Healing the Children offers assistance to local child population

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – A team from the US non-profit organisation Healing the Children (HTC) is currently visiting St. Kitts and Nevis to assess and assist children with walking impediments.

In an exclusive interview with SKNVibes, Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Dr. Patrick Martin and HTC Executive Director Desi Ferrell expounded upon the partnership between the Federation and the US humanitarian organisation.

According to Ferrell, HTC medical teams of various sizes visit countries to assess the orthopaedic needs of their child population. She revealed that a team would be examining local children who were unable to or had problems with walking. 

“These are children who have to be lifted up as they go about their daily lives or are wheelchair-bound, so we are trying to see if we can help them become more independent. We have seen five children in St. Kitts today and we will see six in Nevis tomorrow,” Ferrell said.

Dr. Martin noted the relationship between the HTC and the Federation was first forged in 1987. He stated that since then, approximately four to six children from St. Kitts and Nevis were assisted by the various HTC chapters annually.
He said the organisation “continued to do its good work throughout the world” and expressed gratitude on behalf of the government and people of the Federation.

“Over 60 children from both islands have received assistance in areas including open heart surgeries, scoliosis surgery for correction of spinal deformities and plastic surgery for children born with cleft lips. These children have returned home to grateful parents who are thankful for the contribution made by the HTC to medical and surgical care in the nation.

“Hundreds of thousands of US dollars would have been spent if the government had had to do these surgeries on their own. Heal the Children serves as a broker for us in dealing with hospitals. They put children up in licensed hospitals, all for free, and the parents here in St. Kitts and Nevis don’t have to spend a dime,” said the CMO. 

The HTC’s website states that it is “a non-profit humanitarian organisation dedicated to securing donated medical and surgical care for children who are in need. Founded in 1979, it encompasses 14 chapters in 24 states. Since its inception, the HTC has provided first-class medical care to more than 174 879 children in over 100 countries.”