Reconnecting with unfinished dreams.

One weekend morning, at the VietHealth Orthopedic Clinic (Nhieu Loc Ward, Ho Chi Minh City), dozens of people arrived early to wait for examinations and free prosthetic limb fitting. The "Prosthetic Limb Fitting for People in Remote Areas" program comes from the generosity of ordinary working people...

The joy of walking

Little girl Le Nguyen Y Nhi sat quietly in her father's lap, waiting for her name to be called for examination. Her father, Le Hoang Duy, is a man in his early thirties, worn down by the struggle to make a living and by fighting bone cancer alongside his daughter.

For over a year, Nhi and her father regularly traveled from Dong Nai to Ho Chi Minh City Children's Hospital for chemotherapy and surgery to amputate her left leg. To date, Nhi's illness has been largely cured. Mr. Duy has abandoned his fields and farms to be with his daughter during her treatment, while his wife stays home to care for their youngest child, who is just over a year old. He has switched to doing odd jobs, earning about 300,000 dong a day. This meager amount covers all the expenses for travel, food, and medicine.

Seeing her 4-year-old sister burst into tears out of fear of the doctor's examination, Nhi gave her two candies. Nhi loves her sister and hopes to soon have a prosthetic leg so she can carry her around and play. When it was her turn, Nhi chattered excitedly to the doctor: "I love going to school so much, I miss my friends and my teacher so much." Mr. Le Hoang Duy choked up as he thanked the doctor: "Our family doesn't have enough money to get a prosthetic leg for our child, so we're planning to save up for a while longer. Hearing that our child will get a prosthetic leg for free, my wife and I are overjoyed."

Doctor Huynh Van Phi examines patients at the program.

Sitting next to Nhi was Mr. Huynh Van Son (born in 1958), whose body only had one healthy arm left. In his twilight years, he still struggles to make a living selling lottery tickets to support himself and his family. “I was born with all my limbs, then an accident happened unexpectedly when I was in my early twenties. My life took a completely different turn. Luckily, I have a loving wife who dared to marry me and bear me three children, raising them to be good people,” Mr. Son shared.

Without prosthetic limbs or a wheelchair, Mr. Son uses an electric scooter given to him by an acquaintance to sell lottery tickets. “I used to be ridiculed, ostracized, had my lottery tickets stolen, and even had fake tickets given to me… With prosthetic legs, I can walk normally, be less dependent on my family, and not rely entirely on anyone,” Mr. Son confided. After more than 40 years living with impaired legs and an arm, never having walked like a normal person, Mr. Son now has that opportunity. Something that seems simple to many, but for him, it's a dream come true.

Connecting with love

Having been a physical therapist and rehabilitation specialist for over 20 years, Dr. Huynh Van Phi, Deputy Director in charge of professional affairs at the Ho Chi Minh City Orthopedic and Rehabilitation Center, still paused for a moment when he heard the question from a young boy who had to have one leg amputated due to bone cancer: "Doctor, if I get a prosthetic leg, will I be able to play soccer again?" Dr. Huynh Van Phi smiled, placed his hand on the boy's shoulder, and said, "Don't worry, you'll have a beautiful leg to continue scoring goals."

When Dr. Phi and his team of doctors and medical staff witnessed a man in his 60s arrive with a prosthetic leg he had used for over 40 years, worn out, bent, and even deformed at the joint, their hearts ached at the man's endurance. Because of poverty, he had no other choice but to continue walking on those legs.

Dr. Huynh Van Phi said that it was his empathy for the suffering of patients that motivated him to dedicate all his efforts to alleviating their pain. "Every year, under the direction of the Ministry of Interior , we organize trips to many provinces and cities across the country to examine, treat, and fit prosthetic limbs for patients with mobility disabilities," Dr. Phi said.

The examination session ended, and Ms. Ho Thi Xuan Mai sat down to rest after a busy morning. Having dedicated many years to charitable work, connecting donors, one of the most meaningful programs she has maintained for the past 17 years is "Providing free prosthetic limbs for the poor."

According to Ms. Mai, there are people who have quietly supported the program for the past 17 years without ever appearing in public. "These supporters may not be wealthy, but they are very willing to share in the losses and difficulties of the people, enabling them to do their work without having to rely on others," Ms. Mai shared.

Having moved with her husband and three young children from their hometown in Tien Giang (now Dong Thap province) to Ho Chi Minh City with nothing but the clothes on their backs, Mrs. Mai deeply empathizes with those less fortunate. Now that her children are grown, she dedicates all her time to connecting those in need with those willing to help. Silently watching the smiles of the people in the clinic, Mrs. Mai wept. Perhaps, every act of helping others is a way of spreading love in life.

According to Mr. Dang Anh Tuan, Director of VietHealth Co., Ltd., VietHealth currently has 3 branches across the North, Central, and South regions of Vietnam. It specializes in providing high-quality, personalized prosthetic limbs, orthopedic braces, and flat foot insoles for each user at reasonable costs, suitable for the income levels of Vietnamese people.

The prosthetic limbs provided free of charge to underprivileged individuals through the program are designed by a team of medical professionals, using lightweight, durable, and safe materials, ensuring optimal comfort and mobility.

THU HOAI

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/noi-lai-nhung-uoc-mo-dang-do-post822700.html