Heart problems hurt youth’s dreams of being a cop

Five years ago, Jardane Oliphant was "a regular youth with great ambition". He was on his way to becoming a member of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) but had to withdraw from training after being diagnosed with infective endocarditis, a medical condition that occurs when bacteria enter the blood stream and settle on the heart valve.

The former Tarrant High School student underwent an open-heart surgery at The University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI) to replace his mitral valve in 2019. Although the operation was successful, Oliphant, who resides in Grants Pen, St Andrew, was left with a hospital bill of a little over $1 million.

Oliphant, 24, said he has tried diligently to pay off his medical expenses since he was released from the hospital in June 2019. However, he has not been able to keep a steady income due to his delicate health condition.

Oliphant has been selected as a beneficiary of a $50,000 grant through the Wish Upon a STAR promotion, which is a partnership between this newspaper and the NCB Foundation.

"Growing up my mother always say, 'every mickle mek a muckle' and 'one-one coco full basket'. It is a lot, although when you compare it to the bill it's not really a lot. However, I am truly grateful for this gesture," said Oliphant.

"I am truly, truly grateful. I look forward to paying off the bill in its entirety. That would bring great joy to me," he continued.

Before his health issues, Oliphant was well on his way to becoming a cop. He remembers the moment that dream began slipping away.

"One night during training I fell ill, not sure why, but I got an upset stomach and went to the bathroom and upon being in the bathroom I started feeling weaker. The room started spinning, at one point I felt like I was going to fall from the ceiling.

"Luckily, one of my fellow batchmates was coming to the bathroom and he saw me through the door and he went and got help. They had to basically lift me to one of the overseers who then took me to the Kingston Public Hospital. I was just basically given medication and told that it's just an upset stomach, and that I should hydrate and all that," Oliphant recalled.

He returned to training but again fell ill and had to be hospitalised. After his recovery, Oliphant was deemed unfit to carry out policing duties. He spent several months working at a call centre before his health started to deteriorate rapidly once more. He was eventually sent to undergo diagnostic tests on his heart. The results were startling.

Doctors at UHWI discovered that Oliphant's mitral valve had stopped working completely and that surgery was needed. The mitral valve is one of four valves in the heart. Its main function is to regulate blood flow from the upper left chamber into the lower left chamber.

Oliphant now walks around with a mechanical valve in his heart. His current conditions have also affected his normal life. "I can't do anything strenuous as it relates to lifting. If it is too heavy, I can't trouble it," he said.

Oliphant stated that, while he has not recovered his full health, the conditions are much better these days. He reiterated his gratitude for being selected and hoped that his story could inspire someone who is facing hard times to not give up.

"Regardless of your situation there are persons out there worse off, and so I see no pain in sharing my story. Maybe there is somebody out there who may see or hear this and take inspiration from it to know that it is not as bad."