Life-Changing Heart Surgeries for Kids in Vietnam

MEDRIX was thrilled that as a result of all of the generous donations made on behalf of children seeking life-changing heart surgeries in Vietnam, our project on GlobalGiving is considered ongoing. What does this mean? Instead of "capping" donations for heart surgeries and ending the fundraiser because we met our goal, we extended our goal to ten children being sponsored instead of five. Thanks to your outpouring of support, we were inspired to keep going and not set limits on bringing hope to families in need. 

MEDRIX Executive Director LaRelle Catherman is currently in Vietnam with Vietnam Project Manager Pham Thi Thu Ha, planning projects for 2014. They spent time interviewing families seeking surgeries for their children born with heart defects. MEDRIX is pleased to announce that so far, six families have been selected for sponsorship! All live in poverty, many in rural areas that are far away from specialized medical care. When necessary, MEDRIX helps support these families with food, transportation, and housing while they stay in Hue during and after surgery. Below are a few words from LaRelle from the field, sharing the difference that YOU have made in the lives of many young children. 

"Tonight at sit at the computer in my nice hotel and write this letter to you, our donors.  You have made a big difference in the lives of six more children here in Vietnam.  Each one of them has a heart defect that has compromised their life.  But the bright side is that they now have a chance for a better life, thanks to you! 

There are 3 children who come from a very poor district called Quang Tri, just north of Hue where we currently are working.  Quang Tri is a mixture of rice fields in the low lands and mountainous unfertile areas.  Life in Quang Tri is very hard, and most of the people are very poor and do not have access to good health care.  Their lives are so hard that they often do not realize that their children have significant health diseases or need heart surgery. [In Quang Tri]...health access is very difficult and the poverty of the people complicate their lives.  This is what has happened to Xay, who we will call Ray.  For the last few years he has been chronically tired and unable to keep up with school activities or to assist his father who hunts and gathers food in the forest.  This young teen has a ready smile and is eager to have surgery, and then to ‘get on with his life’ and return to school.  When asked if he was little nervous he said, 'No, because I haven’t experienced this before, so I don’t have any fear'. Now I would call that brave."

Two of the other children are from Ha Tinh province, about 350 miles away from the hospital in Hue. The sixth child is a young baby from an ethnic minority family from A Luoi province, about 75 miles away from Hue. A Luoi to Hue is a rough journey through rainforest and undeveloped dirt roads. Many of these families have little hope due to their poor financial circumstances. By partnering with two other NGOs in Vietnam, MEDRIX is able to sponsor these families and meet their immediate needs so their children can heal without worry. Your generous donation to this project has made an enormous difference in their lives. 

Thank you for donating to our cause. Please consider telling your friends and family about our project and the MEDRIX mission - share the link on your blogs or social networks, use the tell-a-friend feature on the project page to email your network, or just bring us up in conversation. Tell them why you chose our project and why it touched your heart. 

Thank you again for all you have done to help MEDRIX continue serving the people of Vietnam.

Links:

• MEDRIX Heart Surgeries

MEDRIX partnered with GlobalGiving Foundation to fundraise for children's heart surgeries in Vietnam in September 2013. Our goal was to raise $5,000 to sponsor 5 heart surgeries within the next calendar year. We surpassed our goal, thanks to you, our generous donors! Because of this amazing outpouring of support, MEDRIX is able to keep this project active and ongoing. You can now choose to contribute again to MEDRIX heart surgeries through GlobalGiving, or pass on the MEDRIX message of hope and health in Southeast Asia. 

Heart disease is the most common birth defect worldwide, and many children from rural villages in Vietnam living in extreme poverty may never be able to have their heart disease issues corrected and go on to lead normal and healthy lives. Once the need for heart support was recognized, MEDRIX engaged fully with our friends and colleagues in Vietnam to work towards solving this health issue. Many heart defects require simple surgical corrections that would be considered "no big deal" in the United States. These simple corrections are often too expensive for many Vietnamese families--they often borrow whatever they cannot cover from family and friends. Even then, the additional expenses--lodging, transportation to Hue, food, clothing, etc.--keep families from being able to pursue healthy futures for their children. Kids with heart defects in Vietnam are usually unable to pursue any education because children walk or bike to school, activities which are too rigorous. 

With the generosity of our supporters, MEDRIX will be able to change the future of entire families in Vietnam. Through this campaign alone, we have received enough to fund six life-changing heart surgeries...and counting! At the beginning of the year, MEDRIX will begin to assess potential heart surgery patients for 2014. We are committed to keeping you aware of whose lives will be forever changed by your donation, because MEDRIX could not have done this without you! Share our project page on Facebook and tell your friends and family why this campaign touched your heart! Thank you always for supporting MEDRIX's mission to serve the people of Southeast Asia through medical and education projects. 

Links:

• Learn more about MEDRIX impact in Vietnam.