SCI raises millions to help vulnerable children

The Canada-based SickKids Foundation has raised CA$3.5 million of its targeted CA$5 million so far to help children in the region with cancers and blood disorders through its SickKids-Caribbean Initiative (SCI).

A major portion of that funding so far has come from CIBC FirstCaribbean International Bank, which has signed a new memorandum of understanding to provide US$1 million to the cause over the next five years.

The donation was made through its charitable arm – the FirstCaribbean International ComTrust Foundation, mirroring the amount the bank provided in 2013 over a seven-year period.

The donation, the bank said, would go towards providing additional support for specialised nurse training and research and advocacy over the next five years.

Several other partners have also made major contributions to the cause for the second round including Republic Bank (Barbados), the Sandals Foundation, Scotiabank, and Cidel Bank and Trust.

During a recent reception at the Hilton Resort to update partners on the achievements of the SCI, SickKids Foundation officials said they were satisfied they would continue to transform the healthcare environment for children in the Caribbean.

Chief Executive Officer of the SickKids Foundation Ted Garrard told the donors gathered at the reception: “I share the good news that not only did we raise CA$8 million for the first phase of this initiative, we have now reached about CA$3.5 million for the second phase. We are well on our way to our CA$5 million target, and that is a credit to all of you.”

Barbados, the Bahamas, St Lucia, Jamaica, St Vincent and the Grenadines and Trinidad and Tobago are the countries involved in the programme.

Gerrard said the business community had developed a strong interest in the SCI to the extent that they “are putting up their hands to be engaged in helping us think through, what long-term sustainability for the initiative looks like”.

As such, he said the SickKids Foundation would be meeting with a number of business leaders from the region in Orlando in early December to discuss the role they could play in the SCI going forward.

Officials said the project has “touched the lives of many children,” describing it as transformational.

The objectives of the SCI is to improve the diagnosis and management of children with cancer; to provide training and education for paediatric haematology/oncology, doctors, nurses and allied health professionals; establish best practices to improve the outcome for children with cancer and blood disorders in the region; to establish and integrate a sustainable communication structure for education to make the process sustainable; and to act as an example for other services for other paediatric services.

Chief of Infectious Diseases at SickKids Foundation Dr Upton Allen said the achievements over the past six years have “certainly borne many fruit”.

In addition to improving access to services for children with cancers and serious blood disorders in the region, the foundation has also helped health professionals provide more timely and accurate diagnosis.

SCI has among other things, installed several telemedicine sites in hospitals in the Caribbean, trained four haematology/oncology doctors, completed over 450 case-consultations as well as more than 70,000 specialised diagnostic tests and trained 27 nurses from five of the six participating countries.

Republic Bank said at the heart of its involvement was for the enhancement of training of paediatric nurses in Barbados and the region.

The financial institution is supporting the cause through its Republic Bank’s Power to Make a Difference (PMAD) corporate social responsibility programme.

Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Republic Bank Anthony Clerk said the SCI fitted perfectly within PMAD’s established four-pillar structure, which encompasses the power to care, learn, help and succeed.

“We are indeed pleased as a regional institution to come on board and support these very worthy objectives in the area of healthcare for vulnerable Caribbean children,” said Clerk.

“Our support will be targeted at providing training and education for nurses in areas of haematology and oncology, which as I am sure most are aware, is of critical importance to Barbados and other countries across the region,” he added.