BlueCross BlueShield of Chattanooga is sending 1,750 toothbrushes to children in Haiti Jan. 18 with Signal Mountain’s American Haitian Foundation mission team.
“We have a school in Petite Riviere de Nippes, Haiti, to feed, clothe and educate 1,000 students that employs 80 Haitians,” said American Haitian Foundation Executive Director Jack Davidson. “I would see people walking around with rags on their faces in Haiti due to dental problems.”
Davidson said AHF sent five Haitian students to dental school with the agreement that they would come back to work as dentists in Petite Riviere de Nippes, Haiti.
American Haitian Foundation receives a donation of 1,750 toothbrushes for students in Haiti from BlueCross BlueShield. From left are AHF board member Joanne Denise, Executive Director Jack Davidson, BlueCross BlueShield specialty project coordinator Stacey Helton and AHF board member Allen Vessels.He said the dentists presented a proposal that Haitian children in the area need to be visited to be taught about oral health care. The children also need a toothbrush, toothpaste and dental floss.
“When I was in school, we learned about oral health care,” said Davidson. “We will combine BlueCross toothbrushes with 1,000 units of dental floss and 1,000 tubes of toothpaste.”
AHF board member Joanne Denise said BlueCross BlueShield was a logical fit to help the team bring dental care to the children in Haiti.
BlueCross BlueShield specialty project coordinator Stacey Helton said the company’s dental program thinks donating the toothbrushes to Haiti is a great thing to do.
Davidson said AHF will build a dental clinic in Haiti with the help of experienced builder and board member Allen Vessels.
“It started with a dream,” said Vessels. “We have equipment for a nice clinic.”
Davidson said the American Haitian Foundation was able to raise $10,000 to buy the dentists a dental chair and sides to set up a small office. He said recently a dentist donated three complete offices to be shipped to Haiti.
The mission team leaving for Haiti Jan. 18 includes Davidson, Denise, Vessels, Erlanger’s Dr. Chris Young, Betty Miles, Kristin Walker and photojournalist Jeff Guenther, who will take photos in order to produce an 8-minute video on the work in Haiti.