Shaggy Foundation releases $100 million to Bustamante Hospital

The controversial $100 million raised by the Shaggy Make a Difference Foundation in 2018 has finally been released to facilitate upgrades at the Bustamante Hospital for Children in St Andrew.

The money will aid a slew of initiatives aimed at bolstering and making recovery more comfortable for the young patients of the 60-year-old facility.

Chairman of the hospital’s management committee, Kenneth Benjamin, said the funds will be used to extend the intensive care unit (ICU), enabling greater care of the island’s sick children.

For years the Government, the foundation, and the Grammy award-winning entertainer had been at odds over the proceeds from the last staging of the Shaggy and Friends Benefit Concert.

The money was raised to purchase beds for the ICU, but the Government had sought to have the funds released and repurposed to other pressing needs because the hospital, at the time, did not have the space to accommodate the ICU beds.

Since then the money had been sitting in an interest-generating bank account, as using it for other than it was intended would contravene the provisions of the Charity Act, the foundation noted.

The charity is operated by Orville ‘Shaggy’ Burrell and his wife Rebecca Packer, who were also adamantly against turning over the funds to the Government.

In 2001, Shaggy adopted the Bustamante Hospital for Children, making personal donations to aid the island’s sole children’s hospital. In 2009, he hosted the first of several benefit concerts, so far raising more than $400 million towards various needs of the facility, with the help of major local and international donors.

“The money was never to be turned over. It was to pay for it. So with our permission, they have brought in the equipment that is needed for the extended ICU. Also, we brought in engineers and architects who are working on it as we speak,” said Benjamin, who had been put in charge of negotiations to break the impasse by Health Minister Dr Christopher Tufton.

He told The Sunday Gleaner last week, “The money has been released but they are paying out as it moves. They have already paid for the architecture of the building. The second thing is that we will have about four additional units in the ICU, and they have started to have dialogue with us as to what we need so they can order it. We will have more units and we will supply more equipment for those units.”

The upgrades at the facility, which will be having a slew of activities to celebrate its 60th anniversary, are slated to be completed as soon as next year.

Animal assisted recovery and care programme

According to medical practitioners, children on average can spend up to a month in intensive care, dependent on their condition. Following that they are exposed to a series of initiatives aimed at bolstering their recovery.

Among these is the Animal Assisted Recovery and Care Programme, which had its first official interaction last Thursday following a pilot project at Bustamante Hospital.

The project is being led by Dr Marsha James – an ear, nose, and throat consultant at the hospital.

Ten “low-level” mobile children benefited from the rehabilitation initiative. Those who suffered from allergies, respiratory illnesses, and had opened wounds, among other things, were excluded.

The children interacted with two snakes, a turtle, three rabbits, two kittens, and a the hospital’s therapy dog, Teddy Barks – all trained in rehabilitation therapy.

“After each interaction, we get feedback from the participants and there is also a research component where we will be analysing the data to see if the programme is actually improving psychological outcome and reduce the need for pharmacological agents,” James told The Sunday Gleaner.

James said there is sometimes a preconception and apprehension from persons regarding animals, especially around young children, but noted that the hospital will conduct educational campaigns to address any concerns.

“We know that there is a cultural bias and we want to educate persons about the benefits of the programme, and where better to start than with the children,” she said.

Bustamante saved her life

As part of its 60th anniversary celebration, the Bustamante Hospital for Children is seeking ambassadors to share testament of their experience there.

One such ambassador is 15-year-old Marissa Gordon, who was next to death’s door when she was rushed to the hospital suffering from a ruptured appendix four years ago.

According to Marissa’s mother, Claudine, the child started feeling abdominal pains at school and was treated for gastroenteritis at another facility. A few days later, however, her condition did not improve and by the time Marissa reached the Bustamante Hospital, she was swollen and her eyes had turned yellow.

Doctors had to do an emergency surgery to save her life. Today, Marissa has fully recovered.

“Financially, I can’t do much now but if I could I would give Bustamante the world for what they did for my daughter,” declared an appreciative father, Maurice Gordon.

“The porters, the nurses, the surgeons, I give God thanks for them. I really appreciated their efforts because when my daughter came here she was almost gone,” added Claudine, noting that Marissa would like to meet the staff who took care of her at the time, some of whom no longer work there.

corey.robinson@gleanerjm.com