Fri | Jan 23, 2026

Mending hearts

Six children receive cardiac surgeries courtesy of Chain of Hope in January

Published:Thursday | January 22, 2026 | 12:13 AM
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Dr Cleopatra Patterson, paediatric cardiac anaesthetist and intensivist at the Bustamante Hospital for Children, showcases a procedure room, designed for minimally invasive, cardiac procedures during a tour of the facility by a 16-member volunteer team led
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Dr Cleopatra Patterson, paediatric cardiac anaesthetist and intensivist at the Bustamante Hospital for Children, showcases a procedure room, designed for minimally invasive, cardiac procedures during a tour of the facility by a 16-member volunteer team led by Chain of Hope Jamaica and Chain of Hope UK on January 13.
Kenyan-based consultant intensivist Dr Kabui Kasuongo (front left), instructs a team of nurses from the Bustamante Hospital for Children Cardiac Centre on post-operative care best practices and skills to support children following surgery.
Contributed
Kenyan-based consultant intensivist Dr Kabui Kasuongo (front left), instructs a team of nurses from the Bustamante Hospital for Children Cardiac Centre on post-operative care best practices and skills to support children following surgery.
Dr Cleopatra Patterson, paediatric cardiac anaesthetist and intensivist at the Bustamante Hospital for Children, demonstrates the use of a newly donated Electrocardiogram machine.
Contributed
Dr Cleopatra Patterson, paediatric cardiac anaesthetist and intensivist at the Bustamante Hospital for Children, demonstrates the use of a newly donated Electrocardiogram machine.
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Six children with severe congenital heart defects recently received life-saving cardiac surgery led by London-based Professor Victor Tsang, a world-renowned specialist in paediatric valve repair and replacement. The procedures were carried out at the Bustamante Hospital for Children during a mission week from January 12 to 16, by a 16-member volunteer team organised by Chain of Hope Jamaica and Chain of Hope UK.

Three of the children have already been discharged; the remaining patients are expected to return to their homes soon.

Through the “Mending Little Hearts” programme, Chain of Hope Jamaica and Chain of Hope UK have supported hundreds of surgeries and interventions, furthering their mission to ensure that every child with heart disease receives the highest standard of care.

“Not all procedures are the same,” said Dr Cleopatra Patterson, paediatric cardiac anaesthetist and intensivist at the Bustamante Hospital for Children. She explained that some babies present with exceptionally complex cases — “some with their hearts tied up in knots”— that the local team is unable to unravel. A few children, she noted, required surgery for conditions that the hospital simply does not have the resources or capacity to manage.

Chain of Hope has stepped in to help in such cases. It also facilitated treatment abroad in Canada, the United Kingdom, Europe or at the Great Osmond Heart Centre in London. “They have provided access to both the medical expertise and training that has changed the lives of our children here at the Bustamante Hospital for Children,” she said.

BUILDING LOCAL CAPACITY

Beyond individual surgeries, Chain of Hope has strengthened Jamaica’s paediatric cardiac services by funding specialist training, including sending cardiologists and technicians to London for clinical development. It has also launched a national cardiac-nursing intensive-care programme in partnership with the University of Technology (UTech), combining visiting educators with remote instruction.

Since its establishment in 2007, Chain of Hope Jamaica has devoted its efforts to building sustainable cardiac care for children. That work continues this year with expanded training and clinical development. Through partnerships with organisations including Gift of Life International, Shaggy and Friends, Digicel and Sagicor, Chain of Hope helped establish the hospital’s dedicated paediatric cardiac unit — equipped with a 10-bed intensive-care unit, an operating theatre and a bi-plane catheterisation laboratory.