More HOPE, through Mobility

   As time flies I am continually impressed with out GIBTK team. Nhung writes today's journal. Not only does she serves on the leadership team but also leads several other programs. Please enjoy todays note and if led write a note of encouragement to Nhung (Lovingly called Lily by so many)

Yearly report of Gift In-Kind (GIK) and Orthopedic Program

    The Orthopedic program has brought life-changing orthopedic surgeries and orthopedic tools to less fortunate children under 18 years old with mobility disabilities such as clubfeet, hip-joint dislocation, and deformity of fingers, etc. Thanks to the great support from donors in the US, GIBTK has funded 725 needy cases. In 2017, GIBTK sponsored seven cases coming from disadvantaged families. Through this meaningful program many lives have been significantly changed. We do not just fund a surgery, but also build a long-term relationship with them by doing follow ups every six months. With the follow up call and visit, we have an insight into what is going on with their current life so that we can support them in a timely manner.

    After surgeries and physical therapy exercises, it helps to improve mobility for those we helped. Kids are able to walk instead of crawling on the floors for their whole life. Nothing makes us happier than seeing happy tears of parents when their child can walk by themselves, go to school like other children and interact with other kids around them. The more I witness many children after a long treatment process, the more I admire their patients who have sacrificed and prayed for them to have a surgery which was so important to their lives. Most importantly, on behalf of these kids' families, I would love to send deepest thankfulness to the donors who have always accompanied GIBTK to bring HOPE to these less fortunate kids and their family. Your warm hearts inspire the kids' parents to have a strong belief to overcome their most difficult period.

   A second program I would like to share is Giving in Kind program which is a program to give products specifically to serve disadvantaged people with mobility disabilities, including wheelchairs, other mobility aids and supplies, physical and occupational therapy products and related equipment, and surgical equipment and supplies specifically related to performing orthopedic surgical procedures related to physical immobility. This program has been operating for over 4 years and served 6,004 disadvantaged people. In 2017, it helped 3,863 needy people.

    Thanks to the shipments from Free Wheelchair Mission organization, three hospitals that we have worked with have more opportunities to serve more people who are treated at the hospitals and GIBTK provides needy people in the community with physical therapy tools and health aids.

     For each hospital we co-operate with, each shipment helps to enhance the facility capability of the hospital, and doctors feel secure when using the high quality medical aid items to serve more needs. Each year the hospitals make a plan to do outreach trips in remote areas to checkup health for needy patients without cost. Thanks to this, they discover and help more people needing medical procedures or care to come to the hospital for treatment.

For those who were treated at hospitals, products from medical aid containers have brought hope and change to their lives.  It reduces some of the cost and shortens the treatment time for the patients. As a result, their family members who take care of them have time to go back to work as normal. After the patients finish their treatment process, kids can go back to school and elder parents are able to work and they do not feel like a burden on their family. It also helps to build up their confidence and self-esteem.

Here is a touching story of 12 year -old boy who is a beneficiary of the GIK and orthopedic program.

    Ho Van Nguyen was born in 2005 in Binh Son commune, Hiep Duc district, Quang Nam 

province. He is the second child in a family with four siblings. He was not as lucky as other children. He was born with clubfoot with polyarthritis complication.

    His parents are both farmers whose income has to depend largely on the harvest. His family belongs to a poor household of the commune. They also did not recognize the importance of conducting a timely surgery for him and thought that his disability would eventually be cured, so they did not take him to the hospital for treatment. When Nguyen was in grade 3, his family started to wonder if his clubfeet could be cured so they did their best to take him to the hospital where he had two tendon transfer surgeries on both legs. However, the deformity could not be fully corrected.

    His legs were weak so he had to depend on his parents for everything. Every day, his parents would take turns driving him to school since Nguyen could not ride a bike like his friends. He sometimes feels inferior when people look at him. When his friends and siblings play in the playground, Nguyen just watches and keeps his big dreams in his heart.

    Thanks to the outreach trip held by the doctors from Da Nang orthopedic and rehabilitation hospital, Nguyen had a great chance to get his surgery on his right leg in June 2016. He had 4 weeks of physical therapy and he is wearing a leg brace preventing release.

     Nguyen's parents are so blessed when Nguyen's health recovered nicely after the surgery. The father was overwhelmed with happiness: "My son's health recovered nicely after the surgery in June, 2016. No words can express my gratitude to the donors and doctors from Da Nang orthopedic hospital that changes my son's life in a positive way. I know that there is a long way to go, but we will be always with him. My son is a very strong child and he dreams of having his legs fixed so that he will be able to walk, ride a bike and do other normal things like his siblings and friends. Watching him crawl on the floor to go to the toilet when we are not home breaks our hearts. Thanks to the great encouragement from GIBTK and the doctors I decided to bring him back to the hospital to have a checkup on his left leg in early February 2017.  According to the doctors, it would be the right time for my son to get his surgery done.

    Finally, Nguyen underwent a successful surgery on his left leg on 27th February, 2017. He will come back to the hospital for a checkup next summer 2018. He is wearing leg braces which immobilizes both his legs. With the support of the braces, his life becomes much easier now. A happy smile is on his face more often because he is able to walk by himself and do his daily personal activities comfortably. When he is at school he can wear shoes that he used to dream of and walk around his class.

   Nguyen's parents are so happy to see him walking into his class and being positive about his life. They are looking forward to seeing the day when their son can ride a bicycle in the future and pursue his dreams.

   I strongly believe that Nguyen's story inspires each of us to give more hope to less fortunate people in society. Together we can make a difference in people's lives.

Sincerely; Nhung

><((((º>  BBlessed

www.gibtk.org
Robert Kalatschan
Giving It Back To Kids