Irene Gleeson was one of a kind – a unique woman with a unique destiny. After losing her mother at age 15 and becoming caretaker to her seven siblings, Irene turned her back on God. She married and had her own three children shortly after that; but disaster loomed. After 20 years of marriage, it all fell apart. At this point in her life, Irene once told us, “I lost my home, my children, everything I had worked for. Then began a desperate search for truth. I tried everything: Buddhism, transcendental meditation, yoga, Renewing the Dreaming. A 300 mile trek through the Himalayas brought me only disillusionment. Seeking Aboriginal spirits brought me only confusion and feelings of unutterable grief.”
But that all ended when she finally decided to return to Jesus. Now filled with supernatural peace, Irene made anoth
er life changing decision: she sold all of her earthly possessions and left her homeland of Australia to become a missionary in Africa. In 1991, the Irene Gleeson Foundation was born with the mission to feed, medicate, and educate the children of Uganda.
And that’s exactly what Irene did. One by one, her dreams for the foundation came true: primary education for children, access to clean water, AIDS hospice care, vocational training, and community health education. Then in 2011, Irene decided to tackle the issue of maternal death in her community. Each day in Uganda, 16 mothers die from complications surrounding childbirth – most of which would be preventable with the proper care. Her solution? Build a women’s hospital!
A foundation for the three story structure was laid in faith; and after a donation from Daystar, the building reached the third floor. Sadly, Irene went to be with the Lord in 2013 before seeing this dream fulfilled. The work of her foundation, however, continued as passionately as ever with Irene’s friends and supporters all over the world rallying to honor her legacy.
That brings us to today. The construction is finished, and medical equipment has been generously donated. However, there are still major costs associated with getting the facility running and ready for patients.
We believe in the dream of Irene Gleeson to save mothers and their babies, to treat them with respect, and to show them the love of Christ. That’s why we are thrilled to announce that we’ve sent $100,000 to the IGF to make sure that the doors can be opened and Irene’s final dream can become a reality!
Thank you, Daystar partners, for your faithful support! It’s only because of you that we are able to contribute in this way to the work of God around the world. Please join us in praying that the community of Kitgum will be forever impacted by this ministry, and that many hearts will be changed by the love of God!
Want to hear more about Irene’s incredible life and ministry? We have a collection of videos from her visits to Daystar that are all available through Daystar On Demand!
Click HERE to start watching now!