"Healthcare is not a privilege, but an act of justice . . ."

by Libby Heaton

“Neighbor is not a geographic term. It’s a moral concept.” – Rabbi Joachim Prinz

Every opportunity to work alongside DR Mission Team, El Buen Samaritano Hospital, & Maranatha Missions is a reminder that healthcare is not a privilege, but an act of justice.

We spend much of our time working in the bateyes, where many of our patients are Haitian refugees or descendants of these migrants. Despite living in the DR for years or even generations, many are denied citizenship, healthcare, and basic human rights. They live in legal limbo, facing racism, poverty, and a constant threat of deportation.

This week, we saw sick babies, elders with untreated chronic conditions, & young people navigating life without documentation. We showed up with medicine but also with the simple message that we care. I left with a deeper understanding of what it really means to be a neighbor.

To be a neighbor is to care radically, relentlessly, and in defiance of systems built to oppress. Neighboring means never looking away & refusing to ask for documents before offering help.

As the US battles our own immigration issues, let’s be reminded that Jesus never asked for documentation before feeding the hungry or healing the sick. He responded to need, not nationality.

So I’ll keep choosing mercy over maps & healing over hierarchy. And I encourage everyone to not let geography determine who we treat as our neighbors.