Caribbean News
Jamaica: Uncle donates kidney to save Nephew’s life
#KINGSTON, March 5 (JIS): The year 2014 will forever be etched in the mind of Kasey Tulloch, as during his training to become a pilot, his world crumbled beneath him as a result of kidney failure, followed by a debilitating stroke.
As the illness worsened for the then 20 year-old trainee, and the medication began to drain the body of the Jamaican migrant to the United States, family members saw little hope of recovery, while a senior member of his medical team saw death as the only alternative to end young Tulloch’s suffering.
His mother, Mitzie Cross, tells JIS News that she entered a “state of depression” after witnessing the steady deterioration of her only son.
“When we found out that his kidneys had been shattered, he looked at me with sad eyes, and said ‘Mommy, I won’t be a pilot again’,” Miss Cross says, adding that many days she cried over her son’s health challenges.
Miss Cross and two cousins offered their kidneys, but they were not compatible and were rejected by the doctors.
News of Kasey’s ordeal touched his uncle, Kirk ‘Dan’ Cross, a resident of Kitson Town in St. Catherine. On informing his sister, Mitzie, that he would give one of his kidneys to his nephew, it was brushed aside as a joke.
The willing donor persisted, and soon his proposal was accepted. He passed medical tests and a US visitor’s visa was granted for him to travel to New York.
“I was overjoyed and praising God,” Miss Cross says, after getting the news that a kidney would soon be available for Kasey.
When she shared the information with her son, he said, “Yes. I am tired,” she adds, noting that her son was doing dialysis three days every week, and four hours each time.
“He (Kirk) saved Kasey’s life, and mine. I was in a dark place, and didn’t know what to do. All I could do was pray, and there came Dan,” Miss Cross told JIS News at her brother’s home in Kitson Town, where a ‘Thank You’ luncheon was held on Saturday (February 29), with family members, community persons, and members of the medical team from the New York University (NYU), where the surgery was done.
They also had an appreciation segment to the event at the Kitson Town Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) Church.
“It feels like a miracle. My life revolved around dialysis, making me feel hungry and drained. My life came to a standstill, I didn’t know what next,” Kasey said.
“I was not driving. Now I drive, and work,” he noted, pointing out that technology allows kidney transplants to be done like regular surgeries.
Asked why he gave up one of his kidneys to enable the recovery of his nephew, Mr. Cross told JIS News that two of his nephews had died in quick succession, one from drowning, and the other by gunmen, and “I couldn’t save them”.
“I couldn’t bury another one. It was too hard, so I had to help, and I told my sister that if anything happens to me during the surgery, they should give Kasey the two kidneys. It is all good to see my nephew driving and working again,” he said.
Reflecting on the gesture by Kirk Cross, Administrative Nurse at NYU, Margaret Frank Bader, said “it is the greatest act of kindness that someone could express to another human being,” and it should be promoted to encourage other families and individuals to come “forward” and show love to those with similar health problems.
For Assistant Professor of Surgery at NYU, Dr. Bruce E. Gelb, the Kasey Tulloch story is “amazing”.
“To see someone who was so sick, he had an organ failure, and is now healthy, is truly amazing. Medicine is a very rewarding profession, but transplant surgery and taking care of transplant patients is even more special,” he said.
“Everyone should think about being an organ donor. When you die, they save lives. There are not enough people to donate organs, and many people need transplants. Very few who die have the right circumstances that allow them to donate organs, and thousands of people have to die natural deaths for one person to be a candidate for an organ donation. People like Kirk are heroes,” Dr. Gelb told JIS News.
Wife of the donor, Charmaine Cross, told JIS News that her husband was determined to give his kidney, and nothing could stand in his way, or have him change his mind.
“I wouldn’t stop him, because I wanted Kasey to get better, and today, I am happy for all of this,” she said.
Sister, Lety Cross, who stood as the “backbone” in the family during the months of worry and uncertainty, described her brother as “brave”.
“We were all worrying what would have happened, and the waiting looked like an eternity,” she said.
Pastor Wayne Smikle, who served at the time as Head of the Kitson Town Circuit of SDA Churches, recalled that “Kirk was a bit nervous, and I reassured him that with medicine, it was possible for people to live with one kidney”.
