VCF

On warm morning in the spring of 2012, Xuan Thao and her friends – The Power Girls from John Robert Powers school – spent a Saturday morning, January 7 to visit the children who were rescued by Thao and her mother’s donation of $5000 on Chirstmas day 2011.

5 children saved by JRP along with 7 other childrens admittted to 4 hospitals in Ho Chi Minh city: Tam Duc heart hospital, University Medical Clinics, Heart Institute and 115 hospital.

At the hospitals, the Power Girls visited the lucky children and witnessed their miraculous revival. The young ladies were so touched to meet a baby name Phuong Thuy right at the moment she was released from ICU at Tam Duc hospital. Thuy’s mother held her little daughter and cried out from such overwhelming happiness.

 
After that, the journey continued to 3 other hospitals. At UMC, the Power Girls were so happy to listen little Kim Ngan and Thach Thi Thanh read the best wishes that they had written on pretty cards for the children.

At Heart Institute, they took many cute pictures with the pretty heart children that saved from JRP’s effort.

The journey ended at 115 hospital when they visited and cheered up Tuyen, 1 poor 15-year-old girl who were waiting the final conclusion from the doctors about her ability to have sucessful operation. The Power Girls hoped Tuyen could overcome her difficulties and recover soon.

Heartbeat Vietnam staff are so grateful for the Power Girls’ kindness. They are such a nice young, pretty lady who acted wholeheartly for children. We also hope Tuyen will receive surgery sucessfully.

Heartbeat Vietnam was fortunate to have the continuing support of two of our favorite community supporters in November and December:  Saigon South International School and the Bazaar@Mekong Merchant.

First up was the annual Christmas Bazaar@Mekong Merchant, which kicked off the holiday festivities with a special shopping bazaar that featured products from HCMC-based vendors, Glühwein, and live performances of classic Christmas carols.  A portion of the vendors’ proceeds as well as song request donations were donated to Heartbeat Vietnam.  Along with our sales of  ’Tim” the teddy bear, the Bazaar@Mekong Merchant raised over $3,000 for children’s heart surgeries.  Ms. Ingrid from the organizing committee stopped by the VCF office and was able to mark off three more heart operations on our heart counter.  In total, donations from all the Bazaar@Mekong Merchant events have saved the lives of 14 children!

Next was the Saigon South International School’s annual Christmas Bazaar, which was organized by the school’s students, teachers, and parents of all ages and featured locally-made products from vendors and NGOs.  The proceeds from the bazaar went to support six different charities, one of which was Heartbeat Vietnam.  The funds were enough to support the surgeries of three wonderful children, all of whom received their operations within days of the bazaar.  On Thursday, December 8, Ms. Lisa and Ms. Theresa from SSIS visited the children in Trieu An hospital and presented them with gifts on behalf of the school.  These three children now bring the total number of kids saved by SSIS to 12!

We cannot thank all of our wonderful partners at Saigon South International School and the Bazaar@Mekong Merchant enough!  Through their unending generosity, they’ve given the best gift of all to some very special and deserving children this holiday season–the gift of life.   Thank you!

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Please join us in giving the gift of life this holiday season!

In 2011 we’ve saved over 600 precious children who suffered from congenital heart defects.  We are proud of this achievement and absolutely could not have done it without your tremendous and generous support.  There are, however, more than 30,000 children waiting for the surgery that will save their lives; below are just a few of the many children who are in desperate need.

The average cost of an open heart surgery in Vietnam is $3,000-$4,500, way out of reach for a poor family that earns $13 a month.  For just $1,000, however, you can fund a child’s heart operation.  This is because your donation will be multiplied by our matching funds partnerships with local patient support organizations and the child’s provincial government.

All of these children waiting for surgery deserve a chance to live and have a normal childhood, and you can help them.  Heartbeat Vietnam invites you to join us in our efforts during this holiday season to give the gift of life to these children!

