Hospital visits with newborn kits

In March of 2012 the last of the newborn kits arrived in the DR via Jolona and Jim.  Grandma Toni had been busy since October of 2011 gathering supplies and sewing receiving blankets and little gowns to donate to new babies.  There were many willing helpers that donated pins, socks material, soap and diapers.

Counting the kits the Goodriches brought when they visited, there was a total of 176  kits  brought from Roosevelt! 



We visited the same hospital on both visits.  It is a maternity hospital in an older part of the city in the eastern part of Santo Domingo.  The cement was broken and patched and there wasn't a designated parking lot or place...we parked in whatever space we could find.

Elder Saint-Hilare(left), a temple worker, brought us to the hospital.  The floor tiles were broken and there were few lights.  All the corridors were dark and narrow.   We all left appreciating what we have a home.

As we went from room to room the head nurse would say don't leave her a kit, her baby died.  That happened in three different rooms.  We would go ahead and make sure the cccupants were presentable for the kids to visit.  If the patients wanted  a sheet for their bed they had to bring it with them, otherwise they laid on the plastic covered mattress.  They shared the bed with their baby.    We made our visit with the Goodriches on Christmas day. 

Everyone was happy to be photographed and were pleased to receive a bag of baby things.

To visit one wing of the hospital a gown needed to be worn.  Sister Saint-Hilare was the organizer of our trip and was very pleased to take us to the hospital.  She has started an organization in the DR to help new mothers and orphanages.          There were some rooms that she wouldn't let our grandkids go into because it was the area of high infection risk.

The mothers didnt stay long.  Many left on the same day. 
We were very grateful for the efforts of so many to touch a few lives and make just a little difference.