Partners Heart and Health has proudly donated $50,000 to the I Have A Heart Foundation, founded by Abi-Gaye Smythe.

The donation was presented on September 29th, World Heart Day 2024. This day is a global observance aimed at raising awareness about cardiovascular diseases and promoting heart-healthy habits for people
everywhere.

This generous contribution to the foundation will support its mission to raise awareness for heart disease, advocate for patients, and provide critical heart care resources across Jamaica.

The I Have A Heart Foundation was established in 2013 after Abi-Gaye Smythe underwent her
first cardiac surgery in 2012. Motivated by her personal experience, Smythe founded the organization to shed light on the silent struggles of heart disease patients and to champion improved access to life-saving care.

Since its inception, the I Have A Heart Foundation has made significant strides in advocating for the needs of heart disease patients and creating greater awareness in the community. Among its notable achievements:

• The foundation has completed several high school tours in Manchester, educating students
  about heart disease and its prevention. They plan to restart this impactful tour in 2025.
• In partnership with the Organization for International Development (OID) in New York, and the
  University Hospital of the West Indies Cardiac Unit, the foundation has supported a cardiac
  mission which has so far provided free heart surgeries for 33 indigent patients.
• The foundation has hosted 12 blood drives, in collaboration with the National Blood
  Transfusion Service, collecting over 300 units of blood—which in turn has saved more than 900
  lives.
• The foundation’s advocacy efforts have also led the Jamaican government to offer
  scholarships in Perfusion Medicine, a vital area of expertise that supports Jamaica’s cardiac
  care system.
  For her dedication to nation-building, Abi-Gaye Smythe has been recognized as a Prime
  Minister’s Youth Awardee in the category of Nation Building, a testament to the impactful work
  the foundation has done over the years.

Abi-Gaye Smythe expressed her gratitude for the contribution as she said: “It will go a far way in helping with our operations. As a charity, we need funding to carry out the works we do and we’re happy that the PHH came to our aid. In these times when giving can feel distant or abstract, PHH chose to make a tangible difference. This adds to the encouragement to move forward with our mission of improving lives one heart at a time. We are hoping that more organizations will assist us with funding; the more funds we get, the more work we will be able to do.”

This donation from Partners Heart and Health will enable the foundation to expand its programs and continue its commitment to heart health advocacy.

Both organizations share a mutual goal of improving the lives of heart disease patients, making critical heart care more accessible, and saving lives through education, support, and innovation.