Medical Resident Jean-Lochard L. (LCS '14)
Jean-Lochard L. (LCS '14) is completing his medical residency in Gonaïves in Haiti’s Artibonite region. When the government of Haiti declared a state of emergency on March 20th, the residency program was temporarily suspended and some residents returned home, but Laguerre continues to go to the hospital to do the best he can to serve his patients.
Many of the supervising doctors travel long distances to Gonaïves for work, so if there is a roadblock or other issue, Jean-Lochard and his colleagues are the only ones there for their patients. Additionally, like so many places around the world, there is a dire shortage of PPE.
Despite this, Jean-Lochard remains dedicated to his responsibility to care for his fellow Haitians:
"Today I am still in Gonaïves, not working as usual, but doing what I can to help my patients. I am not saying it's easy, but it's something that we have to do as professionals. We have 62 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Haiti, and I know that things can get worse very fast. I am careful while I am working and praying that things will get better soon."
Jean-Lochard is not alone among LCS alumni. When 25 percent of LCS students go on to study medicine and 90 percent of our graduates remain in Haiti to build a brighter future for their country—the imperative of THP’s mission has never been more important.
A Note from THP President Reese Grondin
Dear THP Community,
For many people, stimulus checks simply can't come soon enough. With nearly 30 million people unemployed in the US, the stimulus payments are sorely needed, or may serve to help family and friends in need.
But for some, it may present an opportunity to help others. I am one of those fortunate ones. My family has seen our employment continue.
So, when we recently received our stimulus check, we gave some of it away. The Haitian Project was first on our list, but it was not the only charity we supported at this time. We have taken this as an opportunity to do what we can to help the marginalized in our world weather this storm.
We recently wrote about how The Haitian Project is the "stimulus program" for our community in Haiti. If you are fortunate enough to be able to do so, we hope you will consider sharing a portion of your stimulus check with those charities in need—whether that’s locally or in Haiti.
Please stay safe and well,
Reese