by Peter H. Morgan, DC
Mission Chiropractic begins 2013 by setting off on the largest chiropractic mission trip to Haiti in the group’s history, sponsored in part by the World Chiropractic Alliance. More than 50 DCs will join me in bringing chiropractic care to this poverty-stricken nation. Previously, our largest Haitian mission team numbered 28.
Unlike many health missions, this is part of an ongoing outreach to Haiti. Since the devastating 2010 earthquake, we have been able to feed 100 children per day and house 20 orphans. On this upcoming trip, we’ll be staying at the orphanage. We’ll also be building a chiropractic office in the house that our famous Dr. “Eddy” will be running.
We started with chiropractic missions to the Dominican Republic and Haiti in 2002. I was vice president of the New York Chiropractic Council during the 2001 World Trade Center attack. I helped organize chiropractors from all over the world to come to NY and assist in our efforts to assist the workers after the tragedy.
It was then I heard the calling to work in the mission field. So, our chiropractic mission began, and then expanded to Trinidad, Tobago, Venezuela, and Tibet.
On January 11, 2010, the day after we’d returned from a mission trip to Haiti, we heard news that the tiny island nation had been struck with the worst earthquake in 200 years. Approximately 320,000 people perished; 1,500,000 became homeless; and thousands upon thousands of children became orphans.
God issued me an order to organize chiropractors to aid in this disaster. Our team of 20 returned to Port Au Prince and started feeding and adjusting thousands. We took in many children and Mission Life International became licensed as an orphanage. Mission Life International is also a 501(C)3- registered charitable organization in the United States.
We’re also a registered non-profit in the Dominican Republic and in Haiti. We now have the ability to transport items to both nations at no fee. Since January 2010, we’ve had 18 chiropractic mission trips to Haiti and 12 trips to the Dominican Republic.
Helping to promote and publicize the trip was the World Chiropractic Alliance, whose newly established mission is to “Develop, promote and support humanitarian programs that reach out to populations that, due to geographic or economic factors, cannot access chiropractic care,” and to “Support health and social measures that would benefit the underserved populations worldwide.”
In December 1998, the WCA was named an NGO (Non-Governmental Organization) associated with the United Nations Department of Public Information (DPI).
We have put special emphasis on Haiti and nearby nations because of the poverty in the area, as well as the obvious signs of need there. In Haiti and parts of the Dominican Republic, hospitals don’t even have X-ray equipment. Fortunately, Jerry Degrado, DC, past president of the Congress of State Chiropractic Organizations and Robert Reiss, DC, past executive officer of the New York Chiropractic Council donated two X-ray machines that we’ll be shipping to the island shortly.
The generosity of DCs and chiropractic organizations has been inspiring. Dr. Gary Deutchman built 70 desks and chairs for the orphans at our vitalistic primary school. Thanks to Boo Burnier; Joe Rotola; Josh Click, DC; Benna Click, DC; Sebastian Bonin, DC; Joo Young Kim, DC; Brad Rauch, DC; and David Nguyen, we were able to raise the funds to build shelters, bathrooms and a shower in our school. (If I left any one out, I apologize.)
I’ve also become friends with Rev. Jack Bowman, a pastor in New York, who has helped the cause tremendously. His church, United Palace Cathedral, has a seating capacity of 5,000, and his theater, United Palace Theatre, is on Broadway in New York City.
A benefit concert in the United Palace Theatre featured a famous Latin singer and a showing of the movie “Doctored” was held in conjunction with Life University. Our special guests for this event were the film’s producers Jeff Hays and Dr. Brian McAulay, Life University vice president and provost. The proceeds went towards our mission work in the Dominican Republic and the orphanage in Haiti.
The future holds many exciting activities. We’re planning to bring computers to schools, generate donations of food from large supermarket chains, and even help with waste management projects. We hope to send several sanitation trucks and ambulances to the Dominican Republic and Haiti.
We’ve opened a Mission Life International mission office in Puerta Plata, Dominican Republic with a staff worker. I’ve paid for the lease of our house for the orphanage, 25 bunk beds and our mission office with my own money, and I’m looking for and getting help from others.
Last month, at the United Palace Cathedral, we held a major press conference regarding our mission work. In attendance were The New York Times, New York Post, many Latin newspapers, and representatives from major TV stations. We’re also in the process of getting sponsors from major corporations.
The only thing missing from our efforts is you! Please join us on a future chiropractic mission trip or support our activities with your donations. Visit www.missionlifeinternational.com for all the details on how you can help.
(A graduate of Pace University and New York College of Chiropractic, Mission Chiropractic Founder Peter Morgan, DC, has led dozens of chiropractic humanitarian missions to developing nations.)