Five years after its founding by two Dominican-born doctors, the Caring for Miracles Foundation continues to transform outcomes for premature and critically ill newborns across low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), expanding access to life-saving care that many families in these regions have long been denied.
The foundation grew out of a lifelong friendship between Dr. Jillian Lewis, the organization’s founder, and Dr. Marilyn Giorgi, its vice chair. Both women are 1989 graduates of Dominica’s Convent High School, and they launched the foundation alongside a dedicated team of medical colleagues united by a shared, simple mission: to guarantee every infant the chance to survive and thrive, no matter what country they are born into.
Today, the foundation’s flagship partnership is with the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI) in Jamaica, its very first institutional collaborator. Since starting on-site programming in September 2021, the organization has made measurable improvements to local neonatal care through a multi-pronged approach: it has donated critical, life-sustaining medical equipment, provided ongoing specialized training for local healthcare teams, developed community-focused public health initiatives, and offered emotional and practical support to families navigating the critical illness or loss of a newborn. The foundation also prioritizes recognizing the extraordinary work of neonatal care providers who practice under resource-limited, challenging conditions.
Working in close strategic collaboration with UHWI NICU leadership, the foundation recently rolled out its signature Golden Hour Quality Improvement Program, developed alongside obstetric and neonatal care teams. The initiative targets the first 60 minutes of a preterm infant’s life — a period that is the greatest determinant of long-term survival — and evidence from early implementation shows it has already improved survival rates for infants born before eight months of gestation.
Beyond its core quality improvement work, the foundation offers a range of targeted support services, including specialized breastfeeding assistance, resources for teen parents, and emergency relief for NICUs damaged by natural disasters. Right now, one of Giorgi’s top priorities is building out a specialized bereavement program that will deliver compassionate, trauma-informed care to families who experience the loss of an infant.
Looking ahead, the foundation has outlined an ambitious regional expansion plan, with expanding care to their home country of Dominica ranked high on the organizational agenda.
In a statement shared ahead of the five-year milestone, the organization noted, “We are very excited about this initiative and are aware of the potential impact on the trajectory of the lives of our precious gifts; our newborn infants. We are also aware that significant financial support is essential to the success of this initiative and are therefore very appreciative of the support of this work thus far. We are certainly open to partnership with any aligned organizations to ensure the success of this necessary initiative.”
To sustain current programming and fuel the planned expansion, a long-time supporter has launched a public fundraising campaign on the GoFundMe platform. Giorgi is encouraging members of the public to consider contributing, emphasizing that even small donations make a tangible difference for vulnerable infants and their families.
“Every donation, regardless of size, helps bring hope, healing, and opportunity to vulnerable babies and their families,” Giorgi said. The Caring for Miracles Foundation fundraising page is currently live on GoFundMe for anyone interested in supporting the organization’s work.