With many foreign organisations operating in Da Nang in social welfare work, Da Nang is like a second homeland. There is no longer a gap in language, geography or culture, the presence of enthusiastic foreigners in this coastal central city has contributed bright colours to the social community.

Steady Footsteps members support patients with rehabilitation services at the Da Nang Traditional Medicine Hospital. Photo: X.S

Enhancing community values

On the morning of May 21, the Da Nang Rehabilitation Hospital welcomed special guests from the AOG World Relief (AOGWR). They were the Australian married couple, Kelvin Anthony Windsor and Rebekah Windsor.

Together with representatives of the Da Nang Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs, the AOGWR members took a field trip to record the current situation of facilities, equipment, admission, treatment and care for children at the hospital’s Pediatric Rehabilitation Department.

Interestingly, these special guests came up with an initiative to sponsor rehabilitation tools and equipment in an effort to enhance the quality of healthcare and treatment services for disabled children at the hospital so that they could re-integrate into the community as soon as possible. 

That is one of the ‘many things to do everyday’ on AOGWR’s schedule in Da Nang and its neighbour Quang Nam Province and for many years.

Within the scope of the organisation’s operation, AOGWR members focus on developing and supporting the community; raising public awareness about the rights of women and children and people with disabilities; emergency relief.

In more details, they have enthusiastically helped disadvantaged households, and those in remote areas as well, improve livelihoods; sponsored the cost of surgery for difficult children with congenital heart disease; donated wheelchairs and medical equipment to hospitals; launched life skills training for children.

Rebekah Windsor and her husband have been living in Central Viet Nam for 13 years. “In our memories, the land of Da Nang - Quang Nam in the first days I arrived still had many difficulties, first of all in terms of life, many situations needed help. We think there should be practical and appropriate projects to support local authorities to improve people's life standards.”, Ms. Rebekah said.

“We have received meaningful joy once we helped others. My wife and I both grew up in not-very-well-off families in our hometown, so we always have sympathy for difficult situations. Choosing Da Nang or Quang Nam to continue AOGWR's journey is a way for us to share love with the whole community.”, said Mr. Kelvin Anthony Windsor.

During sharing feelings, the Australian married couple emphasised the positive value in improving disadvantaged people’s lives for the sake of a better society.

Doctor Nguyen Van Dung, the Director of the Da Nang Rehabilitation Hospital, mentioned the Windsor family as enthusiastic friends. From the medical unit's perspective, he said, the presence of international organisations is an opportunity to boost mutual exchanges, develop professional expertise and enhance treatment quality as well as beef up cooperative ties in human resource training.

“Being forever attached to Da Nang"

In his office, physician Phan Cong Tuan from the Da Nang Traditional Medicine Hospital hangs a landscape painting composed by artist Nguyen Tan Hien. Through bright colours, the painting exudes the relaxing and joyful spirit of nature and people. The story about artist Tan Hien was told emotionally by Mr. Tuan and those who met this painter.

Making a turning point from his dream of being a teacher to painting after an unexpected accident, with extraordinary determination, the man from Dak Lak Province put aside his grief of disability and embarked upon drawing during his treatment stay at the Da Nang Rehabilitation Hospital.

In addition to great support from the medical team and technicians, Tan Hien received encouragement and inspiration from the US couple Philip David and Virginia Mary Lockett, who are also partners of physician Phan Cong Tuan in his rehabilitation treatment.

With boundless love, they sent Tan Hien paper sheets and brushes and enthusiastically helped him spread his drawings to many places. Now, the man in the wheelchair-bound man with meticulous drawings has become a famous name in the painting world with high-value works.

Having been treated at the Da Nang Traditional Medicine Hospital for more than 8 months, Ms. Tran Thi Thien from Quang Nam Province has been familiar with the beloved image of an elderly foreign couple, along with other attentive and supportive technicians helping patients like her.

“I had a stroke. If I just stayed in the countryside, my body's condition would get worse, so I decided to go to Da Nang for rehabilitation. Here the atmosphere was always happy and comfortable when receives good care and great encouragement from technicians, especially those from the Steady Footsteps.”, Ms. Thien said.

Mr. Tan Hien and Ms. Thien are only among tens of thousands of patients receiving support from the Steady Footsteps since 2006 at the Da Nang Rehabilitation Hospital and the Da Nang Traditional Medicine Hospital.

Under the direction of US physical therapist Virginia Mary Lockett, this organisation has coordinated with the Da Nang-based hospitals to treat patients with sequelae of traumatic brain injury, stroke, spinal cord injury, as well as children with cerebral palsy and slow motor development. 

In addition, supporting medical equipment for difficult patients, helping patients re-integrate into the community at the earliest and supporting training and helping medical staff improve professional capacity in the field of physical therapy - rehabilitation at the hospital.

“Steady Footsteps was born when we realised that many patients in Viet Nam were in need of rehabilitation treatment and comprehensive care. Nearly 30 years ago, there were not many units and organisations supporting patients for long terms, only volunteer activities.”, Ms. Lockett said.

For that reason, the US woman and her husband decided to move to Viet Nam to support hospitals here, with the thought of “being forever attached to Da Nang’. That journey of togetherness has been successful for 18 years and will continue its mission for the time ahead.

Herbalist Phan Cong Tuan has worked with Steady Footsteps since 2013 until now. In his opinion, the presence of volunteer friends from far away not only helps him and his colleagues in terms of recovery treatment but also creates spiritual value for patients and medical staff as well.

Highly appreciating outstanding contributions made by special colleagues, Mr. Tuan often introduces everyone to related memorabilia, which is the helmet Mrs. Lockett gave her 18 years ago, and a portrait statue of her by renowned Vietnamese sculptor Pham Van Hang, a photo and a poem about the kindhearted woman.

AOGWR and Steady Footsteps are two of many foreign organisations that have made contributions to the city’s development, recognised by the Da Nang People's Committee and departments and units. In their minds, Da Nang is now their second homeland.

Reporting by XUAN SON - Translating by A.THU