Mid Rivers Newsmagazine 2-21-18

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February 21, 2018
MID RIVERS NEWSMAGAZINE
Local foundation, donors seek to impact the lives of Haitian children
By DEANNE LEBLANC
Kyle McClellan is used to hard work,
patience and persistence. He grew up in St.
Louis and accomplished every boy’s dream
– winning a World Series Championship
with the Cardinals.
McClellan and his wife, Bridget, now
are raising their family locally and investing
much of their time and resources into
Brace For Impact 46, a nonprofit organization
they began after a life-changing trip to
Haiti.
Brace For Impact 46 provides funding
and resources in Cap-Haïtien, Haiti, particularly
for the benefit of the IDADEE
Children’s Home, its primary and soon-tobe
secondary school, and medical clinic.
The schools serve not only the 40 children
who live at the Children’s Home, but also
120 children in the community, one of the
poorest in Haiti.
Likewise, the medical clinic meets the
needs of the entire region, including remote
villages. When the clinic first opened, the
medical team expected about 1,000 people
per month to use its services; instead, they
saw over 350 people in the first day.
The foundation relies on local leadership
for knowledge of community needs; then,
it helps to meet those needs with financial
support. Whether investing in children or
families, the goal is to create leaders that
will realize their potential and someday use
their knowledge to impact their communities
in a positive way.
According to the McClellans, everyone
needs someone to champion them
and, although it may look differently
around the world, Brace For Impact is in
the business of championing those looking
for an opportunity to have a successful
future.
Two years ago, a friend of the McClellans,
who requested anonymity, joined
them on a trip to Haiti. He was impacted
by his experiences there in a profound way.
Later, Brace for Impact found out that an
ambulance had been donated to the Haitian
clinic by this same man. The McClellans
were stunned and overwhelmed. But
Bridget said the experience proves the faith
behind the foundation.
Of Brace For Impact 46, Bridget said,
“My first thought was, ‘How much work
is this going to take?’ But I have learned
so much from the Haitian people. They
have such a positive attitude and they live
by the idea ‘If you have the will, then God
will provide the way.’ The Haitians have
so much grit and faith! They will find a
way to make it happen if they can find the
resources, and one thing we have is the
resources.”
“The benefactor met Dr. Wislyn
[Avenard] and knew that he wanted to do
something to help resource him,” Kyle
said.
Bridget added, “The ambulance is his
way to serve the people of Haiti. People
always try and find their role and ways to
help if they can’t give monetarily, so this
was his way of helping.”
Avenard, who today runs the clinic, grew
up in the EBAC Children’s Home. He was
sponsored for medical school, and then,
three years ago, decided he wanted to give
Haitian children served by the IDADEE Children’s Home
Kyle McClellan with the ambulance to be donated by Brace For Impact 46
back to the community in which he grew
up. Now, Avenard and his wife run the
medical clinic, the McClellans explained.
“The fact that this clinic is run by one of
the past orphans is amazing to me,” Bridget
said. “It is what this is all about.”
Prior to the gift of the ambulance, the
most the medical team could take into
remote villages were small backpacks
I 15
filled with a few medical supplies. However,
the McClellans said, an ambulance is
a game-changer. With it, the medical team
will be able to transport an entire mobile
clinic to villages in need.
Brace for Impact 46 was intentional
about making sure the ambulance arrives
in Haiti in perfect working order first. It
spent $5,000 on spare parts, air filters,
brakes and upgrading the tires so that the
clinic would only need to worry about one
thing – patients.
“Our focus, in everything we do, is to
create sustainability in the community,”
Kyle explained. “And that means making
sure that what is sent to Haiti is actually
useable and will provide something useful
for the community.”
The McClellans returned to Haiti last
month and said they were excited to see
what had been done since their last visit.
“It was so exciting when they got the
medical container full of supplies,” Bridget
said, “I can’t wait until they get the container
with the ambulance in it. It will
make such a difference in this community.”
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