Kingstown, St. Vincent & the Grenadines – On June 8th 2025, World Pediatrics’ Neurosurgery and Craniofacial
medical teams held a dual clinic at the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital (“MCMH”) where they evaluated 74 children
across both specialties from St. Vincent and neighboring islands such as St. Lucia, Grenada, Dominica, Antigua and
St. Kitts.
The Neurosurgery team focused on children with neurological issues affecting the brain, spine, or nervous system,
while the Craniofacial team treated those with developmental conditions like cleft lip and palate or traumatic facial
injuries.
The Neurosurgery team, led by Dr. Gary Tye, Pediatric Neurosurgeon, and the Craniofacial team, led by Dr. Jennifer
Rhodes, Pediatric Plastic and Craniofacial Surgeon, worked alongside Dr. Jay Shapiro, Pediatric Anesthesiologist; Dr.
Lawrence Jones, Anesthesiology Resident; Dr. Kelsey Atkinson, Pediatric Neurosurgery Resident; Dr. Megan
Newsom, Plastic Surgery Resident; JoAnn Tillet, Circulating/Recovery Room Nurse; and Molly McCabe, OR Nurse.
Local Pediatric General Surgeon Dr. Jasmine Davy-Ellis and MCMH OR staff also supported them.
Dr. Tye and his team saw 43 children and completed 4 surgeries throughout a 3-day period from Monday June 9th –
Wednesday June 11th 2025. The Craniofacial team saw 31 children and completed 13 surgeries within the same
time frame.
In a short interview with Dr. Jennifer Rhodes, she noted some of the highlights of the week. She remarked “It was a
great opportunity to work with two local surgeons, Dr. Ellis and Dr. Cumberbatch on a patient with a burn scar to
the face”. Some of the other highlights mentioned were completing combined pediatric neurosurgery and plastic
surgery cases that had never been done before and the high volume of cases from across the islands. She also
highlighted “Dr. Tye, first time, did a pediatric tumor resection, so it’s nice to bring that skill to the island”.
Both teams were sponsored by The Mustique Charitable Foundation. World Pediatrics, medical volunteers and
families extend their most heartfelt appreciation to the Foundation for supporting our Caribbean children. It is
uplifting to see the transformations that are made in the lives of these children, and it is not possible without this
support.
The organization is now preparing for its next team to SVG being the General Orthopedics team on June 22nd 2025.
Individuals interested in following and supporting the work of World Pediatrics, visit our website at
www.worldpediatrics.org or call our local office at 1-(784)-451-2989. World Pediatrics remains dedicated to
prioritizing the medical needs of our children and enhancing the lives
