The heart surgery programme has benefited 6,000 over the past 11 years (Photo: VNA)HCM City (VNA) – The 6,000th child
with heart diseases has just received free surgery under a programme funded by
, said CEO of the foundation Robin King Austin on January
16.
The child is Truong Thi My Yen, 5, from the
Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang.
Truong Minh Tri, Yen’s father said his daughter
was born with heart disease, however, his family couldn’t afford surgery, and therefore
signed up for assistance of the Heart Beat Vietnam Programme.
With the assistance of the programme, Yen
received two operations, worth a total of 240 million VND (10,600 USD). Now,
she has a healthy heart and can join with her friends at school.
Over the past 11 years, the programme has
benefited 6,000 disadvantaged children, Robin King Austin said, attributing the
achievement to continuous efforts and donation of the foundation’s partners
across 63 localities of Vietnam.
They have helped save 6,000 lives while
releasing the same number of families from the burden of diseases and finance,
she added.
According to Dao Thi Bieu, Vice President of the
Vinh Long province’s Association for the Support of
Disabled and Orphans, the programme has funded over 500 heart
operations for local poor children since 2007.
Bieu expressed her hope that the programme will
continue and benefit more disadvantaged kids.
The foundation has also mobilised doctors to
remote areas to screen children with cardiovascular diseases.
So far, 80,000 children in 44 localities across
the nation have received the screening services. Over 8,000 were detected with
the diseases.-VNA
Source: VietnamPlus
