Celebrating International Year of the Midwife

“Birth is not only about making babies. It’s about making mothers.
Strong, capable, competent mothers who trust themselves 
and know their inner strength.” 
~ Barbara Katz Rothmans

The profession of midwifery intersects with many global causes. As part of advocating for global equality, we encourage women’s organizations of all shapes and sizes to highlight midwives’ voices on their channels! Today and every day, we’re excited to celebrate the midwives of the Heartline Maternity Center! 

“The World Health Assembly (part of the World Health Organization) has designated 2020 as the International Year of the Midwife. Midwives play a vital role in providing health services. They devote their lives to caring for mothers and children, giving lifesaving immunizations and health advice. They are often the first and only point of care in their communities.” ~ World Health Organization (WHO)

In 2020, WHO and the global healthcare community recognize and celebrate midwives, and we can’t think of a better way than getting to know them! Along with a team of nurses and support staff, these amazing women care for thousands annually, delivering an average of 120 babies each year. 

Meet the Heartline Ministries Midwives!

Guerline has been a part of Heartline Maternity Center’s staff since 2017 and brings a calm, nurturing presence to our team. She finished nursing school in 2013 and midwifery school in 2016. Guerline says of midwifery, “working with mothers brings me great joy. It’s a job that I can do with my whole heart.” She hopes by providing maternal healthcare, she can play a role in giving all Haitian women access to respectful care without discrimination. Guerline lives with her two and half-year-old daughter, Carla, and husband Sonson.

Islande began working at Heartline Maternity Center in 2016. Her gentle spirit and organization keep us grounded in kindness and sanity. She completed nursing school in 2014. After two years of working at the Heartline MC, she began midwifery school and graduated in 2019. Islande says, “working in midwifery gives me the opportunity to fight maternal mortality.” Her prayer is that someday Haiti will have more maternity centers like Heartline, so less Haitian women will die while giving birth. Islande lives with her sister, Stephanie, and aunt, uncle, and cousins.

Nadia has been working at Heartline MC since 2018. Her practical approach to midwifery care and contagious laughter reminds us that life doesn’t always have to be complicated. Nadia completed nursing school in 2013 and midwifery school in 2016. Nadia says, “I’ve always loved the work I get to do as a nurse, but since I started working at Heartline, I’ve come to love the work of midwifery even more. Being able to support women in labor, and giving them the opportunity to understand what’s happening with their bodies, brings me joy and satisfaction.” Nadia wants to see Haitian women have more access to excellent care providers in hopes that fewer mothers and babies will die. She also hopes more Haitian women will have the power to choose when they have babies, allowing them to care for and provide for the children in their homes. Nadia lives with her husband and baby, Abby, born at the Heartline MC in August 2019.

Stephanie has been a part of Heartline Maternity Center’s staff since 2017. Her enthusiasm and energy keep us engaged and excited about the work of the Heartline MC. Stephanie completed nursing school in 2016 and midwifery school in 2019. Stephanie notes, “The Heartline MC is very different from most hospitals in Haiti. We provide women with loving care.” She hopes to see Haiti provide more access to maternal healthcare through caring medical personnel, giving mothers and babies a greater chance at living through childbirth. Stephanie lives with her dog and cats, lovingly referred to as her children.

Fredelyne joined Heartline Maternity Center in 2018, bringing with her a steady joy that reminds us there’s always good in the world. She finished nursing school in 2013 and worked in maternal healthcare in the north of Haiti for several years before joining the Heartline MC. Fredelyne says, “I love working at Heartline MC because we have a solid team. We get excellent results, zero maternal deaths because our team works well together, and everyone’s opinion matters. I love the encouragement each team member receives and gives to each other and to the women we care for.” Fredelyne hopes Haitian women will have access to family planning, giving them more power to chose when they have children. She believes this will lead to fewer maternal deaths and healthier babies. Fredelyne lives with her husband and baby, Doodley, born at Heartline MC in October 2019.

Youseline joined Heartline Maternity Center in 2019. She brings solid midwifery skills and gentle care to our team. Youseline graduated from nursing school in 2015 and midwifery school in 2019. She says, “I chose midwifery because I wanted to contribute to the work of reducing maternal and newborn death in Haiti.” She hopes the future of all Haitian women includes access to excellent healthcare without discrimination in every institution. Youseline lives with her brother and sister.

