It’s not every day that you stumble across a human heart on a shelf in a second-hand shop.

It was only a few weeks ago I learned that the charity I work for–Haitian Assets for Peace International–is fundraising to build a cardiac hospital in Haiti. The Haiti Heart Institute’s noble mission is to bring specialist around the world to train Haitian doctors and nurses in clinical cardiology so they help patients who otherwise would die of treatable hypertension or heart conditions that could be corrected at birth. And like most noble missions, it sounds totally impossible.

“How in the world are we going to build a hospital?” I think incredulously.

I don’t have a lot of faith of a spiritual nature or of universal forces beyond myself steering the stars to align in any way that makes a difference to my fate. But…

Today, I walked into Changing Thymes in Grandville, Michigan and I saw a heart for sale for $25.00.

I texted my boss.

Me: “I have found a heart. Can Gedeon use one?” (Don’t worry, I sent pictures so she wouldn’t panic that I had become some kind of black market organ procurer.)

She texted the doctor in Haiti. A short while later…after I’ve shopped for groceries…I get a reply:

Boss: “I would say go ahead. [Dr. Gelin] used to draw a diagram like this on the board when teaching EKG.”

Just imagine that…a doctor who has to use an overhead projector to teach students how to do an EKG.

I can’t build a hospital…but I can send a heart to Haiti. And maybe, if you want to make a difference, you’ll want to send a little heart to Haiti too!

* * * * *

If you wish to contribute to the shipping costs for the heart or help fund the Haiti Heart Institute you can find a link to my Facebook fundraiser until August 31, 2023 here:

Facebook Link to Donate to Shipping Costs

After that, you can give via the HAPI website which details the plans to build the first cardiac hospital in Haiti:

Donate to HAPI & Haiti Heart Institute

You can read more about the HAPI & Haiti Heart Institute plans on our website:

Haitian Assets for Peace International

And should the universe be speaking to me via secondhand store shelves–I’m going to keep my eye out for a hospital the next time I go wandering the aisles.