Readers gives child a chance at survival

Thanks to supporters of Dan Tri’s Compassionate Hearts Fund, an ill and abandoned baby girl will have a chance to have her life saved in Ho Chi Minh City.

The little girl being tended to by a nurse of the hospital.

Over half a year ago, the baby girl, only a few days old at the time, was taken by her parents to the Children’s Hospital 2 in Ho Chi Minh City. She was born with birth defects and after a month at the hospital, the parents abandoned the baby girl, never to return. Since then, she has been cared for by doctors and staff at the hospital.

According to Doctor Doan Thi Le Binh, the baby girl has suffered from multiple serious health problems, but her chance to survive is great, and while the hospital has been covering all the expenses for her care and treatment, they would have been unable to continue supporting her without extra help. “After having undergone an operation, she is currently still suffering from lung inflammation, post-surgery infections, skin sores, as well as malnutrition to go along with her congenital heart defect which she has had since birth,” Binh said.

After this story was broken by DTiNews’ Vietnamese source (Dan Tri), thousands of readers have either called up to ask about the child or went directly to the hospital to donate money and gifts. Over the phone, many, both domestic and overseas, expressed that they were in tears and poured their hearts out for the struggling child.

“I am a mother with a small child. Even if my child is just slightly unwell, it worries me greatly. When I heard about the story of this little baby girl being abandoned by her parents, I couldn’t help but to feel sorry for her. That’s why I’m here, it is just so terrible,” shared one donor as she fought back tears.

As of July 21, the total amount of money contributed in support of the baby girl from donors at the Hospital, was over VND 300 million (USD 15,455), and from readers of DTiNews/Dan Tri, the amount neared VND 100 million (USD 5,150). Readers also sent items such as milk, nappies, and other necessary useful things to the hospital.

With these generous donations, we have been informed that the baby girl is now in the best possible care and treatment condition at the hospital. “A large part of the donated funds will be used to cover the child’s hospital costs and other expenses outside the list of health insurance for the 6 year-old child such as special antibiotics. The rest will be put into a savings account for her,” said Doctor Vu Quang Vinh, Deputy Head of the hospital’s General Planning Division.

According to Doctor Quang Vinh, the prolonged use of a medical ventilator has caused the baby girl to be susceptible to lung inflammation and infection, however, because she cannot breathe naturally, it would be difficult to remove the ventilator from her. Doctors are using the best antibiotics available to help her, he added.

“In addition, her congenital heart defect and cerebral sequelae have relatively complex progression. Her health needs to be in a better state before her heart can be operated on. With her cerebral sequelae, she could overcome it, but might not be able to develop as well as other children. We will do our best to save this little baby girl, however, her future will be difficult.”

In repsonse to DTiNews’ question on where the baby girl will be, in the case where she recovers and is allowed to leave the hospital, Khuc Thi Kim Nguyet, from the hospital’s patients-in-need assisting unit said, “Many donors expressed a wish to adopt this little girl, however, it is not in our power to make such a decision. After her hospital stay, if her parents did not come to take her back, we would arrange for her to stay at an orphanage in the city. Then, it would be up to the orphanage to decide who could adopt her.”

Donors waiting to make a contribution in support of the baby girl.

The baby girl needs as much support as possible to survive her ordeal.