Smile Africa donates to GT hospital

(CNS): Child patients at the Paediatric Ward of the George Town Hospital are now benefiting from the arrival of essential specialised medical equipment donated by a benevolent group of local corporations and individuals. Worth over $13,000, the equipment includes a Bili-Bassinet (as shown left), a vital addition to the ward that uses phototherapy to treat newborn infants with jaundice. Additional items purchased for the specialised care of small children include the Broselow Paediatric Resuscitation System and Veinlites.

The resuscitation system contains specific weight-related supplies designed for speedy resuscitation of children & infants, and the Veinlites make it easier for clinical staff to take blood and start intravenous infusions by helping them to locate veins, and making the experience less traumatic for their small patients.

Gillian Barlow, Nurse Manager of the Children’s Ward at the Health Services Authority, said, “We are extremely grateful to our donors for their support. This equipment will help to improve the quality of care for our young patients in the Paediatric Ward and make the staff better equipped for a range of medical situations. We always welcome donations, which help us provide the best possible care to our patients, and we thank the companies and individuals involved for their support and generosity.”

The donations form part of an initiative begun by Smile Africa, a Cayman-based project launched to raise funds for local children and Facing Africa, a U.K. charity dedicated to helping children in sub-Saharan countries who suffer from a devastating flesh-eating disease called Noma.

Corporate donors were Stuarts Attorneys, Krys & Associates, dms Management and Tower Marketing, whilst individual donors were Andrew and Nicola Hersant; Jane Wareham and Timothy Ridley; Lee and Sheila Aronfeld; Don and Cheryl Seymour; Deanna Bidwell; Joanna and Chris Humphries.

Jane Wareham who coordinated the donations said, "Small acts of kindness lead to better things. Charity starts at home and the generosity of our local donors helps to show the importance of corporate responsibility in our community. Projects like these produce tangible benefits for children and the under privileged in the Cayman Islands.” Wareham continued, “The international aspect of these projects also demonstrates Cayman’s understanding of third world problems and the need to combat suffering wherever that may be."

The group’s fundraising efforts will continue in 2010 with a marathon scheduled to take place in February, which is attracting a lot of interest from local organisations. Kenneth Krys, Managing Director of Cayman-based corporate recovery and insolvency firm, Krys & Associates, will be drawing on his experience of completing the grueling Marathon Des Sables, a six-day, 151-mile endurance race across the Sahara desert in aid of Facing Africa, to help organise the marathon.

Corporate donors and representatives of Cayman-based charity Smile Africa with staff of the George Town Hospital Paediatric Ward and the equipment purchased through their fundraising efforts. The Bili-Bassinet shown here will treat newborns with jaundice.