Scott Kirkham with a young patient.
After moving to Vietnam last year with his family, Scott Kirkham quickly realised that he wanted to help disadvantaged children who live a life in contrast to his own, acknowledging he is grateful to have a good life with two healthy and happy kids.
Working with international brand activation agency Geometry Global and Heartbeat Vietnam Fund, Kirkham created a campaign called Cyclefor16 that has so far reached over 750,000 people and raised more than US$50,000.There are around 2,000 children who are diagnosed with congenital heart disease every year, of that figure approximately 85% of children with heart conditions die as their families can’t afford the cost of surgery.
This is not the first time Kirkham has done charity work in Vietnam. Last year he joined several kitchens to serve food to disadvantaged people in Ho Chi Minh City.
Kirkham also plans to produce a photography book on Vietnam after the ride, all proceeds from the book will go towards funding surgeries for children.