Beenie Man digs deep into his pocket and donates $300,000 to the sickle cell unit at UHWI.
Dancehall artists including Shaggy, Bounty Killer, and now Beenie Man, have taken on a vested interest in helping out the health sector in Jamaica. Beenie recently pledged $300,000 to the Sickle Cell Unit at the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI) in St Andrew. The funds will help the hospital with a summer camp for teens living with sickle cell.
Beenie Man says that sickle cell is a personal issue for him because his son has the disease and has to seek treatment at the hospital at least three times per year. “My son (Moses Davis Jr) has sickle cell disease and is hospitalized at least three times a year for treatment,” he said. “The University Hospital is like his second home, so you can see why I chose to work with this team, they are basically family. (They are) A family that serves my family, so I have to serve them however I can.”
The dancehall legend says the funds will also help raise awareness about the deadly disease. Head of clinical services at the Caribbean Institute for Health Research, Dr. Lesley King, says the SCU appreciates the contribution from the deejay.
“We welcome the partnership to support sickle cell advocacy, research, and treatment,” Dr. Lesley King said. “I also would like to say thanks to Mr. Davis for his commitment to the SCU Teen Camp, not only with this welcome monetary contribution, but also the foundation’s personal interaction with our teens. We recognize that our children are disadvantaged not only due to the consequences of their disease but also due to socio-economic problems for many.”
Beenie Man recently launched his The Beenie Man Foundation with his son Moses Davis Jr. and his daughter Ikyra Davis among the board of directors. Beenie is the chairman of the foundation whose primary focus will be sickle cell advocacy and youth education.
