30 Years of Mending Little Hearts: Chain of Hope celebrates three decades of life-saving cardiac care in Jamaica

Chain of Hope celebrated 30 years of transforming the lives of children with heart disease in Jamaica this June with a special anniversary medical mission to Bustamante Hospital for Children.

Led by paediatric cardiac surgeon Professor Victor Tsang, the volunteer team of surgeons, cardiologists, anaesthetists, intensive care specialists, nurses and perfusionists performed life-saving open-heart surgery on eight Jamaican children with complex heart conditions.

One of the children whose life was transformed during the anniversary mission was three-year-old Kalani, who underwent life-saving open-heart surgery to repair a Ventricular Septal Defect (VSD) - a hole in the wall separating the heart's two lower chambers. The condition allows blood to flow abnormally through the heart, forcing it to work harder than normal. If left untreated, a VSD can lead to breathing difficulties, poor growth, enlargement of the heart and high blood pressure in the lungs.

Kalani's operation was performed by Chain of Hope Trustee Professor Victor Tsang and Jamaican paediatric cardiac surgeon Dr Sherard Little.

Just days after surgery, Kalani was back to doing what every three-year-old should be doing - playing happily outside with toy cars and blowing bubbles. 

The mission marked 30 years since Chain of Hope founder and President, Professor Sir Magdi Yacoub OM FRS, established Jamaica as the first beneficiary country of the charity in 1996. What began as humanitarian medical missions has grown into one of the world’s most successful international paediatric cardiac partnerships.

Over the past 30 years, Chain of Hope and its partners have conducted more than 70 medical missions to Jamaica, helping hundreds of children with congenital and acquired heart disease while supporting the development of a sustainable paediatric cardiac service at Bustamante Hospital for Children.

A major milestone came with the opening of the dedicated Paediatric Cardiac Centre at Bustamante Hospital for Children in 2017. Opened in 2017, the facility includes a cardiac operating theatre, a paediatric intensive care unit and a cardiac catheterisation laboratory, making it the first dedicated paediatric cardiac centre in the English-speaking Caribbean.

The centre was made possible through collaboration between Chain of Hope, Digicel, the Shaggy Make A Difference Foundation, Gift of Life International, Rotary International, Caribbean Heart Menders, Sagicor, the Ministry of Health and Wellness, Bustamante Hospital for Children, and many generous donors and supporters.

Since the opening of the dedicated cardiac centre, more than 405 cardiac procedures have been performed on children through Chain of Hope-supported missions and partnerships, giving hundreds of children a second chance at life.

Professor Sir Magdi Yacoub said:

"Jamaica has held a special place in my heart since the 1960s, and it was only natural that it became the first country where we established an overseas programme after founding Chain of Hope in 1996. From our first mission, our aim was simple: to ensure that children born with heart disease had access to the life-saving care they needed."

The Jamaica programme also holds a special place in the charity’s history because of the support of Diana, Princess of Wales, one of Chain of Hope’s earliest patrons. In 1997, Princess Diana had planned to accompany Professor Sir Magdi Yacoub on a mission to Jamaica to meet children awaiting life-saving treatment before her tragic death. Her commitment helped bring international attention to children born with heart disease in developing countries.

Professor Victor Tsang said:

"Every visit to Jamaica is special, but this anniversary mission is especially meaningful. We have seen remarkable progress over the last 30 years. The greatest legacy of this programme is not only the hundreds of surgeries performed, but the expertise, confidence and capability built within Jamaica’s own cardiac team."

Beyond surgery, one of the programme’s most significant achievements has been its investment in education and workforce development. Recognising that sustainable cardiac services depend on highly trained specialist nurses, Chain of Hope and the Bustamante Hospital for Children cardiac team have worked together to strengthen Jamaica’s cardiac nursing workforce.

In partnership with the University of Technology, Jamaica, Chain of Hope helped develop the country’s first dedicated cardiac nursing training programme. The accredited 13-week module combines face-to-face and remote teaching, practical training and clinical rotations for critical care nursing students, helping increase specialist cardiac nursing skills and address a national workforce shortage in this highly specialised area of healthcare.

Emma Scanlan, Chief Executive of Chain of Hope, said:

"It has been an enormous privilege for Chain of Hope to serve children and families in Jamaica for more than 30 years. Our volunteer teams have travelled thousands of miles alongside our partners, united by a single purpose: to ensure that children born with heart disease have access to the specialist care they need. We are incredibly proud of what this partnership has achieved together."

As Chain of Hope celebrates three decades in Jamaica, the charity remains committed to supporting the continued growth and sustainability of the paediatric cardiac programme through specialist training, mentoring, equipment support and medical missions.

Together with its partners, Chain of Hope remains committed to ensuring that every child born with heart disease has access to the care they need, regardless of where they live.

Categories: Overseas Updates, Children, Press