For Maria, returning to Haiti is a death sentence

Maria, a child who lives in the community of the Batey Dos, suffers from a heart condition. Surviving harsh immigration conditions, Maria is stable thanks to the care of the staff at Pascal's Pantry.

Due to the care and attention of Dr. Huascar Rodriguez, food from the children’s kitchen, and the loving care of Pascal Pantry staff in the Batey, Maria has now stabilized her condition with numerous medications and constant care.

September 2025 — In October of 2023, the Transit Center of the ‘Zanmi Timoun’ foundation in Belladere, Haiti, received 89 unaccompanied children (77 boys, 12 girls) who had been deported to Haiti from the Dominican Republic. This represented a 33% increase from the previous month, and these repatriations continue to the present day.

One of the children was Maria (a pseudonym used for her security). She is an orphan, both her parents have died, and she was living with extended family in the Batey 2, a community of Haitian immigrants in the Dominican Republic. One night between midnight and 3:00 a.m., the immigration police came into the community, kicked in doors, and deported numerous inhabitants of the Batey. 

9-year-old Maria was among them.

Imagine arriving at an international border controlled by Haitian and Dominican gangs as a 9-year-old girl alone and without family. Immediately after her departure, Ana (name changed for her security), who has been the ILAC health collaborator and cook for Pascal’s Pantry for many years, called me. I called the Director of the Jesuit Refugee Service in the border town of Dajabon, Dominican Republic, Fr. Osvaldo Concepcion. I also called a Haitian doctor in Ounamenthe, Haiti (the sister city to Dajabon, just across the river) and asked him to please look for her.

Because Pascal’s Pantry has a photo and vital information on each child in the Batey, I was able to send both people a picture of Maria. Three days later, Dr. Lesley Manigat found her in Haiti, ten miles from the border. She stayed with Dr. Manigat that Christmas and then went to live with an aunt for almost two more years. Unbeknownst to me and the Pascal Pantry staff, she was not getting enough nutrition. As is well known, Haiti continues to face a severe humanitarian crisis, resulting from political turmoil, gang violence, and constant environmental disasters. According to UNICEF, 59% of Haitians live below the national poverty line. This crisis disproportionately affected children.

Six months ago, Maria's health was so poor that her aunt sent her back to Batey Dos, hoping to get her medical attention. When she finally arrived after a harrowing trip, she was diagnosed with Myocardiopathy. This 11-year-old’s heart was giving out. Due to the care and attention of Dr. Huascar Rodriguez, food from the children’s kitchen, and the loving care of Pascal Pantry staff in the Batey, Maria has now stabilized her condition with numerous medications and constant care.

In the Dominican Republic, Haitians are immediately deported when they seek medical care at hospitals or clinics—children included. This would be a death sentence for Maria. We are grateful to the generous donors who provided a year’s worth of funding for medication ($1,500) as well as the constant support of Dr. Huascar Rodriguez. Because of them, Maria still lives. 

Please consider giving to Pascal’s Pantry.

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