Overview:
The Haitian Foundation Against Childhood Cancer (FHACI) is hosting a fundraising brunch on July 13 to support Saint-Damien Pediatric Hospital, Haiti’s only pediatric oncology unit still operating. The Tabarre-based hospital provides free cancer care to children despite scarce resources and widespread instability. Since 2004, nearly 1,000 children have been diagnosed, yet 88% of pediatric cancer cases in Haiti go undetected. With survival rates at just 38–40% and no access to radiotherapy, FHACI and Saint-Damien say urgent support is vital to saving vulnerable young lives.
PORT-AU-PRINCE— On July 13, The Haitian Foundation Against Childhood Cancer (FHACI) will host a Summer Brunch in Coral Springs, Florida, to support the work at Saint-Damien Pediatric Hospital in Tabarre, the only pediatric oncology unit still operating in Haiti providing lifesaving care and vital hope to children with cancer and their families.
“Even with our limited resources, we’ve managed to save children battling cancer,” Dr. Pascale Heurtelou Gassant, founder of the oncology unit, told The Haitian Times.
“The country’s current situation has affected us deeply, but the hospital remains operational and open to the most vulnerable populations.”
In Haiti, childhood cancer is often invisible—overlooked in public health policies, and misunderstood by many. Yet hundreds of families face this heartbreaking reality every year. Saint-Damien not only provides treatment but also advocates for national cancer policies.
The upcoming brunch aims to generate funds for treatment, medication, nutritional support, and family assistance. FHACI says every registration for the event brings the hospital closer to its mission.
“Every registration for this event brings us closer to our mission. Together, we can bring hope to children in need,” FHACI’s representatives said.
Saint-Damien’s vital role in pediatric cancer care
Since opening its oncology unit in 2006, Saint-Damien has diagnosed 954 children with cancer, between 2004 and April 2025, including leukemia, Wilms tumors, retinoblastomas, lymphomas, and germ cell tumors.
Chemotherapy and surgeries are performed at the hospital, but more complex care—like radiotherapy for brain cancers—must be referred to the Dominican Republic. With border closures, those options are now harder to access.
“We receive all types of cases and spend an average of $10,854 per newly diagnosed patient, and $1,128 for each healthy year of life saved,” Dr. Gassant said.
But the unit has only 13 beds in 2025—a fraction of what’s needed. Haiti records between 500 and 600 new pediatric cancer cases annually, yet 88% remain undiagnosed.
“We receive all types of children diagnosed with cancer. At the hospital, we spend an average of 10,854 US dollars per new patient.”
Dr. Pascal Gassant, fondatrice of the oncology unit de l’hôpital Saint-Damien
“We see between 12% and 15% of those cases. Our survival rate at Saint-Damien is 38–40%, far below the 80% in high-income countries,” Gassant said. “The remaining 88% of children who don’t receive care will likely die.”
Late diagnoses, treatment delays, and resource shortages contribute to the devastating gap.
“Most children arrive at advanced stages of the disease because they don’t have access to healthcare, and because of delays in diagnosis, as health personnel are not trained to detect cancer.”
Challenges that require national action
Saint-Damien struggles with financial constraints, insecurity around the facility, transportation barriers for families, and a limited medical staff since 2023: two pediatric oncologists, a palliative care pediatrician, a nutrition pediatrician, a psychologist, seven nurses, four nursing assistants, and a social worker.
Saint-Damien’s challenges are compounded by Haiti’s broader socio-economic crisis, which further hinders early cancer diagnosis. Structural barriers include limited anatomopathology services—essential for confirming diagnoses in children—and gaps in medical imaging, even for basic screenings. Families also struggle to afford anticancer medications, often unavailable in Haiti, while blood supplies are insufficient and radiotherapy services are nonexistent.
“A country like Haiti should prioritize early detection,” Gassant said. “Early diagnosis increases survival chances and reduces the need for aggressive treatments, which we’re often unable to provide.”
Although the Ministry of Health developed a national childhood cancer plan in 2021, it has yet to be implemented.
“Every registration for this event brings us closer to our mission. Together, we can bring hope to children in need.”
FHACI’s representatives
“We invited ministry officials to visit our unit to inspire replication nationwide. Their response was positive, but we’re still waiting for action,” Gassant said.
“We need clear political will to make cancer a priority—through training, specialized centers, modern equipment, national and international partnerships, and a dedicated budget for pediatric cancer care,” she added:
A call to action
The oncology unit survives largely thanks to partnerships like FHACI, which help provide free care to families. But with childhood cancer treatment requiring long, complex interventions and psychosocial support, sustained efforts are needed.
As Haiti faces growing socio-economic pressures and fragile health infrastructure, FHACI and Saint-Damien are urging the Haitian diaspora and allies to step up.
“This is not just our fight—it’s a fight for every Haitian who believes no child should die because they couldn’t access care,” FHACI said.