(Miami-Dade County, FL) -- Commissioner Dorrin D. Rolle commends the recent honors bestowed upon Gina Mary-Eugene and Ginette Achille, twin sisters who received pontifical honors from Pope Benedict XVI for their humanitarian work with Haitian children.  Most notably, Gina and Ginette, both nurses, saved the life of young Marlie Casseus three years ago, who suffered from a massive and disfiguring facial tumor-like growth.

The sisters brought 14-year-old Marlie from Haiti in 2005 in order to treat her Polysostotic Fibrous Dysplasia, a rare condition where affected bones grow unevenly and painfully, causing deformities. The 16-pound growth in the teenager’s face made it impossible for her to eat, breathe, or speak on her own. When they found Marlie on one of their trips to Haiti, both Gina and Ginette arranged for her to travel to the United States to receive medical treatment, and launched a fundraising effort to pay for the necessary surgery. With the support of the community and Commissioner Rolle, Marlie was able to undergo four surgical procedures to remove the growth, and receive follow-up care from Holtz Children’s Hospital in Miami. A year later, the teenager returned to Haiti, able to speak her first words in years – “Thank you.”