Life-Changing Heart Surgeries for Kids in Vietnam

I stood by the bed of a sweet 3 month old girl named "Thi".  Thi was in the Children's Hospital in Vietnam.  Her condition was severe. A sense of heaviness in the air in the ICU.   We had scrubbed, put on cover garments, and shoe covers. And then we had followed the ICU doctor and moved to the side of a bed where this little girl lay with her eyes closed. 

I watched her breath slowly in and out.  It was a labored breath.  She was working hard and struggling for every breath!   She sensed that "something was different" and opened her eyes to see her dad and us her 'visitors'.   Her eyes searched for an explanation, but she was not startled...she was just working too hard on her breathing to put any energy into being alarmed.     

Her struggle was due to a defective trachea (the breathing tube leading to her lungs) that was not wide enough to sustain her life for very long.

The goal was to repair the defective trachea and thus assist her heart by providing the needed oxygen to her lungs and heart and the rest of her body.   But her defect and the lack of oxygen could not be sustained without life-saving surgery.  The doctors were concerned over her fragile condition.  Would surgery even be possible?  Was she too frail to recovery?  Could she put on some weight and have a couple of months to grow? And then there was the complicating factor of the cost of the hospitalization.  The doctor would donate the surgery, but the medical costs were high.  The family had no resources. They qualified for a ‘poor card’.  But who could support this difficult case?   

The days stretched into weeks.  What was to be done?  Then a hospital official approached MEDRIX.  We were asked to help support her surgery and recovery costs, to provide some resource for food and a place for the family to stay.  

MEDRIX was willing to take the risk if she could to gain some weight to better survive the surgery. Her family was elated. 

Now the good news:    Little Thi has had her surgery.  Her lungs are filling without labored effort.  Her heart is getting stronger.   Yes, she still faces weeks of recovery, but she is better than the surgeons and ICU staff anticipated.  She is better than the family could have dared to dream.     

Yes, it is truly a miracle, a miracle because generous supporters like you.   Now Thi’s family can anticipate a good childhood for her.  She will be able to laugh and play with other children in her village. She will have a normal life.

MEDRIX's is honored to be a part of this life-changing story.   We thank you for your generosity to support heart related surgeries for kids who's families cannot afford uncommon surgeries such as Little Thi's.   With your generosity many additional children will have the gift of life saving heart-related surgery!