Letter from Sue and Brian

When we led our first mission to Gramothe, Haiti, in 2006, our intention was to lead a service trip of advanced practice nurses and nursing students. We wanted to alleviate the suffering of the Haitian people in a remote mountain village, if only for a short while. We focused our resources to treat infections, intestinal worms, along with skin infestations such as scabies and fungus. These conditions commonly affect all of the women and children in the village. We also provided vitamins, peanut butter, and educated many women about the benefits of breast-feeding. We taught about how to maintain their clean water source and prevent re-infestation of worms and scabies.
Our first mission was so successful that we returned with a larger group in January 2007, serving more than 1,200 Haitian people in one week. We were amazed to see how the simple care delivered the prior year had improved the general health of the women and children of the village. Naturally, we talked to our friends, family and members of our church, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, about our trips and the great need in Haiti. Our excitement over the small but obvious improvement in the villagers’ health became contagious! We were met with an overwhelming support for these mission trips. Word of mouth spread, and unexpectedly, people kept coming forward to offer donations, time, and prayers. Especially surprising was how students throughout Chicago’s North Shore offered their time and talent in many ways to collect basic necessities such as peanut butter, vitamins, and cloth diapers, and to raise funds to buy essential medication. We have been humbled and inspired by the outpouring of this selfless commitment to the well-being of others.
We began Little By Little, a nonprofit organization, to structure and direct this giving by American families to the ongoing healthcare and health education of the Haitian people in Gramothe. Our short term goal is to continue our mission trips to provide basic healthcare, especially to mothers and children. Our long term goal is to advance the maternal child wellness center, supporting sustainability and reciprocity with the villagers of Gramothe.
Little By Little is built on the enthusiasm of average people – no one with great wealth, no one with extraordinary skills, and no one with celebrity. Rather, everyone has simply a heartfelt and unselfish desire to help others in need.
Together, it’s amazing what we can accomplish, little by little.

Sue & Brian Walsh