You are all GIBTK! Never forget it and Your making a difference! My last trip as many know I visited various partners.
One of my visits was to Qunag Nam peoples committee. As we walked in, a security guard approached us rather quickly. But he had a big smile. Shaking my hand he said something in Vietnamese. My staff said he calling you father...
Please read his letter and know that it is all of us that are making the difference!
Gratefully to Mr. Robert Kalatschan, the founder of the Giving It Back To Kids organization in Vietnam,
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| The family before surgery |
My name is La Hung Khanh- father of the girl La Thi Huyen Trang who received your donation for heart disease surgery eleven years ago.
My daughter grew up with dizziness and trouble breathing while running or sleeping. As my wife and I were facing financial difficulty, we couldn't afford to bring her to the hospital for a medical test. Once she reached the age of nine, the symptoms of a congenital heart defect appeared clearly which included fainting. We immediately rushed her to the Hoan hospital where she was diagnosed with Atrial Septal Defect and the doctors said she needed to be hospitalized as soon as possible. Considering the estimated surgery expenses, I couldn't eve cry as that huge sum of money was out of our hand. Days later I ran from place to place to borrow the money no matter how sunny or rainy it was. I burst into tears thinking of my little girl suffering from this illness. I was miserable thinking about how I could collect enough money for her life-saving heart surgery.
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| S.E. Asia director loving Le Thi Huyen when we first met |
Then we sought for help from the charity and fortunately, we met the Sponsoring Association for Disabled People, Orphans and Poor Patients and through them we knew about Giving It Back to Kids. You helped us out of the financial burden and saved our daughter's life. My daughter La Thi Huyen Trang received her operation in 2008 at Hue Central Hospital.
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| After her open heart surgery |
As fate has arranged, I have a chance to meet with you again and again when Lunar New Year is approaching and you visit the People's Committee of Quang Nam province where I am working as a security to thank them for the past collaboration. For other people, it is curious that I call you "Father" whenever you come and shake my hands. However, in our heart, not only are you a benefactor but you also are my daughter's second father. We don't know how to fully show our heartfelt appreciation for what you have done.
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| Le Thi Huyen Trang today!!! |
I am writing this letter to you when my daughter is a first year student at Quy Nhon University and growing healthily to be a young dynamic girl. We gave birth to her not complete but she has made complete by you. By nature, since high school, she showed her interests towards voluntary work like what you are doing. The main activities of her club includes cleaning the house for the lonely elderly people in community, selling envelops at TET time to raise fund and help the disadvantaged as well as bringing free tutoring classes for the poor students in summer.
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| Ly Thi with her friends giving back |
Seeing my little ill daughter become a young leader of a small local charity club and contribute her efforts to support the society are something beyond our expectation. A life has been incredibly changed and many more would be transformed by warm-hearted people as our belief.
Once again please accept my sincere thanks and deep appreciation your invaluable help and care towards my daughter and my family.
I wish the program further development to help more kids who are suffering from inborn heart diseases to make them live and be healthy like my daughter.
I wish you a happy new year with success, happiness and health.
Sincerely,
La Hong Khanh.
www.gibtk.org
Robert Kalatschan
Giving It Back To Kids
