Growing up in rural Jamaica, Dr. Judith A. Jones was inspired by the idea of helping others. In a community where the only female healthcare professionals she saw were nurses, her older brother’s encouragement sparked the realization that she, too, could become a doctor. “It reinforces for me to this day how a casual comment can change the trajectory of a child’s life, making things possible that were not previously dreamt of,” says Dr. Jones. “My big brother told me I could be a doctor, and so I did, because it was the way in which I believed I could help people. As a young girl, I had an overwhelming sense that I should help people when I grew up. My parents were incredibly hard-working and were professionals despite coming from humble beginnings. Their example and encouragement also led me to pursue medicine as my life’s work.”
Her career led her to Nemours Children’s Hospital, Delaware, where she has been a Pediatric Anesthesiologist for almost two decades. However, it was her involvement in the Jamaica Pediatric Living Related Donor Liver Transplant (LDLT) Program that truly allowed her passion for serving others to blossom. The program, spearheaded by Pediatric Transplant Surgeon, Dr. Stephen Dunn, aimed to bring life-saving liver transplants to children in Jamaica who lacked access to such specialized care.
The decision to travel to Jamaica to perform pediatric liver transplantation came from the need to provide life-saving care to children suffering from end-stage liver failure. In March 2012, the first Living Related Donor Liver Transplant for a baby from Jamaica was performed at Nemours Children’s Hospital (NCH) Delaware. The baby, diagnosed with biliary atresia, was in end-stage liver failure. However, such specialized services were unavailable in Jamaica at the time.
Dr. Dunn, leader of the Transplant Program in Delaware, accepted the patient to Nemours. This marked the first instance of a Jamaican baby benefiting from a Living Related Donor Liver Transplant at the Nemours Children’s Hospital Delaware. Over the next few years, the Nemours team provided this service to one to two babies annually from Jamaica.
Recognizing the need to bring such care to Jamaica, Dr. Dunn conceived the idea of treating these babies in their home country, teaching local medical professionals to provide liver transplantation care. Dr. Jones, the only Jamaican in the NCH Delaware Department of Anesthesiology at the time, eagerly stepped forward to contribute her expertise in culturally competent care. “As discussions regarding doing surgical cases in Jamaica evolved, it was natural that I was involved. Because I had done my medical training in Jamaica, I understood the health system and personally knew some of the healthcare professionals who would be on the Jamaican team providing care,” says Dr. Jones. “I led the Anesthesia team for the first Pediatric LDLT in 2018 and have continued to do so. It is an honor to serve the Jamaican people with the skills I have acquired during my years of being a Pediatric Anesthesiologist.”
Dr. Jones played a pivotal role in building the program, leveraging her expertise and cultural understanding. “There was a tremendous amount of work done to evaluate the resources available in Jamaica to facilitate a complex procedure such as Pediatric LDLT,” says Dr. Jones. “Since a relative is the donor of a liver segment to the child, accommodations must be made for an adult patient as well as the pediatric patient, with both patients being cared for at the Bustamante Hospital for Children in Kingston, Jamaica. Many advance trips were made by physicians on the team to meet with many Jamaican stakeholders in order to plan for this work and to evaluate staffing, operating room and intensive care unit space, equipment, and medications in preparation to do these procedures which had never been done in Jamaica before. NCH Delaware facilitated our work by supporting staff members who wished to participate in this first trip to Jamaica for this ambitious project. It was an incredible amount of work, and culminated in our first two pediatric cases of LDLT being done in Jamaica and the English-speaking Caribbean in September 2018.”
Collaborating with a diverse team of medical professionals, she helped evaluate resources, train local staff, and provide critical care to patients in need. For her, working alongside like-minded individuals dedicated to improving children’s health was extremely rewarding. “I work with medical professionals from the United States, who are interested in using their skills to benefit the children of the world,” says Dr. Jones. “I also work with Jamaicans, some of whom were my teachers and peers when I was in medical training. I have the opportunity to teach as well as learn, as we all navigate the complexity of caring for a very ill patient. The teamwork and collaboration are incredibly rewarding, and giving back to the country of my birth makes my heart full. I cannot believe that I am blessed to give back in this way.”
Reflecting on her experiences in Jamaica, Dr. Jones emphasizes the program’s significance in ensuring equitable healthcare for all children, regardless of their background or location: “It will ultimately benefit all children of Jamaica and the Caribbean since complex care in one area can raise the standard of care in other areas as well. Hopefully this program will grow and be the legacy we leave behind when medical professionals based in Jamaica provide all the care related to Pediatric Living Related Donor Liver Transplantation.”
During the team’s last transplant trip to Jamaica in 2023, Dr. Jones had the privilege of attending a surgical clinic where she observed the progress of patients who had undergone LDLT since 2012. Witnessing the children’s remarkable recovery, their parents’ joy, and the health of the liver donors – often the children’s own parents – was profoundly moving. Additionally, she fondly recalls a post-trip dinner shared with the entire team, where they celebrated the success of their endeavors with music, laughter, and delicious Jamaican cuisine. “There was a sense of camaraderie, with the common purpose of doing meaningful work for children who needed it!” says Dr. Jones. Reflecting on past trips, Dr. Jones finds fulfillment in the relationships forged during her time in Jamaica. She cherishes the camaraderie shared with both American and Jamaican colleagues, witnessing the personal and professional growth of young Jamaican physicians. Building friendships and providing mentorship while delivering world-class, life-saving care to Caribbean children has been a deeply rewarding experience for her. As Dr. Jones continues her journey, she remains steadfast in her mission to improve pediatric care, both at home and abroad.
