You never know when another dollie recipient organization will pop into our orbit!
Last year dollie maker Patti Black (owner of BlackInk – a fabulous stationary & paper goods shop in Pacific Palisades, CA) put us in touch with Michael Mertz, of Financial Transaction Services in Chicago IL. Â Michael’s company provided the means for us to use credit cards at our first Dollies Making A Difference event fundraiser in October 2011.
Well, when Michael heard all about the dollies, he connected us with his mother Pat Mertz, who is the founder of The Women & Children Health Clinic, located in the rural village of Braffoueby, Cote d’Ivoire, Africa.  After Pat raised her family, she spent 2 years in this village as a Peace Corps volunteer. She noticed that thousands of people in this area had no professional medical assistance for prevalent diseases that include malaria, yellow fever, and HIV/AIDS.
Taken from an interview Pat gave to Northwestern University in 201o when the clinic was just being built:  The clinic will help “3,000 people and possibly 6,000 people if you include the surrounding communities. The life expectancy in this area is only 37 years for men and 41 for women.  Malaria is a huge problem. Half of the women tested for it were positive, so their babies usually are stillborn.  Many of these people go to their traditional medicines first and after that fails and they are extremely ill, they turn to the Western medicine.  They don’t always get the medicine they need because either it is not available or they can’t afford it.”  Fortunately some of the treatment and services the clinic provides will be free.  “Antiretroviral drugs for HIV and AIDS will be free.  And the Rotary Club sponsors free Polio vaccinations, and there are programs in place that will supply free immunizations. At first we will have a nurse and mid-wife…then we’d like to see some more extra hands and maybe another nurse.”
Pat just returned from a humanitarian visit to the clinic. Â She took a whole load of dollies with her because, she said, “I know how important it is for these kids to have something special to hold so that they know that there are people who care about them, and so that they can hold and love and be loved in a harsh environment”.Â
Here is just one picture of a delighted child with her own dollie! Â More photos will follow.
