Health City Cayman Islands was able to give the gift of life for Christmas to four children from Haiti as part of an on-going commitment to provide free and low cost surgeries to people in need in the region.
Earlier this year, 21 children from Haiti were identified by the Haiti Cardiac Alliance, a non-profit US-based organisation, and chosen to come to Health City Cayman Islands for life altering medical treatment. The four children were the second group to receive live-saving surgery.
The children included a 6 year old girl who was at a critical stage and had severe pulmonary issues, and three children with ventricular septal defects – commonly referred to as a hole in the heart – a type of congenital heart defect in which there is an abnormal opening in the dividing wall between the main pumping chambers of the heart (the ventricles).
The surgeries were performed under Health City’s partnership with Have a Heart Cayman, a philanthropic organisation that raises money to support paediatric heart surgeries in the Caribbean region.
Dr. Chandy Abraham, Medical and Facility Director at Health City said the vital surgeries were performed free of charge by Health City surgeons, led by Dr. Sripadh Upadhya, Consultant Paediatric Cardiology.
“While surgeries – and with this project in particular – require the collaboration of many individuals for them to be a success, special thanks should be made to the talents of Dr. Sripadh and his team who led on all four procedures.”
“Again, Digicel helped to make the initiative possible via the use of its private jet, which flew the children to Cayman for their surgeries and then back home to Haiti, without charge,” he said. “We thank Digicel for its ongoing support and partnership.”
“And finally, thanks is extended to Have a Heart Cayman for making it possible for us to change the lives of these four children forever,” Dr Chandy said. “I could think of no better Christmas gift for these children.”
Dr. Sripadh Upadhya said the four procedures were undertaken with minimal invasiveness, with it being unnecessary to open the chest wall.
“The surgeries were performed through a small hole in the groin in the catheterisation laboratory with diagnostic imaging equipment that is used to visualise the arteries and chambers of the heart.”
“When the children arrived they were barely able to walk or play, they were very sick,” he said. “Following their surgeries, they were able to play and jump around and were even lucky enough to be visited by Santa.”
Mr Shomari Scott, Marketing Director at Health City said the surprise visit from Santa was organised by Rotary Central in Grand Cayman.
“With the timing of the surgeries during the holiday season, it was really special that Rotary Central made Christmas a reality for these children with gifts and a Santa visit,” he said. “It is the generosity of the Cayman spirit that makes Health City proud to be part of the Cayman community.”
Mr Gene Thompson of Have a Heart Cayman said the organisation was thrilled that the surgeries had a successful outcome.
“Have a Heart Cayman is committed to helping the children in Haiti and we are excited to have now helped eight of the 21 children with the remaining to be helped within the year.”
Cayman Compass – December 30, 2014
