Over the past few months, I have seen several questions posted and also received a number of inquiries about the status of our Vitamin Angels Prenatal campaign. The answer is that it could not possibly be going any better. Frankly, we just began a bit too ambitiously and we donated too many bottles to Vitamin Angels (more than half a million!). In fact, it actually ended up being closer to three quarters of a million bottles of prenatal vitamins and I never expected it to be that many, but it just took a little while to get all of these vitamins into the hands of the women who need them. A quality prenatal vitamin is very costly to manufacture and no one had previously attempted a campaign of this size before, so it was going to take more than a bit of work to get it underway. Nevertheless, the amazing folks at Vitamin Angels only took a few months to establish the supply-lines into remote and impoverished areas around the world to reach the women who are in need of these essential prenatal vitamins. As of today our prenatal vitamins are helping hundreds of thousands of women and their babies throughout Asia, South and Central America and Africa. Even close to home, we are helping tens of thousands of financially challenged women throughout inner cities right here in America.
Along the way, Howard Schiffer, the Founder and President of Vitamin Angels has sent me consistent updates regarding the amazing benefits these prenatal vitamins are having on the challenges that so many women and their babies must face. Howard’s most recent emails on April 21st and 27th had a very powerful impact on me, so I thought I would share them with you. Best of all, since we have now managed to distribute ALL of the prenatal vitamins we produced, we are now going to continue with the Vitamin Angels Prenatal campaign in July and October and donate even more vitamins. Howard’s first email below was sent just before he left for Africa and the second one that follows was sent one week later from Kenya:
———Received 4/21/09 —————————-
Hi Andrew,
I’m off to Kenya tomorrow. This is a program with the University of Illinois. They went in 20 years ago when there was only one hospital in all of Kenya. Now they have graduated their 9th class and the hospital is completely staffed and run by Kenyans (that means sustainable!). They just started a women and children’s hospital with 18 outlying clinics serving 13 million people. Vitamin Angels is helping to launch the new hospital and inaugurating a major prenatal campaign for this entire region. All of the prenatals are ProCaps’ product! We will be having a major impact in this region!
Best, Howard
Founder Vitamin Angels
———Received 4/27/09 —————————-
Andrew,
When I walked into the office of Moniqa and Sonia yesterday and saw the box of ProCaps Labs prenatals, and the smiles on these women’s faces – I wished you were here. We are working with the Riley Mother and Baby Hospital in Eldoret, Kenya. The Hospital only opened a few weeks ago and already they are delivering babies. The need in this area is huge – it has one of the highest rates of infant and maternal mortality in the world (10 mothers were lost this month alone). When we visited the NICU (Neonate Intensive Care Unit) yesterday, there were over 40 babies there – most weighing 1 1/2, 2 and 3 pounds. Every doctor, nurse, breastfeeding advocate and teacher I met was so incredibly excited about the prenatals – it is the buzz around the Hospital. They have never had this level of support. When we walked into the pediatric unit yesterday, all of the doctors had ProCaps products on their tables and were talking about how they are going to get these to every mother to take home after she delivers. Our plan is to reach the women early in their pregnancy in the villages (we are going out today into the field) and then have them continue through the first 6 months of the baby’s life. This is a teaching hospital which is associated with the Moi University Teaching Hospital which is next door and is completely being staffed and run by Kenyans – truly a model for what is possible in the world. The situation around here is dire and the Hospital (and the vitamins) are a tremendous ray of hope. The need is daunting, I know our initial shipment will be used up quickly. The bottom line you need to know is that we are saving lives in this region. Thank you and everyone at ProCaps on behalf of the women and babies in Kenya. Your support means everything to these people.
Best, Howard
Founder Vitamin Angels
I have also received compelling emails like these from Howard when he was traveling throughout Asia, including India and Thailand, as well as South and Central America and more. Like those emails, I think the most recent emails above speak for themselves. In short, we are saving lives throughout the world and making an enormous difference in the lives of mothers who are desperate for good nutrition to help them and their innocent babies. I cannot thank you enough for your interest and support of our Prenatal Vitamin Project and its incredible lifesaving benefits. Our first efforts last year had us donate more than 60 million days of prenatal vitamins! That is more than 150,000 years of vitamins! It is just so exciting to see what we have done and to know what we will be able to do in the future, now that we are able to get our vitamins directly to women in need throughout the world. I am extremely excited about the prospects of saving even more lives, since we will continue our Prenatal Project with Vitamin Angels during my last two visits of the year in July and October.
