Chester Francis-Jackson, Contributor
Eva Myers - Winston Sill/Freelance Photographer
And so, it's that time of year again when many break bread and make merry, but without a thought for those who have very little to be merry about.
And then there are those who, through absolutely no fault of their own, are restricted to the sidelines, condemned to be mere spectators by one deleterious ailment or another. And our fragile health system, in its seriously debilitating state, is not equipped to cope with providing those so afflicted with a fighting chance.
The truth is, however, that for everyone caught up in their own world of trivialities, there are an equal number of persons who are deeply moved by the predicament of others. They are not mere idle bystanders who use this for social backdrop at a social engagement, but care to the point of taking practical steps to correct these social imbalances. For these and all others, we give thanks at Christmas time - the time for giving and sharing.
Believers in Christ celebrate His birth at this time of year. Indeed, one of Christ's passions was the well-being of children and it must be said that there are those motivated not by Christian belief, but give of their time and effort to right the wrongs and ailments of children, giving the gift of hope to those most lacking in this endorphin booster.
Chain of hope
In this respect, many impoverished Jamaican children who need corrective heart surgery have benefited from the generosity of Chain of Hope Jamaica, the national offshoot of the international organisation founded by eminent Britain-based heart surgeon Professor Sir Magdi Yacoub.
Since their first visit here in 1996, the Chain of Hope has been sending volunteer medical teams to the island to treat children suffering from life-threatening heart diseases. The missions to the island are led by the charity's president and founder, Professor Sir Magdi Yacoub, who worked in Jamaica in the 1960s.
Today, Chain of Hope Jamaica is headed by heart surgeon Dr. Roger Irvine, who volunteers his skills each week to treat children suffering from 'hole in the heart' and other congenital problems.
Help for hearts
During the first few years, the group worked out of the University Hospital of the West Indies and between 1997 and 2000, the charity joined forces with Dr. Irvine, who was trained by Professor Yacoub and Caribbean Heart Menders to help create a cardiac centre at the Bustamante Hospital for Children. The charity provided cardiac equipment needed to establish two cardiac theatres and five intensive care beds valued at £250,000. And since then, the group has been making an annual medical sojourn to Kingston and, in conjunction with their Jamaican officers and medical team, has been effecting corrective heart surgery to many of the nation's children who could ill afford it.
Well, a few weeks ago, the team of surgeons, headed by Dr. Victor Tsang - director/head of team; Professor Marc de Leval - vice-president; and Dr. Angus McEwan; Dr. Barbara Parizkiva; Dr. Bernhard Riedel; Dr. Gavin Wriht; Dr. Akane Iguchi; Mrs. Emma Scanlon - United Kingdom coordinator of the programme, jetted into the island. Over a four-day period, alongside their Jamaican colleagues, they conducted close to 30 remedial heart surgeries on some of the nation's most needy children to save their lives.
Docs fêted
To show his appreciation for their continuing contribution, newly appointed chairman of the Bustamante Hospital for Children, honorary consul of the Ukraine, Kenny Benjamin, threw a snazzy little garden reception and dinner at his Stony Hill estate in honour of the visiting delegation and Jamaican counterparts.
Cocktails were quite the to-do, as the largely medical gathering shunned the lingo of the medical theatre for the language of social discourse, and with libations flowing, it made for quite the light-hearted atmosphere. And as cocktails gave way to dinner, (a decidedly ethnic East Indian and Pakistani flavoured gourmet offerings), the light of manner style was definitely the right mode.
The team of surgeons and technical support staff relaxed after their life-saving operations and it made for a simply fabulously laid-back outing. It was a charming little reception, and a most fitting manner in which to crown a most noble and continuing cause.
Among the notables out were Dr. Wykeham McNeill and wife Sheila Benjamin McNeill; Littleton 'Tanny' Shirley, chairman of the North Eastern Regional Health Authority of Jamaica; head of Chain of Hope Jamaica, Dr. Roger Irvine; Mrs. Beverley Needham, CEO of the Bustamante Hospital for Children; Dr. Eve Palomino Lue and hubby Basil Lue; Dr. 'Winty' Davidson; Dr. Charmaine Scott; Dr. Juanita Hunter; Mrs. Valerie Juggan-Brown; Al Niazi; Sonja Sutherland Dumetz, plus a number of others.
Thumbs up for yendi
Then, with fingers and toes crossed (for good luck), we extend best wishes to the gorgeous Yendi Phillipps as she enters into tomorrow's finals of the Miss World contest. She is riding high on bookies' charts, as well as pageant experts, as one of the hot favourites to walk away with the prestigious crown and bragging rights. And with the stunning beauty topping the online polling at Viewers Choice.com; and raking in everybody's top five at Global beauties.com, you know the leggy beauty is striking the right note.
Well, remember to tune in at 7:00 a.m. tomorrow for the finals as it promises to be an international hot number.
And belated birthday wishes to the charming Eva Myers, the pasta queen of Evita's Restaurant, Ocho Rios, who celebrated her birthday yesterday. The party will follow, however, this Sunday, and it promises to be a blast and then some. Birthday wishes also to the fabulously talented showman and singer Roger Mendez, the former lead singer of the party-band United Force, who also celebrated his birthday yesterday.
And special wishes to the charming Karlene Pinnock who celebrates her birthday this Sunday.
