Girlfriends Foundation comes good for Sav Hospital’s maternity department

Western Bureau:

A simple act of care, which was sparked by a newborn baby wrapped in a worn towel, has blossomed into a meaningful donation for mothers and babies at the Savanna-la-Mar Public General Hospital in Westmoreland.

On Friday morning, the hospital’s maternity department received more than 200 receiving blankets from the United States (US)-based Support Your Girlfriends Foundation, an initiative led locally by returning resident Vanessa Moore.

Moore said the effort began after witnessing a close friend struggle during an emergency delivery.

“There was no receiving blanket to wrap the baby in, not even here at the hospital,” she recalled. “When I came to visit her, and seeing that little one just hours after his birth, wrapped in a towel that was quite tattered and not fitting for his newborn skin, I decided to get my girlfriends together.”

That call to action resulted in what Moore described as a collective gesture of love.

“From our perspective, it was really important for us to wrap all newborns, as many as possible, wrap them in love, literally, with a receiving blanket,” she said.

The group donated just over 200 blankets, valued at approximately US$300-US$400, with members purchasing and shipping the items to another member, Julian Cassells-Gray, who brought the items to Jamaica.

Roan Grant, the hospital’s chief executive officer (CEO), welcomed the donation, noting that it addressed a real and immediate need within the maternity ward.

“Based upon their experience, they would have sought the need to replenish the stock of this item in the maternity ward because of the need that they have seen. So I really am appreciative of this gesture,” said Grant. “The initiative is really accepted, and I want to thank the team for this wonderful benevolent act.”

Grant also pointed to broader plans to improve maternal care at the facility, including the expansion of the maternity ward.

“There’s a new window. We’re hoping that we get some partnership to expand the entire maternal ward, having its own operating theatre as well, and the waiting area for the crop season, because it is very busy,” he said. “So, on my agenda as CEO, it would be good if…I could get that wing going.”

Dr Suman Vemu, the senior medical officer (SMO), underscored the importance of the donation in the context of a high-demand maternity unit.

“Sav-la-Mar is a busy hospital. On average, we have 2,500 deliveries per year,” he said, noting that the number fluctuates between 2,000 and 2,400 births annually in recent years.

“So the situations are dynamic. In spite of all of our efforts, we always face a challenge at any given time. So I really appreciate these donations as a backup for us to respond in the best possible way,” he added.

Vemu also highlighted additional needs within maternal healthcare, including cardiotocograph (CTG) machines, compression devices to prevent deep vein thrombosis (DVT) prophylaxis and vital cardiac monitors.

For parish manager for Westmoreland Public Health Services, Novlin Leslie-Little, the donation represented more than just supplies as it symbolised solidarity in light of this month’s Women’s History focus.

“Women supporting women is very critical in our society today,” she said.

“It is heartwarming that, you know, sometimes we talk about the big-ticket items as the gifts always… we tend not to remember the small things.

“And so I take note that this time we’re remembering the small ones and the small things.”

Petunia Leslie Blair, the deputy director of nursing services, echoed similar sentiment, pointing to the realities faced by some mothers.

“Some foremothers do come in at times as emergencies and do not have the necessary things that they need to receive a baby into the world,” she said. “So this is really an appreciated act… it will be well appreciated, I’m sure, by the mothers and also by the nurses.”

Moore also emphasised that the initiative is not intended to be a one-off effort.

“We don’t want this to be a solo situation, but an ongoing one, where we’re here to support the women of Savanna-la-Mar, the women of Westmoreland, with blankets or items for the baby, whatever they might need,” she said.

With plans to expand the foundation’s presence locally, including the possibility of establishing a chapter in Jamaica, Moore hopes the spirit of the initiative continues to grow.

“It just occurred to me, it’s women supporting women during women’s history,” she said. “You can’t find a better (thing) … it was not something that was intended. It just happened.”

mickalia.kington@gleanerjm.com