We are friends and sisters with a passion for open water swimming and adventure. We also want to make the world better. As a challenge, we are attempting La Cruce, a 10 km (6.2 mile) swim from Cancun to Isla de la Mujeres in the Gulf of Mexico on May 17th. We are experienced swimmers, but this distance is a stretch for all of us — and that’s exactly why we’re doing it. One of our friends and co-swimmers, David Walmer, has worked to support and fund women's health care in Haiti for the last 30 years. In the spirit of making the swim bigger than ourselves, we are asking friends and family to donate to a worthy cause - the Pritts-Olive Surgical Suite Campaign, a fundraiser supporting Family Health Ministries. You can read about the project below. Any donation will be appreciated and put to excellent use by Family Health Ministries.
Meet the Team
- Dee Dee Hagemann, 60 – retired high school principal, Syracuse, NY
- Jane Satter, 69 – retired family medicine physician, Chapel Hill, NC
- David Walmer, 73 – retired infertility physician, Chapel Hill, NC
- Mimi Satter, 76 – retired attorney, Syracuse, NY
30 years ago, David visited the Haitian community of Fondwa with a group of Duke students and met Sister Carmelle — a Franciscan nun, a nurse, and a force of nature. She had just arrived in the community with a simple but profound mission: bring healthcare where there was none. She asked us to return with medical teams, and for almost 20 years, we did. In 1996,there was no healthcare available beyond the nursing services Sister Carmellepersonally provided. Her vision was to build a place where families could receive compassionate, reliable care close to home.
Today, the health center named in her honor provides comprehensive women’s health services, including 24/7 labor and delivery. More than 750 babies have been born there since the center opened. With your help, the next chapter will bring surgical care and pediatric services to a community that has waited far too long.
How You Can Help
Our goal is simple and bold: Support the expansion of the Carmelle Voltaire Family Health Center, including the opening of a surgical suite and the addition of a pediatrician to the staff. These steps will dramatically increase access to essential care in the rural mountain communities around Tom Gateaux.
When Sister Carmelle tragically died at age 49, she left us with a final message: “My work here is not done.”
Here is a 4 minute video 'Remembering Sister Carmelle'.
Carrying Her Legacy Forward
2016: Family Health Ministries opened the Carmelle Voltaire Women’s Health Center under the leadership of Dr. Danache, continuing Sister Carmelle’s vision with a focus on cervical cancer prevention and maternal care.
2020: A labor and delivery suite opened. By the end of 2025, 763 healthy babies had been born there.
2021: FHM hired Rachelle Fabiola Tenor, one of Haiti’s first family nurse practitioners.
2024: A hypertension program launched, and construction began on a surgical suite — completed at the end of 2025.
2026: FHM hired a pediatrician, Dr. Jeffrey Célius, to expand children's health care.
2026: FHM plans to open the Pritts‑Olive Surgical Suite and hire a pediatrician. To reflect its expanding mission, the center is now officially the Carmelle Voltaire Family Health Center.
These next steps are bold, necessary, and transformative — and FHM needs help to launch these new programs.
How You Can Help
Your support will directly help open the surgical suite, expand pediatric care, and strengthen lifesaving programs in Fondwa.
- Donate: Any amount makes a difference. Truly.
- Spread the Word: Share my fundraising page with friends, family, and your networks. Awareness fuels impact.
Thank you for standing with us. Your support means the world to me — and to the families in Fondwa who will receive care because of your generosity.