Survivors of cardiovascular disease, which is the number one killer in the Cayman Islands, were honoured recently by the Cayman Heart Foundation for their fortitude, courage and determination.
The disparity in ages and backgrounds of the seven ‘Heart Heroes’ celebrated at the foundation’s annual fundraising brunch is testament to the fact that the disease can strike just about anyone.
They ranged from Cayman’s top civil servant who suffered a ‘micro heart attack’ to a premature baby born with a hole in his heart.
Attendees at the Heart Heroes Charity Brunch, held this year at Mykonos Cayman restaurant on Saturday, 16 Nov., saluted the seven survivors, whom foundation chairman Andrew Vincent described as inspirational individuals “who have shown courage, resilience, compassion, and bravery in the face of debilitating heart and circulatory conditions”.
The event, organised by the Cayman Heart Foundation and Electric Media Group, raised more than US$120,000 to support vital heart health initiatives in the Cayman Islands.
Here are the stories of the seven Heart Heroes, as shared by the Cayman Health Foundation.
Franz Manderson
Deputy Governor Franz Manderson suffered a micro heart attack in November 2022, from which he says he is recovering well. He has used his experience to encourage men to get regular check-ups and be conscious of their health.
“Thankfully, my health is improving and I am doing much better,” he is quoted as saying in the foundation’s booklet at the event. “But it would be remiss of me not to encourage everyone, and especially the men of our community, to take their health seriously.
“It’s okay to ask for help when you need it. Doing so may have saved my life.”
Manderson, who is head of the civil service, explained that, after experiencing chest pains, he was admitted to the hospital where he underwent an emergency medical procedure.
He added, “As men, we are often focused on the care and protection of our loved ones and our professional obligations. However, we are just as vulnerable to illness. Prevention, early detection, and response are key to our wellbeing.”
Burns Rutty
Another survivor honoured at the brunch was Burns Rutty, 91, who faced a life-threatening heart condition just days before his granddaughter’s wedding.
Experiencing dizziness and shortness of breath, he was seen at George Town Hospital and Health City. The cardiologists at both hospital recommended he be referred overseas for an aortic valve replacement.
He was treated by Dr. Nish Patel, medical director of the structural heart programme at Miami Cardiac and Vascular Institute, who specialises in transcatheter aortic valve replacement, known as TAVR. This involves replacing the aortic valve using a catheter without the need for open-heart surgery.
Time was of the essence, as Rutty was in cardiogenic shock, a life-threatening condition where the heart is too weak to pump enough blood to sustain the body. Patel performed the TAVR procedure, inserting a fully collapsible replacement valve through a catheter and threading it up to Rutty’s heart.
The new valve was expanded to take over the function of the damaged one.
Rutty returned home to Cayman just two days later – in time for the proud granddad to attend his granddaughter’s wedding.
Reva Ritch-Bodden
Reva Ritch-Bodden’s heart story began in 1992, when she had her first stent inserted at Tampa General Hospital by her cardiologist. After that, she joined her husband Roy Bodden in Grand Cayman, where her first job was working part-time for pediatrician Dr. Shirley Cridland.
“I had no symptoms of heart problems but made it a priority to see my doctor every six months,” she said. “We were in Cayman for 12 years and during that time I had six stents inserted into my arteries.”
She was doing well until 2014 when she started experiencing angina so she returned to her cardiologist in Florida.
There, she underwent a catheterisation and was sedated for five days, which was followed by bypass surgery at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Tampa.
“We returned to Grand Cayman in 2016, and planned to make it our home. I am doing fine and periodically am seen at HSA by Dr. Joanna Kregiel,” she said.
Erica-Simone Powell
The day after Erica-Simone Powell was born her paediatrician, Dr. Gordon Smith, informed her mother that she was going into heart failure.
The tiny baby was airlifted to Miami Children’s Hospital (now Nicklaus Children’s Hospital) in Miami by air ambulance, where she was diagnosed with hypoplastic left heart syndrome – a congenital heart condition – and other complications.
