My name is Kristi Cunningham, a midwife for over 20 years and a resident of Jamaica. This island has given me everything — my family, friends, music, and life — and our hearts are broken for the one-third of Jamaica devastated by Hurricane Melissa, where women and children have been hardest hit, losing homes, access to care, and safe spaces.

With the St. Elizabeth hospital severely damaged and nearly 15,000 people living in emergency shelters, mothers face pregnancy, birth, and newborn care in unsafe conditions.

Healthcare workers are struggling to reach families, making it urgent to ship WHO Clean Birth Kits — sterile gloves, a clean sheet, cord ties, a blade, soap, and gauze — so safe births can happen even when facilities are compromised. Floodwaters, dead animals, and contaminated food have raised the risk of dengue, water-borne illness, and infection, leaving women and children especially vulnerable.

As a family, we are coming together to help these women have safe, protected shelters and to provide transportation so medical providers can reach their patients in the communities, especially in Petersfield. Your donation will go directly to our points of contact on the ground. By giving, you help deliver essential supplies, safe access to care, and solar lights to keep families protected at night — offering mothers and babies the dignity, safety, and support they urgently need.

From our family to yours, thank you for helping us stand with the women, children, and caregivers of Jamaica during this heartbreaking time.