His name is Viet Quoc Luong, and he’s 15 years old. He lives in No. 12 Village, Giao Long Commune, Giao Thuy District, Nam Dinh Province — about 100 km from Hanoi. He was introduced to Humanitarian Services for Children of Vietnam (HSCV) from the Association for the Support of Vietnamese Handicapped and Orphans (ASVHO)
Viet is the 3rd child and only son in a family of four children. His parents are poor farmers who are barely able to make ends meet. Besides farming, his father also works as a day-laborer for hire.
He has a life-threatening heart condition. Viet’s parents been trying to get him into the National Pediatrics Hospital but this hospital is so overwhelmed with patients that they transferred him to Viet Duc Hospital.
Ultrasound diagnoses from two different hospitals show that Viet’s problem is narrow heart valves, which impact the rate at which blood passes through the heart. This can impact the heart and body in many different ways including an enlarged heart, and other precursors to congestive heart failure, (CHF). Stenosis is often categorized as “mild”, “moderate” or “severe” depending on how narrow (impacted) the heart valve leaflets, (flaps) have become due to calcification, infection, or tissue degeneration.
Each of the heart valves – aortic, mitral, tricuspid and pulmonary – can become nar
rowed although it is most common in the aortic and mitral valves.
Viet has very severe stenosis, as a result his eyes are swollen, his fingers are red, he is very tired all the time, and his lips are blue, (cyanotic). Sometimes he can not walk. He had to stop attending school when he was in the 8th grade because of this heart condition.
The hospital recently sent Viet’s parents a notice that his operation is scheduled for October 19th, 2010. However, talking by telephone with Viet’s father, we understand that they still have not found a donor to help pay for the heart surgery so that Viet can be healthy again. And the father said that he wished there was someone to help Viet to have an operation for his heart but if not, then they had to suffer from it. I felt so sad and frustrated as I spoke with him. I can feel him holding back tears, the tears of a father powerless to affect the survival of his son. He told me his family has no money to pay for the operation, despite donations from the Women’s Union in the commune with 1 tons of rice. Even this amount they will be unable to pay back. Viet and his mother came to Vietduc hospital with 150,000 VND (7.5 USD) for a check up. Without the help of their relatives, they cannot have enough money to go home after the checking up.
The amount estimated for the child's surgery is 10,000,000 VND ($500 USD); this amount of money will only cover the surgery, but not the child's post-operative care. But first things first: Viet needs the heart surgery first to save his life. His parents will worry about and deal with the expense of post-operative care later.
I have knocked on many doors looking for help for this case, but still there is no open door yet. I hope soon someone will step up and help to save this young boy’s life. Please be the one to find it in your heart to save Viet’s heart!
HSCV is hoping to help Luong Quoc Viet receive an operation as soon as possible in order to save his life.
Please mail what ever you can give to:
Luong Quoc Viet's Surgery
c/o: HSCV
2956 Spring Lake Road
Prior Lake, MN 55372 USA
Credit card donations can be made on our website at
www.hscv.org
Blogged by Ngo Thuy Hanh- HSCV member
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