Rebecca: An International Women’s Day Story
Rebecca will not be stopped.
She’s working hard in medical school; now, after her white coat ceremony, she finds herself near the end of her training. Against all odds, she’s made it this far with near-perfect grades in every class.
I remember first meeting Rebecca, many years ago, but I don’t know exactly why we became as close as we are today. I can’t pinpoint what helped us connect on such a deep level, but Rebecca and I became real friends – and she trusted me with her story. This kind of relationship is special. It doesn’t happen with every client, but when it does, it’s magical.
Early Days
Even as a sixteen-year-old, when we first met, Rebecca had a quiet and commanding strength about her. It was true even amid dark circumstances. She had just been assaulted by a man in her neighborhood. When Rebecca’s mother found out, she was, understandably, deeply upset. Enraged. She made an attempt to bring justice to the situation, filing an official case against the rapist. In an environment like Haiti’s (where justice is painfully rare, particularly for women and victims of sexual violence) this was an incredibly brave response.
In a sense, it worked. The man was nervous enough that he left the country. Rumor was that he was hiding out somewhere in the Bahamas. Rebecca’s mom then helped her find help from a psychologist, another almost unheard of response to sexual assault in Haiti. When we talked about it, Rebecca told me she doesn’t really know how her mom knew to seek psychological support and help. She just did. That spring, Rebecca began the weekly prenatal program at the Heartline Maternity Center.
I vividly remember the day Rebecca gave birth to her son. Her courage was palpable. Pregnancies that are a result of violence are pretty common in Haiti, but the way Rebecca moved through life afterwards was anything but.
After her son J. was born, Rebecca conscientiously breastfed him and religiously attended every postpartum class she was offered. She had always loved school and been a top student, but Haitian culture does not welcome teen or single mother pregnancy. So she had withdrawn from school when her pregnancy was discovered. After a full year off she re-enrolled, returning to school without ever revealing she had given birth. She kept that to herself until well after graduation. Heartline donors, through our Community Care programs, joined forces to fund her schooling and support her family. Her mother, now more clearly the blueprint for Rebecca’s strength and grit, has been a solid rock, caring for Rebecca’s son as if he were her own child.
Dèyè mòn, gen mòn
Troy and I were in the audience when Rebecca graduated at the top of her 90-student class in 2017. When she was a client at the Maternity Center, Rebecca had her sights on studying medicine. I confess now, that I was encouraging to Rebecca outwardly, but inwardly quite doubtful. Pursuit of higher education is beyond difficult for even Haiti’s best and brightest. Haitian schools close often due to political unrest and funding drying up. Even if a degree can be pursued, finding a job is another mountain to climb at the end of the long journey to graduate.
But one of the most popular proverbs in Haiti says “Dèyè mòn, gen mòn.” It translates as “Beyond every mountain, there's another mountain.” Haitians live by this proverb. Climbing their way out of difficulty is nothing new. It certainly wasn’t new for Rebecca.
In the fall of 2017, she moved to the Dominican Republic to begin learning Spanish. She couldn’t be accepted to medical school until she could pass the entrance exam in Spanish. (Today, Rebecca speaks French, Haitian Creole, Spanish, and English.) Soon after, she was in medical school, backed by the Heartline Scholarship Fund. Now, she’s on the verge of finishing her education.
Looking Forward
I will do everything in my power to be present in Santo Domingo on the day Rebecca walks across the stage to receive her degree in medicine. I plan to sob uncontrollably at the success of this young woman who so inspires me with her moxie, grace, brilliance, and tenacity.
We love to celebrate success stories, and there are few better than Rebecca’s. In her, we witness the strength of Haitians everywhere, the determination and courage of her mother, and the outpouring of love and support from Heartline donors across the globe who walked alongside her in this journey.
You can help write more stories like Rebecca’s.
Consider a gift to the Heartline Maternity Center, where Rebecca got the prenatal, delivery, and postpartum care she needed to safely deliver her son into the world and support him in his first days.
Or consider supporting our Community Care project, through which Heartline donors funded Rebecca’s secondary school education and financially lifted her family during difficult times.
You can also support our Scholarship Fund, through which Rebecca’s medical school tuition, textbooks, and fees are taken care of, so she can focus on her education.
Thank you for all you do to support young Haitians like Rebecca.
About the Author
Tara Livesay
Tara Livesay is originally from Minnesota. She is a Certified Professional Midwife and a Licensed Midwife in the State of Texas. Tara is the director of the Heartline Maternity Center, located in Port au Prince, Haiti. Tara and her husband, Troy, along with their seven children, moved to Haiti in January of 2006, where they lived and worked for fourteen years. In addition to overseeing The Heartline Maternity Center, Tara is the co-founder of The Starting Place, a center for maternal healthcare and education in Central Texas. She’s also a co-author of The Starting Place Curriculum, which equips healthcare providers to provide holistic midwifery care in low-resource settings.
