Hospitals Benefit from Young Philanthropist’s Charity

Twelve-year-old Canadian-Jamaican philanthropist, Jazmin Headley, has been making a significant impact in several hospitals islandwide through her charity, the Jazz Me Foundation.

She has been creating safe spaces, dubbed the ‘Jazmin Corner’, for young patients to relax in hospitals or a dedicated area where parents working in healthcare can safely leave their children, while they perform their vital duties.

Jazmin informs that she started her philanthropic journey during the COVID-19 pandemic, after she and her brother received birthday and other gifts that were not being used.

“We’d get toys for Christmas or birthdays, but after a while, they’d just be forgotten or put aside; and that was when me and my brother decided that when we get toys for Christmas or our birthdays, we would donate them,” she explains, adding that her parents also influenced her decision.

Jazmin’s Public Relations Manager, Anthony Turner, tells JIS News that while she is an extraordinary singer, dancer and actress, her drive and determination are remarkable.

“At nine years old, Jazmin made her first major donation, and that was towards the Bounty Foundation,” he says.

Several wheelchairs were donated to the Bounty Foundation, the charity established by dancehall artiste, Rodney ‘Bounty Killer’ Price, an act that would contribute and shape her journey as a young changemaker.

Following this donation, Jazmin decided to create safe and nurturing spaces within hospitals.

The first ‘Jazmin Corner’ was established at the May Pen Hospital in Clarendon, where children who are patients at the facility are now able to enjoy access to books, toys and games as they recover.

Children of staff at the Kingston Public and Victoria Jubilee Hospitals now have a more comfortable space, which was established recently, where they can read, play or relax while they wait on their parents.

The staff daycare, which serves children of all categories of employees at the adjoining hospitals, has been transformed through a donation of more than Can$15,000.

“I wanted to make it easier for parents who work in healthcare… I wanted their children to feel safe and happy while they were away from their parents and home, and I also wanted the parents to know that the kids are safe,” Jazmin states.

For his part, Mr. Turner notes that healthcare workers are often under a lot of pressure and long shifts.

“By providing a safe space for their children, we’re making it easier for them to focus on their work without having to worry about their kids,” he states.

Mr. Turner further informs that the process of establishing an additional ‘Jazmin Corner’ is ongoing, with plans in place to create one at the Black River Hospital in St. Elizabeth.