Sancara joined Heartline Maternity Center in 2019, bringing with her a gentle and loving presence. Sancara works as a midwifery assistant and often supports mothers through postpartum breastfeeding struggles, walking with a laboring mom, or working alongside a midwife during prenatals. She is passionate and organized, and we are grateful for the ways she cares for all who enter the maternity center. Sancara is Mica’s sister. She lives with her mother, sisters, and nephews.

Elose joined us at the Heartline Maternity Center this year! Born in Haiti, she graduated from Kentucky Christian University with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. She also worked in labor and delivery for a year in Morehead, Kentucky. Elose’s goal is to get her Masters in Midwifery and work full time as a midwife in Haiti. She longs to see more maternity centers like Heartline in every department (province/state) in Haiti. Elose lives with her husband. 

Katie was born and raised in the United Kingdom and moved to the United States at thirteen years old. Katie graduated from Go Midwife in 2016 and trained at a birth center in California and with Sacred Song Homebirth in Kansas City. After finishing her CPM (Certified Professional Midwife) in 2018, Katie was offered a job with Sacred Song Homebirth and worked with them for the next two years as she researched Maternity Centers in different countries. She came across Heartline through the Starting Place program and realized that Heartline Maternity Center stood for everything she had been looking for in an organization. Over the past two months, Katie has loved getting to know all the midwives and mothers at the MC and is so excited to work alongside everyone for the next two years.

Auriette joined Heartline Maternity Center in February 2020. She’s a Haitian-Canadian midwife and recent graduate of Newlife International School of Midwifery. We are excited to have her as a part of the team and grateful she has returned to her birth country to work with Haiti’s courageous and strong women.

Mica joined the Heartline Maternity Center as an expecting mother in 2014. After a difficult pregnancy and complicated postpartum, she graduated from the postpartum program. Mica joined the Heartline MC staff in 2015, co-writing our famous breastfeeding education song, “Kite Bebe Souse,” now used throughout Haiti. Mica leads with grace, steadily serving the women she cares for and her coworkers. Mica completed midwifery school in 2017. She hopes to see more maternity centers throughout Haiti, reducing the number of maternal and infant deaths. Mica lives with her mother, sisters, and son, Caëlle.

Tara Originally from Minnesota is a certified professional midwife and the Director of the Heartline Maternity Center. Tara and her husband, Troy, and their seven children, moved to Haiti in January 2006, where they lived until returning to the United States in 2020. In addition to overseeing the Heartline Maternity Center, Tara and KJ have developed and rolled out the Starting Place, a maternal health initiative. Together, they teach other organizations using their training and development manual for maternal health programs in the developing world.

KJ Raised in Illinois and Texas, KJ knew that she wanted to serve mothers and babies at an early age. At the age of 18, KJ left home to begin her midwifery training in the Philippines. KJ, a certified professional midwife, has helped women deliver their little ones on three continents, stating she has lost track of how many babies she has caught. She is the older sister of 11 siblings and the auntie to many children, both biological and adopted. KJ serves as the Clinical Director of the Heartline Maternity Center and is the Starting Place co-founder.

To learn more about the Heartline Maternity Center, check out the Heartline Maternity Center Care Manifesto post by clicking here. 

Learn more about The Starting Place by visiting the website here. 

We’re closing out this post with a few thoughts from Heartline’s Auriette Reimer regarding why she chose midwifery and Haiti.

“My hope for the women of Haiti is that they would feel seen and cared for even in the midst of their hard and difficult lives and that they would all have opportunities for good healthcare, jobs, education, etc. no matter what their financial situation looks like. I’m passionate about midwifery because it is a door to growing trusting relationships with women where you can provide education – such as the importance of breastfeeding – that most people in developed countries already know. Sadly poverty-stricken areas of the world don’t have the same opportunities and access to important information compared to developed countries. Midwifery helps keep families together by allowing women to have quality healthcare during pregnancy and birth, while also showing them Jesus by loving and praying over them.”

Your faithful support of Heartline not only allows us to invest in Haitian families through programs in maternal care, education, outreach, and economic opportunity, but it also enables Heartline to employ 65 employees, including these wonderful women. Thank you for investing Haitian families with us!