Her wide, alert brown eyes look around, taking in every aspect of her surroundings. For the average 10 month old baby, this is common, but for Rosemelie, this is a miracle. As Rosemelie weighs just a touch above 9 pounds and is the daughter to 18 year old Roseline, Rosemelie is lucky to be alive. Part of her miraculous recovery is because of the compassion of two nurses, Kacie and Aubree, and a Haitian woman, Yolynn at the Nehemiah Vision Clinic (NVM) in Chambrun. When Kacie and Aubree found Rosemelie, in September of 2010, at only 6 months old Rosemelie weighed just a little more than 4 pounds.

Rosemelie, born into a life where she would have to defy odds to live, has a 17 year old mother and a father who is the son of the village’s witch doctor who uses his status to seduce young women in the village. Rosemelie has several half-brothers and sisters in the village of Chambrun, leaving a slew of single teenage mothers in his path. Roseline was convinced that if she kept baby Rosemelie she could persuade the father to stay with her. Without question, he was not interested in staying or pursuing any further of a relationship with Roseline. As the father remained uninterested in baby Rosemelie, Roseline did as well. A child herself, with parents nowhere to be found and grandparents who live quite a distance away, Roseline does not know how take care of her child nor does she seem interested. Roseline tends to take off and leave Rosemelie with Yolynn, a woman in the village, who has taken this baby girl in and keeps a close eye on the young mother and child.

After Kacie and Aubree found little Rosemelie, they began the long journey of feeding this malnourished baby. If not for the baby formula that has been sent by Global Aid Network^® (GAiN^®), they would not have anything to feed this precious little girl. From September until January, Rosemelie has battled many different infections and illnesses, but has still managed to gain about 5 pounds. Yolynn, the baby’s caretaker, has children of her own to take care of and because caring for an additional child can be a burden in Yolynn’s already cramped home, Global Aid Network donated a large tent to Yolynn and her family to show appreciation for the amazing care she provides for the baby. When asked what she thought of this large, blue tent being set up, Yolynn smiled and said: “I love it.” Yolynn’s act of kindness is changing the course of Rosemelie’s life. In turn, Global Aid Network is having the chance to do the same.

To help Global Aid Network restore lives and hope in Haiti, you can partner with us. Check out the Disaster Relief page for more details.