November 11, 2005

Girl’s story shows need for
medical care for Haitians

By Mary Ann Wyand

St. Thomas Aquinas parishioner Joe Zelenka of Indianapolis has made 35 mission trips to Haiti since the parish began a twinning relationship with St. Jean Marie Parish in Belle Riviere, Haiti, in May 1990.

About 20 St. Thomas Aquinas parishioners also have participated in medical missions to Haiti since the spring of 1995.

Zelenka speaks fluent Creole and loves to visit with Haitians, but dreaded a visit there in September because he had to return the ashes of Anise Fleurentus, a 13-year-old girl from Belle Riviere, who died of complications from heart surgery at a hospital in St. Petersburg, Fla.

“It was probably the toughest trip I’ve ever made to Haiti,” he said. “When I went to Haiti in May, I met with Anise’s mother, Onise, and we talked about Anise coming to the United States for surgery and how we would take good care of her.”

Zelenka said he promised her mother that Anise would come back to Belle Riviere “much better than she was” because she would be healed.

“When Anise died, I felt terrible because I had promised her mother that we would take good care of her,” he said. “When I took the ashes back, my biggest fear was that the family would not forgive us and would not trust us again.”

However, he said, “there was no need for forgiveness. We hugged and she thanked us for giving Anise a chance to live. That was a real grace-filled moment, … a moment where God was truly present, and I felt honored to be able to take the ashes of Anise back to Haiti.” †

 

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