By Alicia Moore | Project Leader
Access to healthcare can be difficult no matter where you live in the world. MEDRIX and our partnering NGOs in Vietnam are honored to be able to sponsor children and young adults for life-saving heart surgery when they have no other alternatives and little hope for the future. It can be especially difficult in rural and poor regions, even if a family gets assistance from the government. In Vietnam, even when a family holds a "poor card" showing critical need for reduced services, they still must pay a portion of the surgery, no matter how desperate their situation. And surgery costs can rise as a child gets older, turning a life-saving operation into a race against time.
This was little Nga's situation. Her father works as a fisherman in rural Quang Binh Province, earning only $87 USD per month. When Nga was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect that affects blood flow, the family was unable to provide the almost $3,000 USD needed for corrective surgery. Nga's condition would only get worse over time, but not always show symptoms. She could appear well enough until she suddenly got sick and died, with little or no notice. Nga is a very quiet and studious girl who was attending kindergarten and getting ready for primary school in the fall. If she didn't have the surgery immediately, not only could she get sicker, but the cost could rise an exorbitant amount beyond $3,000 after her 6th birthday in June.
This is a choice that no family should have to face. Her father teared up during his interview with the MEDRIX team, fearful of his daughter's future. Nga's family was afraid not just for her health, but because of the cost of the surgery and whether they could provide it. Thankfully, MEDRIX and another partnering NGO were able to split the cost of Nga's surgery and she was admitted to the hospital right away. Nga was discharged from the hospital on May 19th in good health! She is looking forward to being able to start primary school in September, and was able to celebrate her 6th birthday this month with NO fear! Thanks to your generosity, she'll have a healthy and happy childhood ahead of her! MEDRIX was also able to sponsor two other children, Tu and Huong, and we encourage you to check out their stories and outcomes on our website also.
We could not sponsor kids like Nga for life-saving heart surgery without your donation and support. Thanks to your help, we've been able to sponsor three special children for heart surgery in 2017. They've not only regained their health, but now have the opportunity for an education and a real childhood without sickness ahead of them. We recognize that our donors put our projects into action! We sincerely thank you for helping MEDRIX to change lives everyday in Vietnam.
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