Michelle La Due M.S., L.Ac. Acupuncturist will be going back to Haiti for her third trip in May volunteering with the Naturopathic Earthquake Relief Clinic. This year she will be accompanied by her cousin, Whitney Denesha, a Social Worker who will be assisting the team in the clinics.
They will be traveling with the Venerable Thupten Jimpa, a Haitian born Tibetan monk who helped found the Clinic after the devastating earthquake in 2010.
Whitney Denesha
The make-shift clinics will be set up in orphanages, schools, homes and the ghettos offering free natural health treatment for another 2,500 people, bringing the total of Haitians served by this tiny grassroots operation to a staggering 17,500 since the earthquake.
Last year they found that many things had improved over the former trips: street lights were back on the main streets, which cut down the crime rates.
More houses have been rebuilt, more people have access to clean water, and some of the tent-camp inhabitants have been relocated to housing which has allowed for a few parks that were used as tent cities to become parks again.
Oliama, one of their local master herbalist, bonesetter and midwives passed away from the complications of long-term malnutrition at the age of 52.
Michelle LaDue
This illustrates the reality of poverty in Haiti. For a complete homage and memorandum for Oliama Deriviere, please look at our website: haiti.citronica.com.
People are already gathering around one of the clinic locations asking “when will they be back? I’m out of my drops/creme/herbs!”
The general feed-back over the years has been that being treated naturopathically at the clinic saves them from having to go to a doctor or hospital frequently. People are amazed how efficient natural cures are.
Donations to pay the local crew and provide them with a meal, petrol for the jeep, a translator, and crowd control helpers are needed.
All work by the non-Haitian crew is volunteered.
Three dollars provides each patient with a complete comprehensive treatment that includes: herbal remedies for their physical and emotional needs, acupuncture, cupping, massage, and/or bone setting.
Anyone wishing to help with the effort can make a donation via their Paypal account NaturopathicReliefClinic@gmail.com.
Checks or money orders can be sent to: Michelle LaDue, 455 West 23rd Street, Suite 1E, New York, NY, 10011 or Whitney Clair Denesha, 240 S. Goodman St., Rochester, NY 14607. Mark the donation “Haiti Clinic” in the memo section.
More information can be found at the website: www.haiti.citronica.com.
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Michelle LaDue is a licensed acupuncturist and Nationally Board Certified Chinese Herbalist who holds a Masters of Science degree in Traditional Chinese Medicine from the Pacific College of Oriental Medicine in New York.
Her practice, Moonflower Acupuncture and Healing Arts, is located in Manhattan. She previously ran a practice in Old Forge from 2005-2009.
She is the daughter of Linda Lorenz LaDue of Old Forge and Richard LaDue of Fayetteville, NY.
Whitney Denesha is a Medical Service Coordinator at Mary Cariola Children’s Center in Rochester and is currently working on her Master’s of Social Work at Buffalo University. She volunteers at a homeless shelter in Rochester.
She is a graduate of the Town of Webb Schools, serves on the Board of Directors of the Old Forge Ballet Co. and teaches workshops at the studio in Old Forge. She is the daughter of David and Sue Ann Wallace of Old Forge.
