THE Jamaica Youth Chorale (JYC) and its legacy group, The Kingston Seventeen (K17), have collaborated with The Caring for Miracles Foundation for a benefit performance of their yuletide season production, Christmas Joy, to help raise critical funds to improve pre-term baby care in Jamaica and the wider Caribbean.

Since its establishment in 2021, The Caring for Miracles Foundation has been dedicated to improving outcomes for these vulnerable infants across the region, through initiatives such as adopting neonatal intensive care units, acquiring vital equipment and educating healthcare teams and families.

Dr Jillian Lewis, founder of the foundation and consultant neonatologist at the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI), said despite advancements in medicine and technology, Jamaica and other developing countries continue to struggle with inadequate resources and high mortality rates for pre-term babies.

Worldwide, one in 10 babies are born preterm and according to the most recent Born Too Soon report from the World Health Organization (WHO), globally the rates of pre-term birth have barely changed during the past decade, and in some places, rates are rising. The report also states that in 2020, nearly one million newborns died due to complications of pre-term birth.

“I believe that no child should be disadvantaged because of where he or she is born and we’re having the benefit performance to raise funds to support the purchase of equipment as well training for staff as part of a Golden Hour Quality Improvement Initiative for pre-term infants delivered at UHWI, the foundation’s first adoptee,” Dr Lewis shared.

She explained that while a pre-term baby is any baby born before 37 weeks, the Golden Hour Initiative is specifically focusing on babies born less than 32 weeks’ gestation.

“That is the population of babies that has the highest mortality,” she said while emphasising that the concert has the potential to change the trajectory of those babies and their families.

“The concert is an opportunity to support a worthy cause. We have the ability with our gifts to save a life and not just to assist with the survival of the babies, but also to improve the quality of their lives and that of their families forever. It’s such a meaningful venture and we look forward to people supporting.“

In the short term, the foundation is focusing on acquiring essential equipment for neonatal care, including pulse oximeters, which are critical for monitoring oxygen levels during resuscitation, and warming mattresses to help regulate the body temperature of preterm babies, a vital step in their care and recovery.

Musical Director of the JYC, Greg Simms, added that the benefit concert is a reflection of the group’s dedication to making a meaningful impact through music and imagination.

“JYC has always been more than a choir; we are a family committed to spreading hope and giving back to our community with our talents. There’s no greater gift than helping to save lives during the season of giving and our partnership with The Caring for Miracles Foundation can make a real difference in the lives of preterm babies and their families,” he shared.

The benefit concert kicks off the JYC’s Christmas season on December 14 at Philip Sherlock Centre for the Creative Arts, UWI, Mona. Get ticket details at jamaicayouthchorale.org, or e-mail: caringformiraclesfoundation@gmail.com.