Construction team / KC's repair Wilfred's
crutch in Thiotte - December, 1998

     We met Wilfred JnCharles on our first fact-finding mission to our Sister Parish in 1994 in an overcrowded pre-school in downtown Thiotte.  Wilfred, then 7 yrs. old, with a white birth mark over his right eye, stood on a single, handmade, wooden crutch.  We pulled him from the crowd and promised to send him a pair of real adjustable crutches that could "grow" with him. (can you find him in the middle of the picture on the right?)

     On our first medical mission in 1996, Wilfred (pictured left) was examined by the doctor, who said Wilfred had suffered from polio when he was young and that his deformed right leg would always remain so unless at some point he had it removed to use a prosthesis.  We thought one aluminum pair of crutches would last a long time, but with all the walking up and down mountains, to and from school, on the rocky paths, the aluminum wore away, broke, and needed repairs.  So each sea container shipment had crutches for Wilfred.  On our yearly visits to Thiotte, Wilfred would always make a point of visiting us to say thank you for the crutches that he received on the sea containers.   One year we learned that Wilfred had fallen, broken his good leg and had to miss a year of school while he healed. His parents sent another of their children to school in his place that year and could not afford to put Wilfred back in school after he healed.  That's when Knights of Columbus came to the rescue and voted to send school funds to keep Wilfred in school.

During a visit in 1998 we learned from Wilfred's teacher that Wilfred is a very intelligent child. 
     St. Cecilia's Alicia Murphy and her mother stand with Wilfred (pictured right).  Alicia and Wilfred are both 12 years old at the time of this picture, but we see quite a difference in height! 

Below (left) is Wilfred in June, 2003 and (right) March, 2004 at his home.  Wilfred is now 17 years old (2004) and has 3 more years of high school in Thiotte.  After that he hopes to study law in Port-Au-Prince.

 
2003
 

 
    2004
     Individual parishioners from St. Cecilia have donated funds to make sure that Wilfred has a donkey to use to protect his good leg from further damage as he travels up and down the mountain, to and from school.