Mending tiny broken hearts
Published: Sunday | April 26, 2009
From left: Health Minister Rudyard Spencer and Beverly Needham, chief executive officer at Bustamante Hospital for Children present a plaque to Dr Jeff Jacobs of the Congenital Heart Institute of Florida, for his service to the hospital at the cocktail function hosted by Tanny Shirley, chairman of the South Eastern Regional Health Authority at his Jacks Hill, St Andrew, home on Saturday, April 18.
Just imagine that the size of the heart of a three-five-month-old baby is the same as a tennis ball's. Well, that is just what Dr Jeff Jacobs sees every day as he mends the tiny broken hearts of babies in Florida and here in Jamaica.
Dr Jacobs, a cardiac surgeon, was one of a team of over 30, who were here for the fourth year in a row with the Heartmenders Association, who give freely of their time and talents at the Bustamante Hospital for Children.
Dr Jacobs told Outlook that this year the team would perform surgeries on 26 babies with maladies including, hole in the heart, tetralogy of fallot, and aortic courctation. But he was encouraged by the results and said, "My best thanks is when I see the happiness on the faces of the parents."
He is further gratified by the local team at the hospital, which he said was capable to do the work, but need more infrastructure and equipment.
The doctors bring 180 crates of medication, supplies and bypass equipment. They were funded in part this year by the Larry King Foundation and plans are afoot to bring the popular CNN host here next year when the team returns.