London Fundraiser to Benefit Children with Heart Defects

The Shaggy Make a Difference Foundation and the United Kingdom-based Chain of Hope have deepened their partnership to enable more Jamaican children with heart conditions to receive life-saving treatment.

The charity organisations recently came together to stage a fundraising ball in London to support the provision of cardiac services at the Bustamante Hospital for Children.

Held at Grosvenor House on Friday (November 20), the event was organised by Chain of Hope, with Jamaican Reggae superstar and founder of Shaggy Make a Difference, Orville “Shaggy” Burrell, delighting the guests with a scintillating performance.

It was attended by Chain of Hope partners and dignitaries in the UK, including Jamaica’s High Commissioner Aloun Ndombet Assamba.

Shaggy, in an interview with JIS News, said over the years the partnership with Chain of Hope has helped to reach more children with heart disease in Jamaica and provide surgeries at the Bustamante Hospital.

“They come and do cardiac surgeries on little babies, who can’t afford it, sometimes 30-40 babies at a time, and so that prompted us to get involved  with them to raise funds not just for Bustamante Hospital but also to establish a new cardiac wing,” he noted.

Chain of Hope is a UK-based charity linking experts around the world to bring life- saving heart treatments to children in developing and war-torn countries. The entity has been a repeat partner with Shaggy & Friends, the annual fundraising concert put on by the Jamaican reggae superstar, to raise funds for the hospital.

Chief Executive Officer, of Chain of Hope, Emma Scanlan, said the organisation wants to do more to help save children’s lives in Jamaica and has therefore decided to get the Jamaican UK Diaspora involved through the fundraising ball.

“In Jamaica, 400 children are born every year with heart disease and it’s a very important issue that we help the children of Jamaica get the treatment that they need,” Ms. Scanlan said.

She informed that a text line has been set up to receive pledges, and persons may text COHJ03 to donate to the Shaggy & Friends and Chain of Hope mission and help make a difference.

Donations can also be made via the organisation’s website www.chainofhope.org.

Ms. Scanlan said Chain of Hope “is really proud” to be the UK partner for the annual Shaggy & Friends concert. “We’ve been partners for many years helping to build the cardiac wing at Bustamante Hospital and equipping it,” she noted.

Meanwhile, Shaggy told JIS News that the annual fundraising concert will seek to raise more money this year and widen its appeal locally and internationally.

Shaggy & Friends, which will be held on the lawns of Jamaica House on January 2, 2016, has secured new partnerships with major international brands such as media giant

I-Heart radio and car manufacturer FIAT.

“With I-Heart media, we are gonna be broadcasting in over 115 stations, to an audience of 125 million. So, hopefully, we’ll be able to raise the awareness, raise some good money and expand the brand a little bit more,” he said.

The Jamaican reggae superstar said he is pleased with what his foundation has accomplished over the years in seeking to help the Bustamante Hospital for Children and the country.

“This was just a dream; it was a very impulsive move, from just meeting a little girl with a bullet lodged in her head… And we’ve raised over 2 million so far…and we’ll continue to raise money,” Shaggy noted.

Since the first concert in 2009, Shaggy & Friends has raised funds to help purchase over 460 pieces of life-saving equipment for the Bustamante Hospital, increasing its capacity to provide quality health care for the children of Jamaica and the Caribbean.