As a founding member of Surgeons for Little Lives, Jerome Loveland has chaired the Board since its inception in 2015. Jerome graduated with his MBBCh from the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) in 1996, became a fellow of the College of Surgeons (SA) in 2004, and received his certificate as a sub-specialist in Paediatric Surgery in 2006, all the while contributing to solid organ transplantation in South Africa.

Jerome is the current Academic Head of Transplantation at Wits University, and leads the Transplant Unit at the Wits Donald Gordon Medical Centre. Having served as Academic Head of Paediatric Surgery at Wits for 2 terms between 2013 and 2023, Jerome worked as the Clinical Head of Paediatric Surgery, Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital (“Bara”) from 2009 to 2022, and it was at Baragwanath Hospital that he had the vision for the need, and developed, Surgeons for Little Lives. Whilst building the Department of Paediatric Surgery at Bara and Wits into a world class centre of patient care and training, he and the
SFLL team have created a successful charity attuned on the needs of their young patients and their families, focusing on the pillars of Wits University, namely supporting clinical care, research, and training.

Professor Loveland has developed the Departments of Paediatric Surgery and Transplantation, but particularly Surgeons for Little Lives, guided by a personal quote which he frequently references:

“It is one thing to succeed in an established environment; quite another to establish that environment, and thereby breed success.”

Outside of his career, Jerome is a committed family man, supported by his wonderful wife Adele, and children Laura and Alec, with whom he spends as much quality time as possible.

His mental battles are fought whilst running, paddling and surfing.