Kids First Fund takes another group to India for heart surgery

May 16, 2009 News

Former First Lady Varshnie Singh poses for a photo with the children who are heading to India for life saving heart surgery. This is the sixth batch of children she is taking to India under Kids First Fund.

Kids First Fund, headed by former First Lady, Varshnie Singh, is taking the sixth batch of children to India for life-saving heart surgeries, even though she has not yet raised the money for the surgeries.
The money for the airfare has been raised, and she said the hospital would take the payment for the surgeries at a later date. This sum will be raised upon the patients’ return to Guyana.

“For between US$7, 000 and US$10,000, we can transform the lives of our children from one of ill health, pain, fear and inactivity to a normal pain-free, fearless, energetic, educated and adventurous life – just how children are supposed to be!” Singh said in a statement to the media yesterday.
Singh, who early this year accused her husband – President Bharrat Jagdeo – of high tech domestic violence, and said that the vehicle she used for the charity was taken away, is back in Guyana after engaging in various fund raising activities in the United Kingdom.

The parents of the children who are heading to India for life-saving surgery praised Singh for her efforts in maintaining the charity despite the setbacks she has faced, including diminishing support from the government. Singh said she still depends on “good Samaritans” who have been assisting her with transportation.
At the Kids First Fund office on Hadfield Street, Georgetown, the children and their eager parents surrounded her as she told reporters of her efforts to save the lives of more children.
Since she released details of her relationship with the President and the way her charity was affected, Singh said three children have died, and one has been rendered inoperable, because of the lack of resources to take them to India.

“We need to act now and act fast so that children can access life saving surgery and lead normal productive lives like their peers,” Singh said as she humbly requested the help of businesses and individuals to support the programme.
This is the sixth batch of children she is taking to India under Kids First Fund’s “Heart 2 Heart – Save a Life” programme. Apart from ten children, two adults are also being taken for surgeries. The total airfare costs US$30,000 and this has been paid. Now, the Fund needs to raise the US$89,000 it would cost to do the surgeries.

The “Heart 2 Heart – Save a Life” programme is a partnership Singh has established with Dr K.M. Cherian and the Frontier Lifeline Hospital in Chennai, India. Singh said the hospital allows the Fund to pay the cost of surgeries without a time constraint.
Those being taken to India are: Mark Beckles, 11; of Canvas City, Linden; Parsram Sugrim, 11; of Stanleytown, New Amsterdam, Berbice; Tanisha Williams, 4, of Liliendaal, East Coast Demerara; brothers Yogesh Dass, 7, and Kumar Singh, 4, both of Foulis, Enmore, East Coast Demerara; Icobola Selaska Causeway, 2, of East Ruimveldt, Georgetown; Akila Smith, 3, of North Ruimveldt, Georgetown; Reon Nimrod Andries, 9, of Annai, Region Nine; Randy Mark Cameron, 13, of New Amsterdam, Berbice; and Zephania Ramnarayan of La Penitence, Georgetown.

The adults who are also going for surgery are Dapeka Charran, 20; and Semone Mathews, 38.
Singh said that applications for help were made to the Ministry of Health last year, but only two persons received help. Icobola Causeway received US$5, 000 and Akila Smith received US$1,954.
Singh said she has not yet received a response from the Ministry on the status of the other applications.
The “Heart 2 Heart – Save a Life” programme started in September 2005 when four children were taken to India. Dr. Cherian followed up by holding a free evaluation clinic in Guyana during November 2005 with his colleague Dr Pre Sekar.

As a result, approximately 300 adults and children were diagnosed as having cardiac complaints.
Since then, five batches have gone to India for surgery – 45 children and 14 adults.
Singh started the programme because there are no cardiologists or cardiac surgeons in Guyana.
The average cost of cardiac surgery in Trinidad, which is the nearest place for doing such a surgery, is US$20, 000 – $25, 000. In Canada, the price goes up to CDN$ 60,000; in the United States the estimated cost is US$100,000 and in the UK the cost of 100,000 Pounds Sterling.

“When the average (weekly) wage of the families that come to us for help is often US$50 (G$10, 000)…to send children to school, pay for transportation and rent and put food on the table, you can understand the difficulties facing parents with sick children,” Singh said.

“The ‘Heart 2 Heart’ programme offers sick children the chance to access a new lease on life free and at a fraction of the cost elsewhere to us who have to pay for it. In Indian, we get world class healthcare at a very attractive price and no visa restrictions to access it,” Singh stated.
She acknowledged the help of the Ministry of Health, the private sector and the general public, without whom these finally challenged families “would have no way of affording this life-saving surgery by themselves.”

Singh praised Caribbean Airlines and Air India as “long standing humanitarian partners” who have renewed their commitment to the cause, granting the team special rates.
She also announced that with this trip, Kids First Fund is launching a new partnership with Virgin Atlantic, Barbados, which has offered special rates to the UK.
“Money saved in air fares can be used to help even more children,” Singh stated.