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Today, VCF received the “Third Class Labor Medal” or “Huân chương Lao động Hạng Ba” by representatives of the Vietnamese government in recognition of our efforts to help improve the lives of disadvantaged Vietnamese children.  Madame Tran Thi Ha, Deputy Minister of Home Affairs; Madame Nguyen Thi Nhu Thuy, Vice President of the Renumeration and Rewards Committee of Ho Chi Minh City; and Dr. Tran Thanh Long, Chairman of the Sponsorial Association of Poor Patients of Ho Chi Minh City presented the medal and special certificates of commendation to Mrs. Robin King Austin, VCF’s CEO and Executive Director, and Mr. Don Di Lam, VCF’s Board Chairman, who received them on behalf of the Foundation.

“We are very happy to present this medal to the VinaCapital Foundation for their significant philanthropic achievements in helping poor children and patients in Vietnam,” said Madame Tran Thi Ha.  ”Their great contributions will help develop Vietnamese society.”

“We are very proud to receive this honor, but it’s not for me or Don,” said Robin.  ”This award is for the entire wonderful VCF team and their unyielding dedication to the children of Vietnam.  We are committed to helping provide the best opportunities for the children of Vietnam in health and education.  A better future for these children equals a brighter future for Vietnam.”

Nhu Y before her surgery at her home in Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province

On October 31, 2011, VCF and Heartbeat Vietnam reached a wonderful milestone when our 2,500th beneficiary received her lifesaving heart operation. Four-year-old Tran Nguyen Nhu Y, from Ba Ria Vung Tau Province, has lived a difficult life in her short years. Her parents divorced when she was three-months-old, after which her father completely abandoned her. After one year, Nhu Y’s mother also left her; rumors are that she was suffering from cancer and was ashamed of her illness. She does not allow anyone to know her location, which means that Nhu Y will never know about her mother’s pain or feel mother’s love.

Just two days after her surgery, Nhu Y is recovering at a breakneck speed. She is excited to play with her new doll!

Nhu Y was left to her grandparents with a weak, severely damaged heart. Her grandparents have been trying their best to raise her, but their situation is desperate. They had to borrow 50 million VND ($2,500 USD) to build a house, but they barely make enough to put food on the table let alone pay off their debt. Nhu Y’s grandfather suffers from kidney stones and raises cows for a living; unfortunately, two calves died this year which means the family has no income. Nhu Y’s grandmother takes any job that allows her to feed her family; she suffers from chronic spinal pain. There are times when they cannot buy even a few kilograms of rice. In addition, they used up their last remaining funds to pay for Nhu Y’s medical exams and travel to the hospital. The doctors told Nhu Y’s grandparents that their granddaughter needed heart surgery as soon as possible to save her life, but her grandparents couldn’t afford for such an expensive operation. Nhu Y’s case was brought to Heartbeat Vietnam, and we arranged for her to receive her operation as quickly as possible.

Nhu Y was admitted to the University Medical Center of Ho Chi Minh City, where she received care from some of the country’s top cardiologists and cardiac surgeons. Her surgery was performed on Halloween by Dr. Dinh, the hospital’s Chief of Cardiac Surgery, and just a few days later she was already out of her bed and running around. Nhu Y is a sweet and spirited little girl who has suffered so much in her short life, and we are grateful to be able to play a small part in helping her get a second chance at life!

Hong Hieu and Hong Thao thank their supporters for their surgeries!

The family first recognized the symptoms of their little girls when they were 15 months old at an outreach clinic in the district hospital. The family then had to take the long and costly trip to Da Nanang hospital to check up on their condition. While there, the hospital found that Hong Hieu had Ventricular Septal Defect, for which the surgery costs 46,000,000 VND (roughly $2,245 USD) while Hong Thao had Ventricular Septal Defect (a large hole) and Double Outlet Right Ventricle for which the surgery costs 35,000,000 VND (roughly $1,710). Since their visit, the family has not returned to the hospital for any check-up or treatment because of the family’s financial situation. Hong Thao and Hong Hieu are now two and a half years old but they are constantly sick and tired because of their heart disease. The conditions produce a debilitating impact on their lives that is evident when their lips, hands and feet often become purple.