Thirty years ago I started making vitamins and over the years, I have likely been the first person in America to call everyone’s attention to and provide education about new nutrients that are now relatively standard, such as Glucosamine, Chondroitin, Coenzyme Q-10, Resveratrol, EGCG, Lutein, Lycopene, Zeaxanthin, Omega 3’s, high potency Vitamin D3 and many, many others. I have always been proud of the ethical education I have provided, along with the 100% pure products made entirely from solar energy, but nothing and I mean nothing comes close to the emotions I feel about the work we are doing to help save women and their babies worldwide.
Thank you and God bless! Andrew
Amazing Andrew!! I felt chill bumps all over as I read these letters, especially the second one. Words can’t explain how much we appreciate what a awesome project you have accomplished! And I mean awesome! I’ve used your vitamins since you have been on HSN, and as I have watched you over the years present your vitamins on HSN, you have touched me as being such a loving and caring human being. Now, you have surpassed that feeling I have always had of you to an amazing generous and giving person. We praise you Andrew, for all you have done to touch millions of women who wouldn’t have prenatal vitamins otherwise, but especially for saving many lives of babies and women. May God Bless You
for all you do. I know your Mother is so proud of the man you have become. We all love you!
Thank you Andrew for all you do! This is such a wonderful thing you have done. You deserve a vacation….but somehow I feel you would rather be working. 🙂 – Keep up the good work Andrew. You’re the Best! We love your products,never change…
That’s just incredible, Andrew! Thank you so much for helping facilitate such a needed program. I’m smiling ear to ear, thinking of all the babies who have a chance at a healthier start in life because you allowed your customers to be a part of something so much bigger than ourselves. I wish I could go and hug each and every one of those precious little souls! Maybe I’ll add that to my "bucket list". 🙂
God be with you!
Andrew,
This is amazing news that warms my heard to read! As a labor and delivery RN for 22 plus years, I see daily, in my practice, the amazing rewards of women who are able to take their prenatal vitamins, as well as sadly, those who do not have that ability. Knowing that these clients, in some of the most devastated parts of the world, are obtaining better health thanks to your company, warms my heart…especially when myself, my mom, and my precious golden retriever, Molly, are contributing to their needs, by purchasing your high quality products! God Bless you Andrew for not only helping these mothers and their unborn children, but for helping my wonderful mom and family stay healthy as well. 🙂 Not only us, but now obviously, our next generation, thanks you!
Bless you for being so generous. What a good feeling this must be to know how many lives you have changed.
What a wonderful way to share your good fortune and bless others Mr. Lessman! God Bless You!
Thanks for the update, and congratulations to you & the team at Vitamin Angels for making this happen! I’m sure it was a tremendous amount of work – I’m so glad that the vitamins are getting where they need to go.
Hi, I’m a big fan of your products, Andrew, and love that you are doing this to help others. I have a question – when can we expect to see prenatals available on your website? When I’m pregnant I take your regular multi (plus extra folic acid on the side, per my doctor) but would love to see a prenatal available!
Fantastic! Thanks for sharing the letters. 🙂
You have a brilliant mind, and a heart of gold.
May God bless you for all the good things you
do for others.
Thank you for all you do. God blesses those who help and share with others.
Thank you!
PS what do you think of the Mona*Vie Acai drink?
Hi Andrew,
You are amazing! God has blessed you and from that you are Blessing others around the world and here at home in America I know when taking your products I can TRUST in you and the quality that you put in them. Just knowing how caring and loving that you are makes me honored in purchasing your products. GOD BLESS YOU,FAMILY AND DOGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Love,
Sheree
Andrew, You come out with benevolent and philantrophic projects about Vitamins Angels…With your good heart and wholesome intentions for good health pursposes for blessed programs about Vitamins Angels God is divinely blessing you. You sow good seeds of kindness of heart and you reap divine blessings too. I love Andrew Lessman,he is God-loving man, humble and full of humility and bless with wisdom and simplicity.
Andrew,
When will you bring back CarniSlim to HSN? I love the product, but they can’t answer when the product will be back in stock.
Hi Andrew, Just saying thanks for your vitamins, have been taking for two yrs now. But also have a question, Where can I get these prenatal vitamins for my daughter in law, she gets very sick from the tablets she is taking from the drug store, so could you help me with these please? Just let me know where to get them for her. Thanks Ken