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The Jamaican Children's Heart Fund cardiac surgical mission team provides cost free open heart surgery to children in Jamaica, whose families cannot afford this very costly surgery. This organization is comprised of a pediatric cardiac surgical team, and an intensive care team from the Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital(JDCH), Hollywood, Florida, headed by Dr. Richard Perryman, Chairman-JCHF/Director Cardiothoracic Surgery JDCH, along with Dr. Gerald Lavandosky, Vice Chairman-JCHF/Pediatric Intensivist JDCH. Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital is a world class hospital noted for medical professionals who are uniquely qualified to handle the most complex and critical pediatric open heart cases.

The JCHF team is passionate and committed to serving the needs of indigent children in Jamaica. It is with this focus that JCHF has conducted pediatric cardiac surgical missions to Jamaica over the past eleven years. For seven of those 11 years, the JCHF Surgical Team functioned in this capacity, under the auspicies of Caribbean Heart Menders (CHMA). The Team subsequently identified their territory of critical medical need as Jamaica, hence, the birth of Jamaican Children's Heart Fund, Inc, 501c3 non-profit, charitable organization in June 2004. Over the past 11 years, the recipients of this life saving surgery were as follows: 93 children under the heading of CHMA and 31 children to date under JCHF, totaling 124 recipients to date.

The Team established themselves under the name Jamaican Children's Heart Fund, Inc., to clearly define the commitment and purpose, to facilitate and address the increased needs for additional pediatric cardiac surgical support to Jamaica. The JCHF team mission's, have been once per year, with the exception of 2006, during which, there were two surgical missions. JCHF's objective is to increase the annual missions to at least 3 or 4 per year, to alleviate this critical need. The team will now be independently available for sponsorship or co- sponsorship by any organization or individuals committed to giving children the gift of life.

The question becomes, why is Jamaica the target of this team's commitment and focus? The answer is reflected in the urgency displayed in the increasing, rather than decreasing list of infants and children with congenital heart problems in Jamaica. The waiting list for surgery and for those yet to be evaluated needs immediate attention and action. Without this much needed surgery, many will die and have been dying at a very early age. To date the rise in congenital heart disease throughout the Caribbean is especially visible among indigent children in Jamaica.

The JCHF Team members are strong advocates for children's healthcare, having been in a position to intimately see the challenges these children and families face. JCHF is deeply committed to changing this situation collectively, helping to build strong communities, by providing quality medical care, at no cost to the families, to save the lives of children, while accepting no personal compensation. To make this a reality, they have given up their personal vacation time and work long hours in often challenging conditions to save lives.

Additionally, the JCHF team generates funds through Grants, fundraising activities and donation solicitation, to defray the cost of the cardiac surgery and medical supplies. The JCHF team works side by side with the Jamaican medical team, sharing expertise, during both the pediatric heart surgery and cardiac intensive care process.

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The pediatric open heart surgical missions have been made possible through the committed partnership of the following:

PARTNERSHIPS - JCHF is an approved partner of the Jamaica Red Cross, approved recipient of federal employee donations through United Way and approved medical supplies recipient through MAP International. 

MISSION PARTNERS

LIFETIME PARTNERS

IGWT Foundation - Communication Technology, Inc. - Mayberry Investments Limited - Apex Medical - Peoples Telecom Jamaica Limited - Bunny Rugs of Third World Band - Philip & Bambi Ziadie in memory of Jordan Ziadie  Trilogy productions - Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital - SuperClubs - Suzanne Ho Tai & Moms - Carolyn Soutar Charles McDonald - Caribbean Marketing and Media TV - Fridays United - Infinite Markets - Air Jamaica

LIFELINE PARTNERS

American Friends of Jamaica - United Way - Kelme -- Jose Gomez CPA - Southern Wines and Spirits -- Jamaica Broilers -- Clymax Audioworks - World Link Shipping & Trading Co. - The Veranda - Kiwanis Club of Lauderdale Lakes/West Sunrise -- Kiwanis Club of New Kingston


Mrs. Kayree Berry-Teape, Marketing Manager, Mayberry Investments Limited, donating blood, during the recent
Peoples Telecom Jamaica Limited Blood Drive, held for Jamaican Children's Heart Fund Inc. (JCHF).
Also present were Mrs. Antoinette Stephenson, Peoples Telecom and Mr. Gary Harris, JCHF.


JCHF humbly extends heartfelt gratitude and thanks to our partners, for your committed
"Partnership through kindness in donations, services and participation "


ORGANIZATION PROFILE

 

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

  • CHAIRMAN:
  • Dr. Richard Perryman  -  Director of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital   
  • VICE CHAIRMAN:
  • Dr. Gerald Lavandosky  -  Chief of Pediatric Intensive Care, Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital   

DIRECTORS

  • Mr. Rudolph McGlashan  -   President / CEO Communication Technology, Inc.,
  •                                                  Vice President, IGWT Foundation
  • Mrs. Gwendolyn Grant     -   Accounting Manager, Contract Administrator,
  •                                                  Communication Technology, Inc.
  • Dr. Patricia Yap                 -   C.E.O, Apex Medical, Kingston, Jamaica .
  • Dr. Lambert Innis             -   Anesthesiologist, Bustamante Hospital for Children, Kingston, Jamaica
  • Mr. Godfrey Boyd               -   Director, South East Regional Hospital Authority, Kingston, Jamaica
  • Mrs. Kayree Berry -Teape  - Marketing Manager, Mayberry Investments Ltd, Kingston, Jamaica       

JCHF Open Heart Surgical Missions Team

  • Dr. Richard Perryman         -               Cardiothoracic Surgeon
  • Dr. Gerald Lavandosky       -               Pediatric Critical Care Intensivist
  • Dr. Luis Salcedo                  -               Pediatric Anesthesiologist
  • Dr. Regina Hurley                -               Pediatric Anesthesiologist
  • Ms. Alison Davis                  -               Pediatric Critical Care Physician's Asst.
  • Mr. Angel Diaz                      -               Cardiac Perfusionist
  • Mr. John Tisdell                   -               Cardiac Perfusionist
  • JCHF Open Heart Surgical Missions Team Cont'd
  • Ms. Ivette Duncan                -               Surgical Nurse
  • Mrs. Evangeline Morton     -               Surgical Nurse
  • Ms. Eileen Watkins             -               Pediatric Intensive Care Manager

  • JCHF Open Heart Surgical Missions Team Cont'd
  • Mrs. Pamela Mori-Howell   -              Critical Care Nurse
  • Mrs. Lissette Kaplan           -              Critical Care Nurse
  • Ms. Madeline Faisca           -              Critical Care Nurse
  • Mrs. Tiffini Harris                 -               Critical Care Nurse
  • Ms. Joy Mones                     -               Critical Care Nurse
  • Mrs. Carine Black               -                Critical Care Nurse

JCHF Non-Medical Missions Team

  • Mrs. Gwendolyn Grant        -               Team Coordinator
  • Mr. Wellesley Burns            -               Transportation Coordinator
  • Mr. Michael Grant                -               Mission's Documentalist & Webmaster
  • Mr. Gary Harris                     -               Public Relations Coordinator

 

THE JOE DIMAGGIO BUILDING | 4040 Sheridan Street, Hollywood, Florida 33021

Office: 305-603-4444, Alternate: 954-200-1910

Website: www.jamaicanchildrenheartsurgery.org Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

JCHF is a not-for-profit 501c3 medical charity | Internal Revenue Service E.I.N #20-1291194

 
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