Heart of Hope: funding for life-saving paediatric heart surgery secured

(From left) Dr. Sherard Little, cardiac surgeon at the Bustamante Hospital for Children’s Cardiac Centre; Diane Edwards, Board Chair of Chain of Hope Jamaica; Carolyn McDonald-Riley, Distinguished Lieutenant Governor of Kiwanis EC&C; Pamela Rodney White, Governor of the Kiwanis Eastern Canada and Caribbean District; and Nadine Kelsey and Omar Samuels, parents of four-year-old Allicia Samuels, at the symbolic cheque handover ceremony on Wednesday, July 23, 2025. The $1.2 million donation covers the full cost of Allicia’s life-saving heart surgery, successfully performed later that day at the Cardiac Centre.

Chain of Hope Jamaica received a cheque of $1.2M JMD from the Kiwanis Eastern Canadian and the Caribbean (EC&C) district on Wednesday July 23, 2025 at the Bustamante Hospital for Children’s Cardiac Centre to cover the full cost of surgery for four-year-old Allicia Samuels.

This handover ceremony was the final step in what was a months-long coordinated effort to provide a chance at a brand-new life for Allicia, through heart surgery. An additional $50,000 was pledged for her post-operative care, transportation and related expenses.

Chain of Hope Jamaica is the charitable force behind the region's only paediatric cardiac centre and has been in operation since 2007. Based at the Bustamante Children's Hospital, they operate a 10-bed ICU, dedicated operating theatre and catheter lab. To date, over 327 children have been treated locally and Allicia is another addition to the list of lives changed.

Board Chair of Chain of Hope Jamaica Diane Edwards said the Mission behind the organisation is not just about surgeries but about transforming lives. She emphasised, “What we do here is really to try to help children with heart defects to really find new life, because most of them, you see them come in, they’re short of breath, they can’t do what children are supposed to do, run up and down and have fun. And you see them after surgery, and it’s like you have switched on a light.”

Carolyn McDonald-Riley DLG - Project Lead and Master of Ceremonies started her greeting by saying, “Today we gather here, not just to hand over a check but to deliver hope. The kind of hope that transforms uncertainty into life.”

Four-year-old Allicia Samuels beams with joy as she receives comfort and care. Sharing in the moment are Pamela Rodney White, Governor of the Kiwanis Eastern Canada and Caribbean District; and her mother, Nadine Kelsey, whose smiles reflect the love and hope surrounding young Allicia’s recovery. 

This latest gift from Kiwanis EC&C truly underscores the importance of international partnerships and collaboration in delivering life-saving surgery to vulnerable Jamaican children.

Governor of Kiwanis EC&C district Pamela Rodney White said “When we heard we were getting a grant for this year, the big question was, what are we going to do? And just listening to the amazing work done by Chain of Hope I totally agreed that this was going to be the project of choice…” Pamela went on to close her speech with a poignant statement “When we reach out with our hands and our hearts, we don't just change circumstances, we change lives.”

Later in the day on Wednesday, the surgery was successfully completed and little Allicia is currently recovering with her family by her side. The continued work of Chain of Hope and all its stakeholders, bring joy, hope, and miracle to so many lives.