The mission of Jamaican Children’s Heart Fund is to facilitate and address the urgency reflected in the increasing, rather than decreasing list of infants and children with congenital and acquired heart problems in Jamaica.

We pursue this mission through integrated, holistic commitment to:

Transformational Development
to be strong advocates for the cardiac care of indigent children with acquired or congenital heart disease in Jamaica.

Emergency Relief
determined persistence in reducing the mortality rate of indigent children with heart disease in Jamaica.

Promotion of Early Detection
that seeks to facilitate and encourage a process of early detection and treatment of heart disease in Jamaican children.

Partnerships with global missions building organizations
to advocate and contribute to the healthcare of Jamaican children in need.

Public Awareness
that leads to informed understanding, giving and involvement.

Board of Directors :

United States: Dr. Richard Perryman . Dr. Gerald Lavandosky . Rudolph McGlashan . Gwendolyn Grant .

Jamaica: Dr. Patricia Yap . Dr. Lambert Innis

JAMAICA CHILDREN”S HEART FUND:

Fighting Pediatric Congenital and Acquired Heart Disease in the Jamaica

This organization is comprised of a team of medical professionals from South Florida who have traveled to Jamaica over the past several years on pediatric cardiac surgical missions, primarily under the sponsorship of CHMA and other co-sponsors.

The team has recently established themselves under the name Jamaican Children’s Heart Fund, Inc. – the purpose, to facilitate and address the increased need for additional cardiac surgical mission trips to Jamaica annually, aimed at providing a new lease on life for children with heart disease. The team trips to date have been only once per year. It is therefore the objective of JCHF, Inc. to increase these missions to at least 3 – 4 trips annually. 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 and acquired heart problems in Jamaica. The waiting list for surgery and for those yet to be evaluated needs our immediate attention and action. Many have been waiting for a long time, some for years. Without this much needed surgery, many will die and have been dying at a very early age. To date the rise in acquired and congenital heart disease is especially visible among indigent children in Jamaica.

The JCHF team members have been together on these missions for over six years, and are strong advocates for children’s healthcare. Having been in a position to intimately see the challenges these children face, they are deeply committed to changing this situation collectively. They are therefore offering quality medical skills free of cost to help heal youngsters with heart conditions. To make this a reality they have given up their personal vacation time and work long hours in often challenging conditions to make this a reality.

Additionally, the team generates funds through fundraising activities and donation solicitation to defray the cost of the cardiac surgery, hospitalization and medication to the families, provide additional education and training in the field of Pediatric Heart surgery and Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care, thereby empowering Jamaican medical professionals to carry on the work.

The Jamaican Children’s Heart Fund medical mission’s team. – is composed of volunteers from:

Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital

Dr. Richard Perryman, Chief of Pediatric Cardiothoracic Surgery

Dr. Gerald Lavandosky, Pediatric Intensivist

Dr. Luis Salcedo, Pediatric Anesthesiologist

Alison Davis, Physician Assistant

Angel Diaz, Perfusionist

Eileen Watkins, Yvette Duncan, Elizabeth Morton, Tiffini Harris, Lisette Kaplan, Madeline Faisca, Phyllis Jolly – Nurses

Jackson Memorial Hospital

Cynthia Kennedy, Mike Maymi – Nurses
It is with their passion and dedication that Jamaican Children’s Heart Fund, Inc. remains committed to this cause. JCHF continues to seek sponsors and donations to serve children with acquired and congenital heart disease.

For additional information, vist there website