I grew up in an orphanage in Kenscoff called Nos Petits Frères et Sœurs, which paid for all my years of schooling, from kindergarten through college. After passing the standard exams, I began volunteering for a year at a special education school in Port-au-Prince, specifically in Tabarre. I worked as an assistant with children with limited mobility. I decided to pursue occupational therapy because the work I was doing with children with limited mobility—drawing, singing, playing, discussing life skills, and helping them eat and dress so they could be independent in daily activities—closely resembled occupational therapy interventions. The director of the special education school, an Irish woman living in Haiti, guided me toward the FSRL faculty located in Léogâne. Then, I chose to study occupational therapy.

As a former student at FSRL—I graduated in 2022. It was an academically enriching experience; I have a good understanding of the occupational therapy profession. Most of the courses were in English, but this helped me a lot in improving my English vocabulary. What’s interesting is that at FSRL, students are given many opportunities, such as the English club that met every Sunday, the online library, access to Physiopedia and Physio-U, and the community of practice to continue our education and access to leisure activities, etc.

My training in occupational therapy has profoundly transformed my life, both personally and professionally. On a personal level, it has helped me further develop my self-confidence, sense of responsibility, empathy, and ability to face challenges. I have learned to better understand the needs of others and to make a tangible contribution to improving their quality of life.

Professionally, this training has given me the knowledge and skills needed to assess people’s functional abilities, develop intervention plans, and support them toward greater independence. It has also opened up leadership and management opportunities for me, allowing me today to contribute to the development of rehabilitation services and the training of other professionals. Thanks to this training, I can have a positive impact in my community and help improve the quality of care provided in Haiti.

Throughout my career, I have had the opportunity to take on several leadership roles that have allowed me to contribute to the development of rehabilitation in Haiti. As a clinic manager, I supervise a team of five employees and am responsible for all administrative tasks necessary for the clinic’s smooth operation. I also coordinate various professional and community activities, including those related to World Occupational Therapy Day, World Physical Therapy Day, and community health promotion and awareness initiatives.
My commitment to the profession also extends to my responsibilities within professional organizations. I serve as the first delegate of the Haitian Association of Occupational Therapy, where I help represent and promote the profession in Haiti. I also represent Haiti within the Caribbean Association of Occupational Therapists, which allows me to collaborate with colleagues in the region and contribute to discussions on the development of occupational therapy in the Caribbean. I had the opportunity to represent the FSRL and the Haitian Association of Occupational Therapists in Anguilla, a Caribbean nation, to present a Canadian doctoral student’s project on the international stage: “Access to Higher Education for Haitian Occupational and Physical Therapists.” It was an enlightening and enriching experience.

In addition, I am a member of the Léogâne Rotaract Club, an international community service organization, where I currently serve as treasurer. This involvement allows me to participate in projects aimed at supporting communities and developing my leadership, organizational, and teamwork skills.

These various experiences have strengthened my ability to lead, collaborate with diverse partners, and advocate for the importance of rehabilitation. I remain committed to contributing to the development of rehabilitation services in Haiti and to promoting the independence, inclusion, and quality of life of the people we support. The biggest challenges I faced during my journey were while writing my final project. During the field research, insecurity was rampant, and it was difficult to find participants. Also, since my project director was always unavailable, I had to contact a Haitian-American occupational therapist to help me finish the work. I also remember that when I was in my sophomore and junior years at university, it was sometimes difficult to take online classes because the internet connection was unstable.

My hopes for the future of rehabilitation services in Haiti are to see a system that is more accessible, equitable, and sustainable. I hope that physical therapy, occupational therapy, and other rehabilitation services will be available in all regions of the country, including rural areas. I also hope to see an increase in the number of qualified professionals, better support from healthcare institutions, and greater public awareness of the importance of rehabilitation. Finally, I hope that people living with disabilities or functional limitations can access quality services that enable them to develop their independence, participate fully in social life, and improve their quality of life.

When I first visited Haiti's St. Vincent's School for Children with Disabilities in the late 1990s, I thought I was going there to volunteer as an occupational therapist. I quickly discovered that Haiti would change me far more than I could ever change it.

