'Giving birth' alongside poor pregnant women

QTO - Working in the healthcare sector and having led the Youth Union for many years, Mr. Tran Thai Duong (born in 1984), who works at the Provincial Center for Disease Control, was deeply concerned when he witnessed many pregnant women giving birth amidst extreme hardship. This motivated him to establish the Mother and Baby Fund. For nearly three years now, this charitable fund has connected hearts with love and written many beautiful stories.

From the sighs

For the past few days, Mr. Tran Thai Duong's phone has been ringing non-stop. Outside of work hours, he frequently contacts hospitals and medical centers to find and provide gifts and support to impoverished postpartum women. Mr. Duong revealed that he recently managed to secure 20 more gift packages to donate to postpartum women in mountainous areas who had just undergone C-sections. "Knowing that women are often hesitant to share their circumstances, I proactively seek them out and ask doctors, nurses, and medical staff to connect them," Mr. Duong explained.

Mr. Tran Thai Duong (second from the left) presents financial support to pregnant women in difficult circumstances - Photo: QH

Having worked in the medical field for nearly 20 years, Mr. Duong has often heard sighs of despair in the hospital corridors. There, some expectant mothers from remote villages come to give birth, but they don't even have a few hundred thousand dong in their pockets. Their joy of a successful delivery is sometimes overshadowed by the worry of how to afford three meals a day at the hospital, and then buy medicine, formula, diapers, and other necessities for their babies. It was these sighs that motivated Mr. Duong to connect with philanthropists and contribute to providing a "support system" for mothers and newborns.

Speaking about the founding of the Mother and Baby Fund, Mr. Duong shared a saying passed down through generations: "The door of birth is the door of death." He knows that at that boundary between life and death, if mothers receive timely support, they will experience much less pressure. Therefore, for Mr. Duong, the Mother and Baby Fund is not simply a charitable fund, but more importantly, a place that connects hearts that know how to empathize, understand, and share.

Towards silent support

Since the Mother and Baby Fund was established, Mr. Tran Thai Duong has been busier than ever. Whenever he hears about a pregnant woman needing assistance, he makes time to help as soon as possible. In some urgent cases, he has to rely on the support of doctors, nurses, medical staff, and acquaintances.

For nearly three years, Mr. Duong's footsteps have traversed almost all hospitals and medical centers in the province. Through the Mother and Baby Fund, more than 50 pregnant women, mainly from the Van Kieu and Pa Ko ethnic groups in the highlands, have received support with amounts ranging from 500,000 to 1,000,000 VND per person. Ms. Ho Thi Bien, residing in Huong Lap commune, recounted: “I gave birth when my family was at its most impoverished. The gifts from the Mother and Baby Fund, along with the doctors, nurses, and benefactors… were like a lifeline for my child and me. I will always remember their kindness.”

Like Ms. Bien, the financial support from the Mother and Baby Fund, though not large, is truly valuable to many expectant mothers because it comes at the right time. Knowing this, Mr. Duong never allows himself to delay. Every time he sees the warm smile of a mother or a child sleeping soundly in a slightly more comfortable environment, all his hardships and worries seem to disappear. His motivation is further amplified when the Mother and Baby Fund receives attention and support from many philanthropists, some of whom regularly send him monthly donations. "I feel indebted to such kind hearts, so I try even harder to help expectant mothers," Mr. Duong shared.

With a philanthropic heart, Mr. Tran Thai Duong (second from the left) represents benefactors in supporting poor patients undergoing eye surgery - Photo: QH

Keep the "flame of youth" alive.

The Mother and Baby Fund was established when Tran Thai Duong was serving as the Secretary of the Youth Union at the Department of Health. After 8 years of dedication, even though he had matured within the Youth Union, the "fire" of youth still burned brightly within him. That fire is the result of a process of kindling, being ignited, and being preserved.

Mr. Duong shared that, although he was a student majoring in information technology, fate led him to the healthcare sector, working at the Provincial Center for Disease Control. Upon starting his career, he was assigned to and actively involved in youth union activities and movements. Demonstrating his dedication and responsibility through each activity, in 2017, Mr. Duong was elected Secretary of the Youth Union at the Department of Health. During that time, he and the union members and young people in the unit organized hundreds of activities and movements, mobilizing billions of VND to support people in difficult circumstances.

Through his tireless efforts, Duong has received numerous titles and awards. He is one of the exemplary individuals honored with the "Youth Living Beautifully" award by the Vietnam Youth Union. Duong shared: "I cherish that recognition, but for me, the greatest award is the opportunity I've been given to contribute, grow, and help more people... I've had a brilliant youth with the Youth Union."

To show his gratitude to life and to thank the Youth Union, even though he no longer wears the volunteer's green uniform, Mr. Duong continues to contribute silently. Besides maintaining the Mother and Baby Fund, he also develops funds to support people with disabilities and funds for poor patients with ophthalmological diseases, along with many other charitable and social activities. Mr. Duong believes that in a positive environment, human kindness will spread, just as the hearts of volunteers have been quietly connecting love in everyday life.

Quang Hiep

Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/xa-hoi/202604/vuot-can-cung-san-phu-ngheo-2ae349e/