Below you will find a letter introducing you to Zinnash McLean, a 17 year old Jamaican female with a severe case of Idiopathic Scoliosis. Zinnash needs immediate medical intervention and monetary support.
Dear Friend,
We are contacting you in hopes of obtaining your support and participation with a pediatric orthopedic surgery for a young girl in rural Jamaica. H2H Communications is a healthcare promotions company that brings together at risk communities and the healthcare community in order to enhance health and well-being.
H2H is affiliated with Upliftment Jamaica, a nonprofit organization committed to bringing economic development and empowerment to the people of White Horses. For the past four years, H2H and Upliftment Jamaica have been responsible for bringing health services to the people of White Horses, Jamaica.
Zinnash Mclean is a pleasant 17-year-old female who resides in the Parrish of St. Thomas, Jamaica. We met her on December 8th 2006 at the annual UJ/H2H health fair in White Horses, St. Thomas, Jamaica. She walked into the health fair with her mother to inquire about receiving help for a back problem her mother stated she has had since birth.
On appearance Zinnash was about 5’0” tall and appeared to be in no acute distress. Upon lifting the back of her t-shirt we noticed a large hump on the right side of her upper back. At first we thought she was arching her back and that it was protrusion of her scapula. Upon further investigation we realized that what we thought was a bone, actually was a bone, but not the scapula. It was the actual thoracic region of her spine that was shifted laterally and rotated inferior to the right scapula. At that moment we asked her mother if her daughter ever complains of back, stomach, or hip pains and does she have any difficulty breathing? Zinnash, as well as her
mother answered no.
Zinnash and her mother had walked more than 20 miles to see the medical team in hopes of receiving free medical advice and some type of treatment for her condition. There is no history of any musculoskeletal or neurological disorders and to date, Zinnash has not had any surgical procedures to correct her posture.
This is an urgent matter and your assistance is needed. She is uninsured and lacks financial means to accommodate medical treatment. She will require surgical intervention using an extensive multidisciplinary team for without medical intervention she will likely succumb to complications associated with her condition. Donations and media coverage are needed and we are contacting you for monetary support. This is a worthy cause and whatever you can submit toward her medical fund would be greatly appreciated. Please note all contributions made are tax deductible and all checks should be addressed to Upliftment Jamaica. Thank you, we look forward to hearing from you soon. Please contact us for any assistance of this matter.
Michelle L. Fuselier, MD
Medical Director H2H Communications
[email protected]
703-533-5555 (p)
Gary L. Davis, DC, MUAC
Chairman H2H Communications
[email protected]
703-533-5555 (p)
Gary Foster
Chairman Upliftment Jamaica
[email protected]
212-997-3011 (p)
