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Samelle Joseph

A Life-Changing Day

December 19, 2016 - Haiti

Samelle Joseph

Free Surgery Begets a Lifetime of Opportunities

View this story and original report.

Samelle Joseph is a 10-year-old girl who has been living with a very severe form of Blount’s disease, a deformity of the lower limbs that commonly afflicts a specific ethnic group in Haiti. The disease also includes increased weight and specific morphologic features, as well as moderate to severe progressive medial leg bowing and tibial bone changes.

Because of the deformation caused by Blount’s disease, Samelle and children like her face physical disability, discrimination, limited opportunities, and the emotional and financial distress which accompanies these. Thanks to the operation that Samelle received for free through RMF’s surgical clinic at the Hôpital Lambert Santé, she will gain greater mobility and have opportunities that would otherwise be denied her.

Continued Support in Haiti

In the aftermath of the January 12, 2010 earthquake, in addition to tackling some of the immediate relief needs, RMF moved forward with a comprehensive long-term strategy for sustainable health services development in Haiti to help rebuild its shattered public health system. This initiative is all the more essential in light of the destruction brought by Hurricane Matthew and the subsequent cholera outbreak.

The UN recently called the needs in Haiti “vast ” with “600,000 children being stalked by disease, hunger and malnutrition.”

RMF will continue to support Haiti in working towards sustainable services and liberating the potential of Haitians like Samelle Joseph, but we need your help.

Consider donating today so that we can continue to provide unwavering support to the people of Haiti.

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