Over the past two decades, the Lien Chieu District Chapter of the Da Nang Association for the Protection of Poor and Disadvantaged Women and Children has worked with the District’ Medical Center, and the District’s Office of Education and Training to conduct congenital heart disease screenings for over 100,000 school pupils. As a result, a significant number of disadvantaged children with congenital heart defects have been detected and undergone free heart surgeries with financial assistance from individuals and organizations, thereby saving hundreds of lives. and helping these children pursue their academic dreams for a brighter future.

Mr. Huynh Van Hoa (fourth, from the right), the chairman of the Da Nang Association for the Protection of Poor and Disadvantaged Women and Children handing financial aid to fund medical checkups and treatment for poor women and children with life-threatening illness in Lien Chieu District.

Thanks to active support from the Lien Chieu District Chapter, 12-year-old Nguyen Pham Yen Trang, a resident of Hoa Hiep Bac Ward has undergone a free heart surgery that led to significant improvements in her health, and helped her achieve good academic performance.

Trang said, “I have received incredible support and love from organizations and individuals, which has helped me to have a healthy heart. I'm focused on excelling in my studies to support my family and to be useful and help contribute to society in the future.”

Trang's mother, Pham Thi Nhe, said, "My husband and I felt devastated and powerless when Trang needed two heart surgeries, costing nearly VND 85 million in 2014 and 2017 as our family could not afford it. However, in our time of despair, the Lien Chieu District  Chapter acted as a bridge to help my daughter receive her life-saving heart surgeries for free. Our family remains forever grateful to donors for their assistance. Without the timely heart surgeries, Trang's survival would have been a precarious reality."

Mrs. Nhe's family has 2 children, she sells fish at the market while her husband is a freelance worker. She also takes care of her brother-in-law who has epilepsy. That is why her family faces financial hardship.

More seriously, from birth to 3 years, Trang often had high fever, and she were admitted to hospital for treatment.

In 2014, Trang was diagnosed with pulmonary valve stenosis by doctors, and she was required to undergone an heart surgery at a cost of VND 48 million.

Mrs. Nhe said that at that time, she was mentally exhausted because she could not afford the cost of heart surgery for her daughter. During the deadlock, she received active support from the Lien Chieu District  Chapter to help her daughter get access to  the “Heart for Children” programme to get free heart surgery.

Trang’s heath has been improved after her first heart surgery. In 2017, after a follow-up medical examination, doctors announced that Trang's condition required a second surgery costing VND 37 million. At that time, the  the Lien Chieu District  Chapter continued to extend a helping hand to her family so that Trang could undergo her free second surgery.

Similar to Trang, 14-year-old Nguyen Thanh Khanh, a resident of Hoa Hiep Bac Ward, experienced frequent illnesses, respiratory problems, and underwent medical treatment from childhood.

Khanh was detected with aortic valve overflow in 2017 during the congenital heart screening program. Hence, he was required to undergo a VND 38 million surgery. He also received the support from the Lien Chieu District Chapter to enjoy benefits from the “Heart for Children” programme.

Living in poverty with a disabled mother and a freelance working father, Khanh's family faces further challenges due to health issues of their two sons. With both diagnosed with severe medical conditions, one with epilepsy and the younger brother with a congenital heart disease, their circumstances worsened when their youngest 4-month-old son was detected with heart defects. Yet, the family finds solace in the support from local organizations to help her son undergo a free heart surgery in 2024.

Over the past 20 years, more than 100,000 children ages 0 to 18 years have been screened for early detection of congenital heart disease, of whom, 316 have been detected with heart defects and 189 of them needed a surgical operation. A combined total of nearly VND 9.8 billion has been raised from organizations and individuals to fund surgical operation for these children. In addition, gifts totaling over VND 240 million have been given to these children after their surgeries.

In 2023, the district conducted congenital heart disease screenings for 5,540 children ages 0 to 18 years, of whom, 51 were diagnosed with heart defects, and 18 of them needed surgical operation.

Furthermore, more than VND 2.8 billion which was donated by organizations and individuals was spent on offering free medical checkups and treatment to 275 poor women and children, building charitable houses and giving gifts to the needy on public holidays, New Year and Tet Festival.

Reporting by Huynh Tuong Vy - Translating by Hoai Trang