Sister Annie

Sister Annie Credido, of the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, B.V.M., has lived her life dedicated to bringing care to Hansen’s patients. Sister Annie began volunteering to teach arts and crafts to patients in the Hansen’s wing of one of the hospitals in Guayaquil, Ecuador. As she developed relationships with patients and staff, she realized that she and the hospital can better dispel the misery in the patients’ lives. Sister Annie and other hospital volunteers reorganized the Hansen's wing to create the Damien House in the early 1990’s with the hope that they could transform the lives of patients with Hansen's disease. Thanks to Sister Anne’s hope and vision, the Damien House has restored the health, hope, and confidence of several hundred patients and family members. In 1994, the U.S.-based Damien House charitable organization was created by Sister Annie to invite Americans to join in the effort to bring hope and dignity to patients with Hansen's disease. Sister Annie spends several months a year traveling throughout the U.S. seeking the funding to keep the Damien House open along with running the hospital.