Burn advocate, philanthropist and events planner Stephen Josephs is looking forward to National Heroes’ Day in October with great anticipation and delight, having been selected to receive the national award Order of Distinction (OD) in the officer rank.

“I am deeply humbled to receive this honour for my contributions to philanthropy and economic development in Jamaica. As I reflect on this journey, I am reminded that when God has great plans for us, he takes us through challenges to elevate us to greatness.

“To God be the glory for all accomplishments are through him. I owe it all to Him. I look forward to receiving this award and would like to express my gratitude to those who supported me,” Josephs told the Jamaica Observer on Tuesday.

Josephs was very instrumental in getting help for a number of Jamaican burn victims, including children, by coordinating the logistics to have them flown overseas to receive first-class care as the island’s hospitals lack the facilities to deal with patients who receive severe burns to their bodies.

Although he has done much of his burn advocacy work under the banner of the Sanmerna Foundation, where he holds the title of projects manager, Josephs has a wide network of people ready to assist whenever he picks up the phone and pleads for their help to save a burn victim.

“When I help to save a life I feel the weight of gratitude and the warmth of hope. It’s a moment that transcends time, a reminder that every life is special and every act of kindness is a gift,” he said.

Among the people who Josephs has helped to stay alive after they received life-threatening burns are teenagers Alicia King and Adrianna Laing. At the age of 17, King was doused with flammable liquid by her ex-boyfriend and was set on fire while she slept on August 24 last year at her house in Linstead, St Catherine. Laing was badly burnt in a massive fire at her house in Westmoreland in 2022, which claimed the lives of her three younger siblings.

Josephs told the Observer that his success would not have been possible without his support system and thanked everyone who played a role, including his late father Edward Josephs and his mother Deloris Josephs. He also thanked his younger brother Luke Josephs, Joseph M Still Burn Centre, Shriners Hospital, Trinity Air Ambulance, Consular General Oliver Mair, the Reynolds family in Florida, and Robert and Mark White who are both directors of the Sanmerna Foundation.

“Thanks to everyone who supported me on this journey. Your contributions have made significant impact,” he said.

Apart from his work with burn victims, Josephs is also dedicated to entertainment management and philanthropy, driven by a profound commitment to enhancing the well-being of humanity, a value passed down to him by his mother and his late father.

In the field of entertainment, Josephs has contributed to the promotion of Jamaican culture on a global stage. Among other achievements, he played a pivotal role in coordinating the One Love Festival in Japan in 2012. Josephs also produced a documentary film entitled, Dance Hall is us.

Crew members of a Trinity Air Ambulance International jet ensure that everything was in order before flying Ackalia Dunkley out of the Jamaica to the United States to be treated for severe burns in this February 2023 file photo.