“I prayed with the recipient and Dan. It is a Christian and humanitarian act to save somebody’s life, money can’t pay for the deed,” he said, while calling on other persons to follow the example and save lives.
The World Health Organization (WHO) classifies kidney diseases as “silent killers, which can largely affect your quality of life”, and recommends several precautions to prevent the ailments, such as maintenance of “an ideal body weight,” and keeping high blood pressure under control.
It also encourages appropriate levels of salt intake, healthy diets, and regular health/kidney checks, “if you have diabetes, if you have hypertension, if you are obese, and if you have a family history of kidney disease”.
JIS NEWS by Garfield L. Angus
By Deandrea Hamilton | Editor
September 28, 2026 – Wall Street initially flinched at the $3-billion handshake. But in a matter of days, it was smoother sailing.
Perhaps the bigger Caribbean business story is not what Sandals Resorts International is getting from the deal. It is who is writing the
cheque — and what that says about what Gordon “Butch” Stewart built.
As reports of Royal Caribbean Group’s Sandals deal circulated Tuesday, RCL shares plunged 6.14 percent from Monday’s $250.25 close to $234.89, on sharply elevated trading.
When the agreement became official Wednesday — approximately $3 billion for a 50 percent equity interest in Sandals and Beaches Resorts — shares slipped another 1.95 percent to $230.30 and touched $222.22 intraday. Investors were digesting both the size of the investment and committed debt financing secured through Morgan Stanley.
But by Thursday, RCL rebounded 3.77 percent, with shares continuing their recovery Friday to finish the week around $243. Analysts were also looking ahead: JPMorgan reportedly raised its RCL price target from $345 to $394, while Citi placed the company on a 90-day positive catalyst watch.
And just who is RCL?
Royal Caribbean Group is a global vacation giant, publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange with a market value of roughly $65 billion. Its portfolio includes Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Silversea, alongside private destinations and an
expanding vacation platform.
So when a company of that scale commits $3 billion for only half of Sandals and Beaches Resorts, the transaction puts a striking financial marker on one of the Caribbean’s greatest home-grown hospitality success stories.
The deal, expected to close in early 2027, creates a 50-50 partnership with the Stewart family and takes Royal Caribbean deeper into the all-inclusive resort business.
Butch Stewart started Sandals in Jamaica in 1981 believing a Caribbean company could compete with the world’s best.
Forty-five years later, one of the world’s biggest vacation companies is prepared to pay $3 billion just to own half of what he built.
Now that’s the handshake that does more than seal a deal — it cements a legacy.
Caribbean News
Royal Caribbean Group and Sandals Resorts Announce Landmark Partnership to Accelerate Their Leading Vacation Experiences
Royal Caribbean Group Investment to Advance Sandals and Beaches’ Growth and Broaden the Group’s Vacation Portfolio
Montego Bay, Jamaica and Miami, September 24, 2026 – Royal Caribbean Group (NYSE: RCL) and Sandals Resorts today announced the signing of an agreement to form a partnership in the all-inclusive resort space with a 50% investment from Royal Caribbean Group. Building on Sandals and Beaches Resorts’ more than four decades of leadership in Caribbean hospitality, the joint venture will create new opportunities for continued resort growth while broadening the experiences across Royal Caribbean Group’s vacation platform.
The partnership brings together two of the travel industry’s most celebrated vacation companies, pairing Sandals and Beaches’ all-inclusive resort expertise with Royal Caribbean Group’s vacation platform, including industry-leading brands – Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises and Silversea – a portfolio of private destinations, new river cruising offering, and an industry-first loyalty program. United in a shared history in the Caribbean and connected by a love for their communities, the companies will offer travelers an unparalleled collection of cruise, private destination and resort experiences, serving guests across more vacation occasions and establishing their undisputed leadership in Caribbean vacations.
The joint venture expands Royal Caribbean Group into an adjacent vacation category, growing its participation in the approximately $2 trillion global vacation market, and meets the growing global demand for Sandals and Beaches Resorts by accelerating their expansion. The partnership will include Sandals and Beaches’ collection of premier all-inclusive properties across the Caribbean, and the companies will explore opportunities to broaden distribution, deepen guest engagement, and make it easier for travelers to discover vacation experiences offered across both portfolios.