Although the doctors advised Hong Thao and Hong Hieu to have surgery soon, they cannot afford the cost of surgery for these two precious little girls. Covering the cost for one child’s surgery, let alone two, is impossible. The only hope for this family and these children is to find enough money to support two surgeries to save their little daughters so that the twins can live normal lives. There was some money available for part of Hong Thao’s surgery, but we had to find more funding to cover the rest of her and Hong Hieu’s surgeries.

When we told longtime Heartbeat Vietnam donor and cheerleader, Jeannie Mai from the Style Network’s “How Do I Look” makeover show, about Hong Thao and Hong Hieu’s plight, Jeannie immediately sprang into action. She put out a call to action to all of her friends and fans on her blog (click to view video) and Facebook page, and within just a couple of weeks we raised enough for both girls’ surgeries! The girls were admitted to the hospital in Da Nang (central Vietnam) in September.

Hong Thao received her surgery on Sept. 26, and Hong Hieu on Sept. 28; both girls were discharged one week later. The latest post-op check-up was on Oct. 11, and the doctors said that both girls are recovering nicely. They still have some pain in the new scars on their chests, but their mother said that they are already very active and playful; sometimes she can’t control both of them!

Thank you to Jeannie and all of the supporters who responded so quickly and generously to help give these adorable girls a second chance at life!

Photograph from Morgan Ommer

Nguyen Duy Hao is a shy boy living in the Binh Dinh province of Vietnam. He lives in a very cramped home with his father, mother, 3 older sisters, 2 older brothers and 1 younger sister. The income of the father and mother is 1.5 million VND (only around 70 USD), and it clearly cannot sustain the well being of 9 people. They are only able to spend at most 2 USD on food for all 9 people each day, they have to share 2 bicycles and 1 motorcycle and they use the river as their toilet. There was no way the parents could afford to pay for a surgery. This was what they needed though when Hao was diagnosed with congenital heart disease. The father was terrified when he found out but he never gave up hope. In his own words he said, “When its your kid, you cant stop trying”. And it paid off. The family found out Hao was eligible to receive a surgery thanks to Heartbeat Vietnam and its local partner. The father described the euphoric feeling as winning the lottery. Even better than winning the lottery: Finding out that the surgery and recovery went along 100 % smoothly.

The interview we have with the family is different than others. The father is smiling, happily answering questions, yet Hao is looking down and fiddling with his fingers. He is not accustomed to others asking such personal questions. When asked about the operation, Hao is emotional and he has to wipe tears from his face.  He will only answer certain questions and his father helps answer the rest. The father tells us his son is healthy and  only has minor breathing problems, but this is nothing compared to what would have happened if a heart surgery was postponed even longer, since Hao is already 14. Hao is able to tell us that soccer was something he longed to play when he was in hospital, but the thing he truly missed the most was his grandmother. This explained the emotions that were pouring out. His grandmother very recently passed away, but the family knows if she were with them, she would be extremely happy that her grandson was well again.

Mai Van Song lives with his mom, dad and older brother. He is a smart young boy who intends to graduate from high school.  He diligently attends school for around 4 hours a day and spends 5 hours a week doing his homework. When he finishes university he does not want to stay in his family’s home region of Bin Dinh or anywhere in the countryside, he wants to follow his dreams by seeking out opportunities in a glitzy Vietnamese major city. His dream is to be a singer. The family were prepared to stand by their son’s career choice and would support him no matter what. The only problem was that before Song hit his first birthday, he was diagnosed with congenital heart disease, but his family, earning only 6 million VND (around 290 USD) per year were in no shape to pay for his surgery.

Song is now 10. He had to wait almost 10 years to receive a surgery. This is no surprise since the family receives no grant money and they spend absolutely nothing on health care. The price of a heart surgery was too far fetched for the family. The parents had to quit their jobs in agriculture in order to take care of Song. Perhaps the factor of the unknown was most frightening to the parents. Their education was of a lower level, because neither one of them managed to reach the 6th grade. So, when the doctor would explain what was happening to their child, they would not fully understand the seriousness of the situation. The mother explained that she was worried sick because she did not know what congenital heart disease was.

The hardest thing the parents went through when their child was sick  was the whispering of the neighbors. It was a small community so everyone knew about Songs condition and people would talk about it. The mother loathed this, she felt they had no right to talk about her sons problem.