Over the years, I returned again and again. Sometimes I traveled with other occupational therapists, physical therapists, nurses, or volunteers. Every visit deepened my admiration for the children, families, and caregivers I met. Their resilience, love, and determination were remarkable.

At the same time, I became increasingly aware of a difficult reality. As a visiting therapist, I could help for a week or two, but then I would leave. The needs remained.

I often found myself trying to teach families and caregivers strategies that I knew could improve a child's health or participation in daily life. Yet I didn't fully understand the environments they were returning to or the challenges they faced every day. I couldn't speak Creole, and I wasn't part of their community. I began to realize that what Haiti needed was not more visiting therapists—it needed Haitian occupational therapists and physical therapists.

One experience especially shaped my thinking.

I was visiting a dormitory at St. Vincent's when I saw a young girl named Marguerite being fed. She was a beloved child, cared for by people who genuinely loved her. But as I watched, I realized she was being fed in a way that caused food to enter her airway. She coughed, choked, and struggled to breathe.

The caregiver was doing her best. She wanted Marguerite to be healthy and well nourished. What was missing was not compassion—it was access to rehabilitation knowledge and training.

That moment stayed with me. I realized that offering occasional advice and then returning home was not enough. Haiti needed professionals who could be there every day, teaching, mentoring, advocating, and providing care within their own communities.

On the flight home, my friend and colleague Hope Lenartz and I talked for hours about what could be done. Somewhere during a long airport layover, we made a commitment: we would work to establish occupational therapy and physical therapy education programs in Haiti.

At the time, I had no idea how to start a university program. But I knew the need was real.
Soon afterward, I enrolled in a post-professional doctoral program at St. Catherine University and used the development of rehabilitation education in Haiti as my doctoral project. Through partnerships with the Episcopal University of Haiti, rehabilitation professionals around the world, and dedicated Haitian leaders, the vision gradually became a reality.

In 2015, the Faculté des Sciences de Réhabilitation de Léogâne (FSRL) welcomed its first class of students.

Seeing those first students arrive remains one of the proudest moments of my life. For the first time, young Haitians could study occupational therapy and physical therapy in their own country.

My husband Donald and I moved to Haiti to help launch the program. We lived on campus, worked alongside students and faculty, coordinated volunteer instructors, and helped build the academic foundation of the school. Those years were challenging, but they were also deeply rewarding.

What inspires me most is not what we built, but what our students and graduates have accomplished.

FSRL graduates are now serving individuals and families throughout Haiti. They work in hospitals, clinics, schools, and community programs. They help children participate in school, support people recovering from injuries, and improve the lives of individuals living with disabilities.

I have watched students grow into professionals, and professionals grow into leaders.

One of my favorite examples occurred in 2018 when students approached a local hospital and asked for space to create a rehabilitation clinic. What began as a student initiative soon became a professional rehabilitation service that continues to serve the community today.

That spirit of leadership and service is exactly what we hoped FSRL would inspire.

Perhaps the most meaningful part of this journey has been watching Haitian graduates assume leadership of the institution itself. Today, many of our graduates are teaching, mentoring students, conducting research, and helping guide the future of rehabilitation education in Haiti.

When we started FSRL, my dream was never to create a school that depended on foreign leadership forever. My dream was to help create a school that belonged to Haiti.
Today, that dream is becoming reality.

The Haiti Rehabilitation Foundation has played an essential role in this story. Since its founding in 2014, the Foundation has provided the support necessary for FSRL to grow and thrive. Through the generosity of donors and partners, opportunities that once seemed impossible have become possible for hundreds of students and the communities they serve.

Looking back, I am grateful for every student, graduate, faculty member, volunteer, donor, and partner who helped make this vision a reality.

The true impact of FSRL is not measured by buildings or programs. It is measured by the lives touched by every graduate who leaves our campus equipped to serve others.

What began as a recognition of a need has become a movement. Every FSRL graduate represents hope, opportunity, and improved access to rehabilitation services for people across Haiti.

That is the legacy I am most proud to be part of.