had came with 2 other NICU nurses and we had the chance to go to their local NICU. What I saw there completely broke my heart and changed my life. I knew the hospital was under resourced. But I had no idea that they would literally have nothing. No IV pumps, No monitors, No blankets for the babies, No radiant warmers or isolates that worked. When I say they had nothing. I mean they had absolutely nothing. After seeing a full term baby girl die because she didn’t have something as simple as a blanket to keep her warm, I knew something needed to be done. I knew I couldn’t just sit back and do nothing. I came home after that week knowing God would be calling me to go back at some point I just didn’t know when. Fast forward to almost a year later I was preparing to go back to the Dominican with a team from Pensacola, for our already planned week long mission trip. 2 months before we left God told me he needed me there longer than a week. To be completely honest, at first I was a little resistant. I wanted to go back but how was I supposed to leave my Job and Pay all my bills for 2 months??? So many thoughts went through my mind but I knew I just needed to be obedient to what God was asking me to do and the rest would fall into place. And it did. Every little detail that needed to be worked out for this trip to happen fell Into place so easily! (And it still blows my mind how God really does go before and pave the way for us!) I was able to fly down to the Dominican with my original team. On our team we had 5 NICU nurses with us (also, another God moment for me!! Not 1 but 5 NICU nurses on our team!!) after a week my team went back home, and I stayed here. The doctors and nurses here want to learn. They want to improve their mortality rate just as much as I want them to. They were just never offered the education or the resources they so desperately need. There is so much we take for granted in the States that we don’t even think twice about. When you go to give birth to your baby you don’t even think about them getting cold because the hospital doesn’t have blankets. You don’t even think about the nurses taking care of you not know how to resuscitate your baby if they needed to. In the United States we can rest easy knowing nurses and doctors are well trained and well equip to do their jobs. I can’t even imagine the thought and fears that the mothers here have to face when they go in to have their baby. What we would consider simple education and minimal resources, would be life saving over here. This unit needs a lot. They need a lot of training. They need a lot of resources. It’s a lot. But absolutely nothing is too big for our God. He placed me here for a reason. There is so much we can do to help! This is also so much bigger than me. I can’t do this alone, nor do I want to! God has provided people and resources every step of the way and I know that this is just the beginning!! So far we have been able to purchase Ambu bags, thermometers, and baby blankets! So many people have been asking how they can donate so I have made this go fund me account to raise money for all the many resources this NICU needs. They still need resuscitate supplies, working isolates and radiant warmers, monitors, just to name a few. I set the goal at $10,000 because I’m not going to limit what God can do in and through us! Every single baby has such value to their life. It was never the Lords intention for a mother to suffer the loss of her child when it is completely preventable. Together we CAN make a difference. Thank you in advance to everyone that donates! Please share this and be praying over this ministry with me!