Songs determination and hard work to finish school is probably due to his parents. His parents actually encourage him to go to school unlike many others. They want him to have a great future and more importantly, they believe he can achieve it. They want him to have a better life than they do. The most touching thing the parents told us was that despite the poverty they lived in, both mother and father never lost hope that someone would help save their beloved son. They knew they couldnt afford it by any means at all, but they said they could never lose hope on their own son. Never.

Even after borrowing huge sums of money and working almost 24 hours a day, the parents still could not come up with the 40 million VND (about 2000 USD) that it usually takes to pay for a surgery. Then, the parents found out about VinaCapital Foundation’s heart surgery program. When hearing about this program, the parents described it as a dream, something unimaginable. They were so relieved that their son at least had a chance of survival.

Song could tell his parents were worried right before he was scheduled to be operated, but he was a brave boy and now it has paid off tremendously. He is now stronger and has gained weight from his previous unhealthy body.  Song has a love of sports but before the surgery, he had to be careful when playing soccer,(it could have easily caused exhaustion because of his heart defect) and he couldnt show off his amazing skills when playing with his friends but now, Song can kick the ball as hard as he wants.

When he was in the hospital, Song missed his grandparents the most and he couldnt wait to go home, but the parents were not going to wait until he went home to see him. After the surgery, his parents made sure they would be the first things he would see. The mother was at first uneasy because she had never seen her child strapped onto so many devices and machines but the level of happiness she had seeing her child in recovery overcame any initial fears. Her bright, intelligent, smiling boy was now with her in full health.

Interviewing the family at their house, we ask Song some personal questions and Song has an answer for everything. He is sharp and quick. He knows what he wants and now he can achieve it. The handsome young boy wants a beautiful wife by the time he is 30 and wants 2 children to shower with love  just like his parents do with him. He can also pursue his career of a singer with his parents supporting him no matter what. Now that he is healthier than ever, Song’s dreams can now become a reality.

Tran Van Thang, the younger of the two brothers

There sits the Tran family. A loving father, a loving mother, and their two amazing boys. They seemed like a normal family, except that their family was originally bigger. Tragically, around a year ago, a pair of twins passed away. One twin died after 11 months and the other after just seven days. If that wasn’t hard enough on the parents, they found out the only boys they had left, Tran Van Thau and Tran Van Thang, both had congenital heart disease. To find out that both of her beautiful sons had a life threatening disease, the mother could only describe the feeling she had in one word: helpless. She had already been through the pain of losing two of her own.

The costs of the surgery were far too insurmountable for the parents. Both father and mother had only basic education and they could only afford the bare necessities. Money for blankets, one pair of shoes and two sets of clothes. Earning only at most 80,000 VND (about $4 USD) a day, the surgery to save the brothers seemed ungraspable. Their house has barely anything besides a table and some chairs. What money they did have, they spent around 30,000 VND ($1.50 USD) a day on food, 500,000 VND ($25 USD) a month for the brothers’ education, but only 100,000 VND ($5 USD) on health care. The parents think the most important thing for their children is education. Something so admirable, (the sister of Thau and Thang is already in the 9th grade, which is almost unheard of in the countryside), as many poorer families don’t consider education as anything but a waste of time and money. Though, right at that moment, health was the thing that was quickly slipping away from Thau and Thang.

Thankfully, the joint forces of Heartbeat Vietnam, our local government partner, and a private donor enabled the children to get what they deserved—two heart surgeries. After hearing this news, the mother was overwhelmed with joy. Now, while interviewing the family, we can see that the boys are almost in tiptop shape. They are still recovering so they are still a bit frail, but throughout the interview they are grinning from ear to ear.

They shy away from our camera lenses and hide behind one another. You can tell this contraption intrigues them, but they have yet to do anything about it. Then they begin playfully pushing each other towards the camera as if saying, “You go first.” When one builds up the courage to get their picture taken the other will follow. Just from this simple scenario, you see the bond between the two brothers. Each is the other’s role model and best friend.

