Young student gives back for his birthday
Brandon Simmonds presents donation to Anthony’s mother, Rosa Martinez-Vaquedano; with (L-R) the student’s parents, Marcus and Monique, and Colleen Mellott of Cayman Heart Fund
(CNS Local Life): When Brandon Simmonds, 12, heard about a baby in urgent need of a specialised procedure, he decided to use his birthday last month as an occasion to raise money for the infant and his family. He told his parents he didn’t need or want gifts but instead wanted to try to raise money for two-month-old Anthony Vaquedano.
“I’m very fortunate and I don’t really need anything, but baby Anthony and his family need help,” Brandon said in a press release from the Cayman Heart Fund, which received $645 from his friends and family to put towards the procedure at Health City Cayman Islands. “Baby Anthony’s mother works at Tortuga Rum Company which is owned by my grandfather and I saw the staff collecting for her and it just came to my mind that I could help, too.”
The parents of the year 7 Cayman Prep and High School student, Marcus Simmonds and Monique Hamaty-Simmonds, said they were “thrilled” with their son’s idea, in part because “it teaches philanthropy and altruism, but mostly because it was something he really wanted to do”.
David Dinner, CHF chairman, said this time of year is the right time for giving. “With the holiday season nearby, we would like to encourage the community to give the gift of giving,” he said. “It does good and it feels good. The perfect gift is a gift to charity and the community in Cayman continues to show this spirit year after year.”
The non-profit Cayman Heart Fund is dedicated to educating the public, influencing policy and supporting access to high-quality healthcare through various programmes and initiatives towards the goal of eradicating cardiovascular disease in the Cayman Islands.
Well done, Brandon!