By Jenny Eaton Dyer, PhD
Hope Through Healing Hands was delighted to co-host a book launch in the Coral Gables’ Books & Books store owned by Mitchell Kaplan. The store is a treasure for the community, and we couldn’t have been more thrilled to celebrate the book in such magical place.
The book launch was cohosted as well by our friend, Dr. Barth Green, President, Project Medishare for Haiti, Inc. and Chairman, UM Global Institute for Community Health and Development; Larry Pierre, Executive Director, Center for Haitian Studies, Health & Human Services; and Mitchell Kaplan, Founder/Owner of Books & Books.
At the outdoor event with wine and hors d’oeuvres, Dr. Green offered opening remarks and a welcome; Jenny Eaton Dyer, PhD offered introductions of the speakers; and Senator Bill Frist, MD, Tom Walsh, and Tracie Hamilton spoke about their roles with the creation of the book.
Senator Frist spoke briefly about the leadership of Hope Through Healing Hands and the coalition-building for maternal and child health; Tom Walsh spoke about the impetus from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation with a focus on the health of women & girls, including healthy timing and spacing of pregnancies; and Tracie Hamilton, philanthropist and wife of Olympic gold medalist in figure skating, Scott Hamilton, spoke about why she chose to write an essay for the book, including her experiences in Haiti with LiveBeyond in the Thomazeau community and their work in healthcare with women and children.
Special thanks to these leaders and their organizations for celebrating The Mother & Child Project with us!