By Logan Hodgson | Chief Marketing Officer
* 33 counselling sessions conducted with clients
Linh’s Story – “I am no longer alone”
Linh, 32, was introduced to Hagar in December 2013. She came to us with a two-year-old baby who had a congenitalheart disease. Linh had nothing and no one to call for help.
Linh had been adopted by a farming couple at a very young age. Her life totally changed when her adoptive motherpassed away. Depressed following his wife’s death, Linh’s adoptive father did not care about anything in his life,not even Linh. He neglected her and treated her badly. Finally, Linh ran away and became homeless at the age of15. With no job, no money and no education, she had to struggle every day to manage her own life.
“Poverty was not scary. What made me obsessive was loneliness. I was dreaming of a complete and happy familyevery night. I do not even know my biological parents. Who are they? Where are they living? How have they beendoing? Do they still remember me?” Linh asks these questions over and over again, in tears.
With a strong desire to have a family of her own, Linh decided to share life with a young man she loved. Shebelieved he could bring a safe life for her with love and care even though he did not have a stable job. They starteda new life without a marriage certificate.
Linh was extremely happy when she gave birth to a daughter two years ago. However, the baby was diagnosedwith congenital heart disease and her boyfriend became violent and alcohol-addicted. He could not control hisanger when he heard his daughter crying in pain. Day by day, Linh desperately suffered from his violent abuse.Once again, she chose to run away from her offender, taking her daughter to search for help. Fortunately, she wasintroduced to Hagar in those darkest days of her life.
After an initial assessment, it was clear that Linh’s greatest need was to secure enough money for her baby’s heartsurgery. Hagar cooperated with East Meets West and a group of individual sponsors to make her dream thissurgery come true. With the baby’s medical needs met, Hagar brought Linh for a health check-up, and she learnedthat she had a tumor in her neck which required surgery. This unexpected news frightened Linh. She hesitated toaddress her own medical issues because she was worried that her daughter’s medical needs were more important;however, after receiving counseling services, Linh made the decision to receive treatment. Both Linh’s and herdaughter’ surgeries were successful.
“If we had not been supported by Hagar and other organizations and individuals, my daughter and I would havenot been able to overcome darkness. We would have been living on the streets without hope for the future. Now, Iwill take care of my daughter and work hard to bring a good life for my child. At least, it will be better than mine”,Linh shared.
Hagar’s next step is to provide legal support to Linh, including working with her to obtain an ID card and her familyrecords so that she can become an official citizen before she celebrates her 33rd birthday, enabling her to accesssocial services and build a stable life.
Linh is also receiving counseling services on career orientation so that she can begin working as soon as possible.She shows excitement at learning to be a hair-dresser. Hagar is confident that Linh will take advantage of theservices provided and turn over a new leaf in her and her daughter’s future life together.
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