New Life for Lorette

I met Lorette on my first Haiti mission trip in 2012. Lorette was my interpreter and helped me care for the Haitian community by providing medical care. She was so kind and loving towards her community that I asked her why she was not a nurse. She expressed her interest in helping others and working in the medical field, but her means would never allow her to attend college. After many evening meetings on this trip, FFCC, the organization I worked on medical mission trips with, came up with the idea of creating a program to fund some of the Haitians that we believed had a great drive and desire for a career that required college. John and I were blessed to have the means to sponsor Lorette to attend a bachelor's program in Haiti. Lorette graduated as valedictorian of her class and has been a practicing nurse for many years now.

This was no easy task! Lorette was a single mother of a young son and she lived an hour outside of Port-au-Prince, where the college was located. Most people in Haiti do not drive, or have vehicles. She to had to take transportation such as a tap tap (motorcycle) or a bus (which is a small motor van that is crammed with so many people they hang off the back) and these buses had frequent robberies and killings. To say the least, Lorette has an extremely good work ethic and drive and she has never stopped being appreciative for the support and opportunity.

After many years of traveling to Haiti and having the privilege of working alongside Lorette, she considers me a mother. I too, think of her as my Haitian daughter. She has since had a baby girl, Eugenie, that I have yet to meet. Sadly, since the beginning of COVID, I have not been able to return to Haiti and see them. The country has become more dangerous than it was already. The government has become corrupt and the country has been overrun by gangs. There are killings every day and most of the American assistance has left the country. Lorette had always said that she is proud to take care of the citizens of her country and that she never had any desire to leave, however, given the exponential increase in crime in the last couple of years, she no longer feels her children can have a decent life if they remain in Haiti. For most in Haiti, there is no hope. Lorette has a very strong Christian faith and we both believe God put us together for a reason.

Early this year, the U.S. Government began allowing Americans to sponsor Haitians to come to the US to live. This is possible as long as we can provide a plan of how we will get Lorette and her kids on their feet, as well as support them along the way until they become self-sufficient. John and I would like to bring Lorette and her children to live with us. We plan to assist Lorette to take the NCLEX exam so that she can get her nursing license in CA. She is already studying for it now. We plan to enroll her eldest son, Bernslo, in high school near us and assist him with learning English and getting the help he will need to attend an American public school. We will enroll Eugenie in a preschool/daycare once Lorette is able to start working. The goal would be to get them out on their own once Lorette is working and can support her kids.

John and I were made aware of this new program earlier this year. We attempted to apply immediately but Lorette did not have valid passports, which are required to submit the application. Due to the gang takeovers of Haiti, and the associated violence that has caused only intermittent government operations, it has taken many months and many trips through the dangerous streets of Port-au-Prince for Lorette to get their passports. As I mentioned, she is very determined. She has spent months getting rides to many different passport offices. The first trip she made, the passport office had just been bombed shortly before she arrived. She slept for 3 days at another office with the kids (because so many people trying to get in), and finally, she was able to get them all done at the end of April. We then immediately submitted her application to U.S. Customs and now we are told she will receive her authorization to come to the U.S. within the next month or two.

Our fundraising efforts are so that we can afford to fly Lorette and the kids from Haiti to California. I may need to fly to Florida to help them get to San Diego since this will be quite a culture shock for Lorette and Bernslo as they have never been to a country that has hot water, constant electricity, or any of the luxuries that we have here in the US. Currently, flights are running 1300-2000$/ per person for a one-way flight. This is insanely high and has increased to this crazy amount since Haitians have been allowed to travel to the US. We have tried for many years to have Lorette just come to visit us and have been denied by the Haitian government every time. Here is a list of what we are raising these funds for:

1. Flights to California, and possibly for Shannon to meet them in Florida once they leave Haiti.

2. Food, clothing, and other necessities for them once they arrive. I have a few baby items at home for Luna, but will need things such as a car seat, stroller, etc.. It is very unlikely they will have any sort of luggage to bring many of their personal belongings.

3. The necessary college courses that will allow Lorette to pass the NCLEX exam for her nursing license in the US.

4. Tutoring for Bernslo to speak English well enough to attend high school.

5. Any needed medical care.

6. 2-3 months of rent to help get them out on their own once Lorrette is able to find work.

7. School supplies.

We are sending this out to our friends and family, and ask that if you know anyone that would also feel compelled to help, please share this with them. Once Lorrette receives formal approval from Customs, we will start a blog of some sort so you can all follow along on their journey. I will send out a blog link once I get that all figured out.

With all this said, we thank you for considering helping us help Lorette and her kids. Most of all, we hope that you will have the chance to meet them all once they are here!

If, for any reason, Lorrette and her kids are unable to make it to the USA, all donations will be refunded.