Children come to Three Angels for an education, but our goals include more: we want to care for the whole child.
Because a healthy body is an important part of developing a strong mind, we do what we can to make sure every student has access to good nutrition and medical care. Education is key, since knowledge is power, and an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure! Our students are equipped with everything they need to know to care for their health—things like good nutrition and what that means, smart dental maintenance, good hygiene, the importance of sleep and exercise, and information about common challenges that affect the Haitian culture, such as diabetes and high blood pressure. In a country where lackluster health can lead to many more serious complications and illnesses, prevention and early care is super important.
Another important way we address the health of the children in our care is by providing well checks each year for every single child.
Since many of the parents do not have the financial ability on their own to seek medical care, much less preventative care, for their children, these well checks are a huge blessing and assure families of their child’s health and resources for caring for any gaps we might find. Not only that, but these parents are often prompted to seek attention for their own health concerns, rather than wait and have issues become more troublesome. Parents are encouraged to be present during their child’s exam so that not only will we have a good source for any informational gaps, but parents will have a better understanding of their child’s health. We believe that communicating well with these families will equip and encourage them to promote their entire family’s good health at home. Furthermore, these well-informed parents are instrumental in helping to spread the word to educate others in their community.
What happens in a well check?
Well checks are a “head-to-toe” exam, like an annual physical, so they include quite a lot!
Temperature is taken
Weight is measured
Respiration is checked
Vision is evaluated using a Snellen Chart
Dental exam, including cleaning, fillings, and a fluoride treatment; when warranted, some other treatments are provided
Administer anti-parasitical medication (twice each year, about six months apart)
Other medications are either administered or prescribed, as needed
Additionally, each child gets daily vitamins and receives other medications, such as vitamin C or decongestant cough syrup, if necessary. One of the more commonly-dispensed treatments is a special anti-fungal shampoo, since ringworm is very common.
Parents are especially thankful for the dental exams, which can be very costly—so costly, that most children would never see a dentist if not for the well checks we provide. During dental exams and cleanings, careful notes are made on their chart so that any children with deeper concerns will get priority to see the dentist ahead of other students.
It’s no small thing to care for an entire school!
As you might imagine, caring for over 300 students each year can take a lot of time! Our wonderful medical team—Dr. Laurin and nurses Tabithas and Soimene—examine about five children each day (for a portion of time set aside from regular community patient care), and Dr. Etienne provides dental checkups for about 15 children each day. That means it can take several months to complete a single cycle of well checks.
And we think that’s a worthy investment!
If you’re like us, you believe that providing medical care for a child is worth the expense and the time it takes. It costs about $40 per child for a complete well check that includes a full medical exam plus any necessary treatments or medications and a full dental exam and cleaning including any necessary minor procedures and a fluoride treatment. Click the button below to donate $40 per child you’d like to help, noting “Student Well Check” in the Comments section:
