T he Preemie Foundation of Jamaica on January 25 officially handed over 15 oxygen concentrator machines to the Ministry of Health, valued at over $3,000,000. The machines, which have been tested and promoted for use by the World Health Organization (WHO), have been distributed to hospitals across the island to be used in Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs) and Special Care Nurseries.

Health and Wellness Minister Dr Christopher Tufton, speaking at the handover held at Toyota Jamaica, applauded Serika Sterling, founder of the Preemie Foundation, for using her experience as a force for good to help others.

“Mrs Sterling, I commend you for converting what could have easily been perceived as a negative into a positive; your thought process was how can you help the system after your experience of giving birth to premature babies, and that is something we should definitely highlight.”

The event was hosted at Toyota Jamaica’s Old Hope Road location. The company has been a long-standing supporter of the Preemie Foundation. They have partnered with the foundation on many initiatives and to be a part of this one did not come as a surprise. Toyota’s brand partner, the Mitchells, also played an integral role in raising money through their online platforms to purchase the machines.

“We are overjoyed to be a part of this initiative,” Tami Mitchell commented.

“ Serika reached out to us at the beginning of the Oxygen Drive back in 2021 and we were fully on board to help with raising money to purchase the machines.”

The Mitchells two months prior to the handover ceremony made a pledge to donate one machine on behalf of their #MTM first cousins while Toyota Jamaica matched it with two more machines on behalf of their brand partners.

Micheal McGrane, general sales and marketing manager of Toyota Jamaica, said: “We are proud to support and are moved by the works carried out by The Preemie Foundation of Jamaica. Along with our brand partners, the Mitchells and Terri-Karelle, we look forward to a continued partnership with the foundation.

Dr Blondel Crosdale, consultant neonatologist UHWI, noted that “in most premature babies, their lungs and other sensitive organs are not sufficiently developed to breathe and take sufficient oxygen around the body. Low oxygen levels can lead to severe brain damage, organ failure or death. An oxygen concentrator therefore plays an important role in premature babies’ treatment immediately after birth, giving them a chance to survive and live a normal life”.

Recognising the need for this critical machine in NICUs across the island, the Preemie Foundation initiated an Oxygen Drive in September 2021 to raise funds to purchase the machines as one of its Preemie Awareness Month initiatives. The drive ended in December 2021 following an overwhelming support from corporate companies and individuals who responded to their call for help.

Vitus Evans, executive director, Betting, Gaming and Lotteries Commission (BGLC), a first time donor to the Preemie Foundation, expressed that “We are very happy to have the opportunity to make a contribution towards assuring that Jamaica’s most vulnerable children can receive good health care. We congratulate Serika Sterling and the Preemie Foundation team for this initiative and are honoured to have been able to play a part.”

For their part, Sterling shared her motivation behind starting the foundation; “My passion for the Preemie Foundation came about in 2017 when I found out I was pregnant with triplets. I was worried about many things, but health care was not one of them. I was asked by my doctor if I started making arrangements to have my babies overseas because Jamaica does not have the medical facilities to support a mother birthing triplets”.

Serika gave birth to her premature triplets; however, two of them passed away after spending two months and one week in the NICU. “To support the Preemie Foundation of Jamaica, contact 876-665-1210, send an e-mail at preemiefoundationjamaica@gmail.com, or visit our social media pages at @thepreeemiefoundationjm on Facebook and Instagram. We need all the help we can get.”

Other corporate supporters include long-standing supporters Friendly Lodge 239, the Bank of Jamaica, NCB, Senior Accounting and Services, and Sagicor.

Beneficiary Hospitals:

South East Regional Health Authority (SERHA):

• Spanish Town Hospital- 2

• UWI- 1

• VJH- 2

• Princess Margaret Hospital- 1

North East Regional Health Authority (NERHA):

• St Ann’s Bay Regional Hospital- 2

• Port Antonio Hospital- 1

Southern Regional Health Authority (SRHA):

• Mandeville Regional Hospital- 2

Western Regional Health Authority (WRHA):

• Savanna-La-Mar Public General Hospital -2

• Cornwall Regional Hospital-2