Chester Francis-Jackson, Gleaner Writer
DEARS, IT'S that time of the year again, when the hale and hearty are busy celebrating the Yuletide season. While there are those corporations and philanthropic souls who make it second nature to be concerned with the welfare of others, particularly, the infirm and the indigent, for many, the season of goodwill sees them extending very little goodwill to anything but the fulfilment of their own dreams and or desires whatever they might be!
Mercifully, while this commonplace approach to a season that has its roots embedded in the concepts of altruism and self-sacrifices is fast becoming more and more the modus operandi of a populace gone off kilter by the rampant commercialism of the day, there are still those who make it their duty not only to stop along the way to smell the roses and taste the bounties of life, but also make it a far more compelling duty to give something back as they share their own gifts and bounties with others!
One such group is the British-based Chain of Hope Charitable Organisation a truly worthy organisation if ever there was one.
Luvs, headed by the distinguished Egypt-born British heart surgeon, Professor Sir Magdi Yacoub, the Chain of Hope comprises eminent medical professionals and technologists who have all distinguished themselves in their area of specialisation, who banded together under the common goal of using their considerable professional know-how, to help the less fortunate around the globe. And so, each year, the group journeys from various countries of residence to designated areas of concern, where they, assisted bycitizens of their host nations, perform miraculous operations on infants and children.
CORRECTIVE SURGERIES
It's been six years, since the Chain of Hope first visited Jamaica, and effected a number of corrective surgeries on some terribly ill children, and since their first visit, return each year and during their 10-day to two-week stay practically become resident surgeons at the Bustamante Children's Hospital.
Professor Yacoub and his team members from as diverse countries as Britain, Italy, Panama, South Africa and Zimbabwe jetted into Kingston some three weeks ago, and for days and nights on end, worked tirelessly in their efforts to correct heart defects and ailments of infants and children.
With some 20 operations successfully concluded, co-coordinator Valerie Marzouca, and her sibling Jennifer Lim threw a warm little reception in their honour at the St. Andrew residence of the former.
Dears, it was a warm and intimate gathering of the team of visiting international surgeons and technicians and a number of Jamaican surgeons and technicians, _ à la poolside, away from the hustle and bustle of it all, just relaxing and taking it easy over cocktails and dee-vine finger foods and fabulous music providing the perfect backdrop to a wonderful do!
ENCHANTING EVENING
Dears, it was an enchanting evening, made that much more fabulous by the very relaxed nature of the occasion. There was spirited laughter and civilised chatter and old friends meeting and greeting each other. At least two members of the visiting delegation had spent their formative years in Kingston, before returning to the U.K. and that made for very beautiful reminiscences.
Among the members of the visiting delegation were: Sir Magdi Yacoub; Trustee Chain of Hope, Countess Noemi Marone Cinzano (she of Italian and Brazilian wine fame and beauty); her son Christoforo Gaetani d' Aragona; Emma Scanlan; honorary consul general of the Kingdom of Iceland Robert MacMillan; heart specialist Dr. Don Christian and his companion Hyacinth Davidson; Abdullah C Marzouca; Dr. Victor Tsang, of Great Ormond Street, whose youthful appearance belies his near 20-odd years as a doctor, and one of Britain's leading surgeons; Dr. Roger Irvine (Jamaica); Dr. Bernard Riedel; Dr. Gavin Wright; Dr. Steve Saville; Dorothy Pinnock; Jonathan Danos; Terri Blanchard; Gary Gilmour; Elizabeth Dalrymple; and Emanuel Colbeck-Jenkins; plus several others.