“For nearly 60 years, we’ve reimagined what a vacation can be, constantly expanding the ways we inspire our guests to explore, connect and create lifelong memories,” said Jason Liberty, Chairman and CEO, Royal Caribbean Group. “We have been building a vacation platform that brings joy to millions of people around the world and creates meaningful relationships that last with our guests. Our partnership with
Sandals and Beaches Resorts is an important next step on that journey – bringing together two iconic leading vacation companies to further strengthen and grow one of the most admired resort portfolios in the world. The Stewart family has created powerful and beloved brands, and we are honored to build on that legacy. Together, we see tremendous opportunity to expand the reach of Sandals and Beaches Resorts and continue turning the vacation of a lifetime into a lifetime of vacations.”
“My father, Gordon ‘Butch’ Stewart, founded Sandals Resorts with the belief that a company built in the Caribbean could stand on the world stage alongside the most respected names in hospitality. Today is proof of how far that vision can go,” said Adam Stewart, Executive Chairman of Sandals Resorts and Beaches Resorts. “This partnership is the natural next step in building on that conviction. It gives us the ability to grow faster with a partner that shares our values of exceptional hospitality, long-term investment, and the power of enduring brands. Together, we will introduce more guests to Sandals and Beaches Resorts while creating even more extraordinary experiences for those who have made our resorts part of their lives for decades.” Stewart added, “As we continue to grow, we will remain true to what has always defined us: delivering authentic vacations that exceed expectations while creating opportunities for our team members, travel advisor partners and the communities we call home. The future has never been brighter, and I know this moment would make my father incredibly proud.”
The joint venture will be governed by a board under the shared leadership of Stewart and Liberty. Stewart will maintain a leadership role in
guiding the company’s long-term strategic growth as Executive Chairman of Sandals and Beaches Resorts. Existing reservations, loyalty programs, resort operations and cruise operations will continue as usual, with the partnership bringing additional resources to support future opportunities.
Under the terms of the agreement, Royal Caribbean Group will acquire a 50% equity interest in Sandals and Beaches Resorts for approximately $3 billion, representing a forward EBITDA multiple of approximately 10x. Royal Caribbean Group has secured committed debt financing from Morgan Stanley to fund the investment. The transaction is expected to close in early 2027, subject to customary approvals and closing conditions, and is expected to be accretive to earnings next year.
BofA Securities and PJT Partners acted as financial advisors, and Latham & Watkins and Jones Day acted as legal advisors to the Sandals Group. Perella Weinberg Partners and Morgan Stanley acted as financial advisors and Kirkland & Ellis LLP acted as legal advisor to Royal Caribbean Group.
PHOTO CAPTION: Jason Liberty, Chairman and CEO of Royal Caribbean Group, and Adam Stewart, Executive Chairman of Sandals Resorts, mark the signing of an agreement to form a landmark partnership that expands Royal Caribbean Group into the all-inclusive resort space and supports the future growth of Sandals and Beaches Resorts. The signing took place at Royal Caribbean Group’s new headquarters in Miami, with the city’s skyline in the background.
The Caribbean tourism deal first reported as a possibility on Tuesday is now a signed agreement. Royal Caribbean Group plans to pay
approximately US$3 billion for a 50% stake in Sandals and Beaches Resorts, putting the value of the business at about US$6 billion. The purchase is expected to close in early 2027, subject to approvals.
Founded in Jamaica by the late Gordon “Butch” Stewart in 1981, the resort business has a presence across nine Caribbean destinations, including Jamaica, The Bahamas and Turks and Caicos. Sandals has described its workforce as nearly 20,000 people, most of them Caribbean nationals.
“My father, Gordon ‘Butch’ Stewart, founded Sandals Resorts with the belief that a company built in the Caribbean could stand on the world stage alongside the most respected names in hospitality,” said Adam Stewart in the announcement carried by PR Newswire. He will remain executive chairman, while the Stewart family retains a stake. The companies say existing reservations and resort operations will continue as usual.
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