Saturday, July 17, 2010

TT gov't gives child $282,000 for heart surgery in Miami

Health Minister Therese Baptiste-Cornelis and Foreign Affairs Minister Suruj Rambachan with Josh, whose parents first brought the child's plight to the attention of Dr Rambachan, who is their Parliamentary representative.

The government of Trinidad and Tobago is in the process of setting up its $100 million Life fund to help children who need medical attention abroad.

However it is already helping those who need urgent help.

On Friday,
Health Minister Therese Baptiste-Cornelis presented a cheque for $282,800 cheque to the family of Josh Lalla, an eight-year old who needs surgery in Miami for a congenital heart ailment.

Josh is the third child to receive such assistance from the Health Ministry Medical Aid Fund.

Josh’s parents have raised TT$100,000 through donations and numerous fund raising events and have been pleading for help for their child for the past six years.

“They were telling us we have to help him out and in other words just make him comfortable until his time," his mother, Beth Lowhoy, told reporters

The surgery will be done at Jackson Memorial Medical Center in Miami at a cost of TT$382, 800 (US$60,000).

Speaking about the Children's Fund Friday night, Prime Minister Kamla Persad Bissessar said the necessary paperwork is in progress to get it through Parliament as soon as possible. However she said members of her cabinet have already been putting aside five per cent of their salaries for the fund. She is donating 10 per cent of her own income of PM.

She said she has proposed a similar CARICOM fund, which her colleagues in the region have accepted. And she asked citizens to be prepared to donate anything they can - even five cents - to help the LIFE fund grow.

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Jai & Sero

Jai & Sero

Our family at home in Toronto 2008

Our family at home in Toronto 2008
Amit, Heather, Fuzz, Aj, Jiv, Shiva, Rampa, Sero, Jai