She had her first open-heart surgery, with a shunt and a metal plate being inserted to prevent her sternum from healing until her second surgery at 7 months old, when the plate was removed. Her third surgery followed at age 5.
She was continuously cared for by cardiologists at the hospital in Miami, with follow-up visits every six months to a year, and locally at the Health Services Authority.
Powell, now 24, in a recent Instagram post about her Heart Hero recognition, said, “From the moment I was born, my life was different. My family and I spent countless hours in hospitals, meeting with doctors, preparing for surgeries, and living with the uncertainty that heart disease brings.
“Those early years were tough but they shaped who I am today.”
She added, “My heart condition become more than a medical diagnosis; it became my path, my strength, and ultimately, my purpose.
“To be here today, honoured as a Heart Hero, means everything to me. This journey has shown me that each of us has the power to be a hero – to show up, to advocate, to inspire, and to make a difference.”
Powell competed in the Miss World Cayman and Miss Supranatural Cayman pageant last month, in which she highlighted her commitment to raising awareness of congenital cardiovascular disease among infants, children and young adults.
Sean Collins
Two years ago, on New Year’s Eve, Sean Collins was in a hotel in London, when he woke up and tried to use the faucet in the bathroom, only to discover left hand was not working normally.
Even though he realised something was not right, he was still determined to make his flight back home to Cayman.
“My left arm issues could be temporarily ignored … so I packed my bags and headed to the airport to catch my flight. I just knew that I wasn’t feeling great, but I thought it was most likely to be the effects of a recent cold, and a swim in the sea the next day would fix everything,” he said.
He was travelling alone, having left his wife and children in Sweden for a few additional days of holiday.
“This meant there was no one around me to notice the signs of a stroke coming on,” he said.
He made it back to Cayman, where he rested and watched movies.
“Being back in Cayman with my parents nearby was comforting enough and ultimately when I called them the next morning after difficulty keeping my balance, they immediately saw the need to call for an ambulance,” he said.
After a quick visit to George Town Hospital, where a stroke was identified, he was sent to Health City, where Dr. Romnesh de Souza immediately performed a thrombectomy to remove a blood clot.
“I was in Health City for several weeks recovering before being moved to Jackson Memorial rehab centre in Miami for a month’s worth of intensive in patient rehab before returning to Cayman and continuing with the recovery up to this day,” Collins said.
He says he would recommend to anyone to “seek immediate medical help with any one of the stroke symptoms and remember the acronym ‘BE FAST’ (balance, eyes, face, arms, speech, time).”
Liam St. John Maxwell
Liam St. John Maxwell was born with three atrial septal defects – also called holes in the heart.
Following a successful heart surgery as a baby at Health City, and with regular check-ups, Liam is now 5 years old and doing well.
He attends the Village Montessori School, which his family says he “absolutely loves”, and is usually the first one up at his home every morning at 5am to say, “School!”.
He enjoys playing catch, loves running and is very independent.
His mom Nikki said, “We are so happy that he is healthy, and we have Health City to thank for a big part of that.”
Josiah Litchmore
The seventh person honoured at the event, although he was unable to be there, was baby Josiah Litchmore, whose story and that of his mother has been featured in the Cayman Compass.
Shortly before Josiah was born prematurely at 28 weeks in May 2023, doctors diagnosed his mother, Latetia Litchmore, with pancreatic cancer.
As if that news was not devastating enough, it was also discovered that tiny Josiah had a hole in his heart.
Both mother and child have been undergoing treatments in Florida and continue to need assistance with funding to help with essential living expenses, rent, utilities, medical supplies, and trips to the Miami Children’s Hospital.
Mum Latetia has said she was able to see the positive side of how events unfolded in May last year when she received the double blow of her and her baby’s diagnoses, realising that her pregnancy led to earlier diagnosis for her, allowing her to seek treatment with the support of the Cayman Islands Cancer Society.
The Heart Heroes brunch was attended by the heroes themselves, as well as supporters and sponsors, which included Health City Cayman Islands, Health Services Authority, Baptist Health South Florida and Pure Air.
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