Next are the actual interview questions. The two boys tell us it is not hard for them to make friends. Their lively personalities and adorable smiles, I feel, are adding to the ease of socializing. Thau already knows he wants to be a teacher, while Thang does not know what he wants to do, although it is easy to believe that if his big brother wants to be a teacher, Thang will eventually follow in his footsteps.

You could tell these children were sharp and like their parents, didn’t take education for granted. The first thing they wanted to do after coming out of the hospital was go to school. The brave boys said they knew what was happening to them but they were not afraid, they would do anything to spend more time with the family. Now though, after the surgery, they feel like different people. Stronger and healthier, they can run around freely with their friends. Their friends took advantage of this and rushed to greet the boys after they came out of the hospital. The boys agreed though, that they missed their parents the most when in the hospital and clearly the feeling was mutual. All the parents could do when they saw their boys healthy again was to hold them in their arms and cry. The mother and father both feel like their world is complete now. They want nothing else now that their children are healthy.

The last question we ask is a sillier one. Do Thau and Thang have girlfriends? When they hear this they start laughing and bury their faces in their mother’s lap. As their infectious laughs fill the room you can’t help feeling happy. These two lives were definitely worth saving.

Tran Van Thau, the older brother, with his mother

My Nhi’s Background

My Nhi and her family are part of the Khmer ethnic minority from Cambodia. More specifically, they are from the indigenous ethnic Khmer minority, the Khmer Krom, who live in southern Vietnam today, mostly along the Mekong Delta. Their family is part of the more than one million people who also come from Khmer Krom descent and who reside in Vietnam.

My Nhi was born in 2009 and immediately was diagnosed with congenital heart disease, a ventricular septal defect. She had very minor treatment for a year or so and her parents thought that would be sufficient. However, the doctor advised that in order for My Nhi to be able to play with other kids and enjoy the normal life she deserves an operation would have to be done immediately. Until Heartbeat Vietnam came into the picture, it seemed like an impossible feat. The family of three could not afford the simplest of make shift houses and had to live with My Nhi’s grandparents. The only reason her parents could afford medicine and the necessities to keep My Nhi alive was because the father worked as a laborer and the mother as a chairperson. The income though was terribly low as well as inconsistent and they had an absolute zero ability to contribute to the cost of an operation.

My Nhi is the only daughter of the family as well as the only child, so it was vital for her to be treated for her heart condition. Heart diseases do not only affect children physically but also mentally. Add in the factor that it is already hard enough for a girl to get proper education, left untreated, My Nhi might never have a chance to go to school. If My Nhi wasn’t treated, other children may have treated her differently and she could be affected socially.

Heartbeat Vietnam’s Role

When Heartbeat Vietnam raised the funds to rescue this little girl, the family was thrilled. Their only child could be a healthy kid. Accompanied by her parents, My Nhi started her road to a normal childhood when she went for her first medical assessment on January 15, 2011 and she was found to be a perfect candidate for an open heart surgery. From then on everything went along smoothly. She was admitted into an University Medical Clinic on April 8, 2011, and was scheduled for her surgery two days later. Her surgery could not have been performed without the generous help of the Ho Chi Minh City Association Sponsoring for Poor Patients, the VinaCapital Foundation, the local government and a selfless donor, Dr. H, a Vietnamese doctor from Lyon, France, who very kindly sponsored 25 million VND for My Nhi’s surgery.  With this funding, My Nhi was able to have access to the best medical equipment and professionals.

After the Surgery

My Nhi after her surgery

A few months after her surgery, we checked in with My Nhi and see how her recovery is going. Her very happy and grateful father informed Heartbeat Vietnam that My Nhi is 100% recovered and has gained 3 more kilograms. She now sleeps peacefully throughout the night and no longer cries during the night either. Her parents have all the medicine needed to keep her healthy and will continue going to checkups. For now though, her family is just over the moon that they get to take their little girl home. She only has problems that healthy children have. A slight fever from walking and playing in the rain, but after taking her medicine, My Nhi feels better than ever. Only a toddler, My Nhi may not now realize the difference the surgery has made, but starting from now, the operation will greatly impact and change her life for the better.