Bolivena Recovers Her Health and Spirit in Haiti
POSTED ON Jan 25, 2012
Bolivena's favorite color is orange, so she loves getting to go to school in a bright orange uniform.
Bolivena's father proudly shows COTN staff member Malou Faublas photos of his daughter recovering from her injuries.
Bolivena, in 2010, poses with an American doctor who helped her recover.
Bolivena plays around at the clinic in Barahona. She charmed all the doctors and nurses with her lively spirit.
Today, Bolivena's family lives in a safe, sturdy apartment, thanks to generous donations from COTN partners.
Bolivena Antoine stands shyly next to her father at home in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. She has just returned from school, proudly wearing her bright orange uniform, with orange ribbons in her hair. “My favorite color is orange,” says 8-year-old Bolivena. Her father is bursting with pride, showing his photos of Bolivena recovering from a broken pelvis and broken femurs in the Children of the Nations (COTN) clinic in the Dominican Republic after Haiti’s January 2010 earthquake. Fully healed, and loving the third grade, Bolivena thinks she might like to grow up and sell clothing like her parents.
Two years ago, Bolivena was not thinking about her future at all. All she could think about was the pain that seared from her hips every time she moved. Trapped in her home during the earthquake, Bolivena's little body was crushed under collapsing walls, and her pelvis was fractured in several places. Bolivena's father, Bolivar, was able to take her across the border to the Dominican town of Jimaní, where a makeshift clinic was set up to treat the victims of the earthquake. But without proper equipment like X-ray machines, and with little attention from the doctors overwhelmed by patients streaming in from Haiti, Bolivena didn't seem to be getting any better.
It was at this point that doctors volunteering with COTN offered to transport Bolivena to COTN's clinic where, thanks to so many volunteers, and so many donations, Bolivena was able to get the intensive care she needed. Within months, Bolivena was fully recovered, and ready to return to Haiti.
Going back to Haiti was hard for Bolivena and Bolivar, who were happy to see their family again, but had to struggle to rebuild their lives after everything was lost in the earthquake. But thanks to our partners’ generous outpouring of donations, Bolivena’s family is re-settled now in an apartment that COTN has rented for them. These donations also helped Bolivar to rent a small stand where he sells clothes. This small business has been a great success, and Bolivar is now able to provide for his family. He dreams of expanding his little shop, and getting a place in the shade, instead of the hot Haitian sun. "People buy more in the shade," he says, considering the future of his business.
Looking at Bolivena today, it's hard to believe that this young girl, bursting with energy and life, was once unable to move without intense pain. Today, Bolivena is grateful for her health, and excited for her future.
You can make a difference for children in need. Sponsor a child today!