During the past 15 years, the Children of Vietnam Fund was established by FV Hospital and helped to change the lives of hundreds of children in a special way.

They are underprivileged children who are born with congenital deformities or developed serious problems following accidents. Because of poverty, most of them and their families have never dared to dream that one day, they would have a chance to be treated in FV hospital. There is perception that FV Hospital is a place just for “rich children”. But thanks to some kind strangers who are able to take care of them and help relieve physical pain and mental health, so that they could regain their normal lives and believe in a beautiful future just like their peers.

The special patients of FV Hospital

Founded and sponsored by FV Hospital, the Children of Vietnam Charitable Fund (the Fund) was established with the mission of helping to cure diseases for disadvantaged children under sixteen suffering from severe conditions that can be cured or improved by surgery at the hospital.

Ms Nguyen Thi Le Thu – Chairman of the Management Board of the Children of Vietnam Charitable Fund (term 2020 – 2025), shares: “Many people think that FV Hospital only serves wealthy people with financial ability. But everyone deserves quality healthcare, especially disadvantaged children. They unluckily have early childhood experiences in tough and turbulent times, so the Fund wants to make up for them by giving them a good and healthy life, opening up their new futures”.

FV Hospital has twice received JCI Accreditation – the world’s leading healthcare accreditation with the most rigorous international standards in quality and patient safety. And the paediatric patients of the Fund are always the special guests in the hospital. They receive not only international standard medical from the world’s leading specialists, but also more special attention than other patients. It is the silent love of FV nurses behind their gifts of candies and toys. It is also kindness of the visits from compassionate doctors or the sincere encouragement from the Fund’s staff for patients and their families from the first day they arrived at FV Hospital.

Before that, their patient journeys are also very special. Starting with just a few short text messages or blurred pictures of the wound sent to the Fund, and meticulously checking phone calls from the staff. Within just two days their patient records are quickly reviewed and sent to the doctors. Following that, there are on-going consultations between the Fund and the doctors to determine the best possible treatment for each particular case. Often there is the difficult journey coordinated by the Fund team to help patients travel the long distance to go to the hospital on the first day of their examination.

During the past 15 years, the Children of Vietnam Fund has helped many underprivileged children who need to be treated throughout the country thanks to extended hands loving people, such as The Sponsoring Association for Poor Patients, NGOs, volunteers, patient’s families, or kind strangers who contact the Fund to help poor patients.

In the 15-year enduring journey, the Children of Vietnam Fund has helped more than 540 children have the opportunity to receive free medical care at FV. With the aim to help them grow confidence  start a new healthy life. The Fund fully supports their families for all treatment costs including travel expenses and the accommodation; so that no child has to miss any medical examination, re-examination, or any physical therapy session until the end of treatment. These efforts by the Fund are reflected in the tears of joy from the parents when they see their child is healed, or the love of patients share on the day they say farewell.

Thao Phuong is one of them. A little girl, who lives in Lam Dong Province, was carrying a huge tumour in her abdomen. After a successful surgery to remove the tumour in its entirety, she was discharged from the hospital but this little patient begged her mother to “let me stay at the hospital. I don’t want to go home”. In the children’s world, the hospital is not scary but just a place with a delicate bed, a good plate with fish and meat, and the warm smiles of many people who love her.

Thao Phuong and other patients were the motivation that helped the Fund’s staff know they need to work harder so that more children get a chance to heal and have the opportunity to develop their full potentials for a better life.

Give a child a chance in life

On the enduring  journey of giving love, the Fund has received a lot of support both material mental from compassionate donors. Through the One-Dollar Program launched by FV Hospital in June 2018. Specifically, from each patient visit, the hospital donates $1 to the Fund. Up to now, the total value of donations is up to 12.5 billion VND.

Besides, the hospital also offers a large reduction of treatment expenses up to 20% for the Fund’s paediatric patients, and has donation boxes at the FV lobby so each client has a chance to help underprivileged children. Many doctors volunteer to treat them for free or at a discount. Ms Nguyen Thi Le Thu shared: “Many children have been treated thanks to not only those doctors or experts, the support and cooperation of everybody in the community“.

Besides of the major source of finance from FV Hospital, the Fund also received valuable support from many other donors.  Some of note is a little girl who made handcrafted jewellery after school to sell and donated the money to support the Fund, or a company has supported the Fund for many years by donating work-hours of their staff’s salary. The Fund also organises the annual painting program “Give a child a chance in life” so that children can share their loves with the underprivileged friends, by sending their pictures to contest. All artworks will be auctioned and 50% of the auction revenue will be donated to the Fund.

Thanks to the community support, even in the difficulty caused by the Covid-19 epidemic, the Children of Vietnam Fund was able to keep the journey of changing lives for unhappy children.

To help more poor children have a chance to access international standard treatment opportunities, the Children of Vietnam Fund needs to have more support from the community. Anyone can contribute to the Fund in cash into the charity box located at FV Hospital or transfer directly to the Fund via Account Number: 45 1668 1668 (in VND) – 56 1668 1668 (in USD) at Asia Commercial Joint Stock Bank – Ho Chi Minh City Branch.

Or if you know any disadvantaged children under sixteen who were born with congenital deformities or developed serious problems after an accident that need help with treatment, you can contact the Children of Vietnam Fund and become its hands extending to love people.