News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Thurs. Oct. 11, 2018: A Caribbean Diaspora organization is on a mission of saving the lives of young students and athletes in Jamaica and the Caribbean one defibrillator at a time.
New York-based organization, Team Jamaica Bickle (TJB), began its Defibrillator to Schools Program in 2014 after the passing of student-athlete Cavahn McKenzie of St. Jago High in Jamaica.
Since then, it has donated dozens of units and facilitated several others with approximately 45 schools in Jamaica and the wider Caribbean. Defibrillation is a treatment for life-threatening cardiac dysrhythmias, specifically ventricular fibrillation and non-perfusing ventricular tachycardia. A defibrillator delivers a dose of electric current to the heart.
Founder Irwine Clare says TJB’s goal to outfit each high school with an AED unit. Tomorrow, Friday, October 12, 2018, Clare and some members of his group will hand over 15 more Automated External Defibrillators (AEDS), to schools across the island of Jamaica.
Some external units, known as automated external defibrillators (AEDs), automate the diagnosis of treatable rhythms, meaning that lay responders or bystanders are able to use them successfully with little or no training.
The presentation and training ceremony will take place from 9 a.m. -1 p.m. at the JAMPRO Auditorium, 18 Trafalgar Road, Kingston 10.
Schools set to receive the units are: Edwin Allen High, McGrath High, Lacovia High, Oracabessa High, St Mary Technical High, Guy’s Hill High, Titchfield High, Horace Clarke High, Manning’s High, Kemps Hill High, Mile Gully High, Rhodes Hall High, Yallahs High, Cedric Titus High and Godfrey Stewart High.
The schools will also receive First Aid Kits.
Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator, Ruel Reid; Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Olivia Grange and the Minister of Health, Dr. Christopher Tufton are expected attend the event.
Training will be conducted by TJB’s long-standing resident trainers – Nurses, Sharon Thompson and Delores McGregor from the Diaspora Healthcare Sector.
Diaspora entities; Homesmart Realty, Irie Jam360, Jamaica Breezes Restaurant, Sandz Restaurant & Bar, The Door Restaurant, Tower Isles Frozen Foods and local entities, Jampro and The Airports Authority of Jamaica are among this year’s supporters and sponsors.
Team Jamaica Bickle, Inc. is a not-for-profit corporation that was formed in 1994 to support Caribbean athletes and athletic programs in the Diaspora and Jamaica. For more visit www.teamjamaicabickle.org or call 718.523.2861 for more information on how you can help this group save lives and support the Olympians of tomorrow.
