Thank You Party 2014 Preparation - VSCAS- A DECADE ANNIVERSARY OF ACHIEVEMENTS (English)

A DECADE ANNIVERSARY OF ACHIEVEMENTS  (2003-2013)

The Vietnamese Sick Children Assistance Society (VSCAS) was founded in February, 2003 to respond to a request from Dan Nhi’s family whose bladder exstrophy case could not be treated in Vietnam because of a lack of advanced medical equipment and the exorbitant associated costs that her under-privileged family could not afford. Our call for help was warmly responded by the large community in Metro Toronto then across North America. Our goal is to operate as a humanitarian organization mobilizing our large Vietnamese community to help Vietnamese children at home who were born with physical defects to have a chance to benefit from the advanced scientific technology in Canada. In these special cases, our organization seeks the compassionate assistance of Herbie Fund (HF), a charitable arm of the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, to bring the child and his or her immediate family member to Canada for treatment. Herbie pays for all treatment costs, but VSCAS pays for return airfare tickets, health insurance, all related expenses such as lodging, food, transportation for the child and his or her parent. VSCAS also pays for all pre-and-post treatment required tests that are not covered by HF.

                                                                                        OUR ACHIEVEMENTS

Since 2003 to date, VSCAS has helped 18 children of whom five (5) were brought to Toronto for surgeries at the Hospital for Sick Children

Dan Nhi Thi Truong

2003 - Bladder Exstrophy Operation

Born with bladder located outside the body (on her belly), she was operated on December 4, 2003 by Dr. Khouly who  re-arranged her organs and, at the same time used the mesenteric vessels to create a bladder inside her body for her to drain the urine by means of a catheter. He also created a “female organ”  for her.                   

At present, her desire is to become a fashion designer. She designs and makes her own clothes and she recently sent one hundred T-shirts to Switzerland to explore the market there. She’s presently running a dressmaker store in her town. We wish her all the best.

Thien An Tran Pham.

2007 – Blindness at Birth

He and his mother arrived in Toronto on March 20, 2007. Born premature and put in an incubator, his retinas were burned beyond repairs due to medical staff’s carelessness. He was examined twice by doctors at the Hospital for Sick Children, but regrettably his retinas were so severely damaged that the chance of a successful surgery is remote while the risks are too high. He returned to Vietnam with the hope that someday his eyes’ condition will improve as the retina cells develop. However, he was financed by Herbie Fund to be trained at the Canadian National Institute for the Blind in Toronto for 6 months to help him adapt more smoothly to a new environment when he returns to Vietnam.

                                       Yen Nhi Nguyen Ngoc

                                       2008 – Fallot’s Syndrome

 

Arrived in Toronto at the beginning of 2008, she had the Fallot’s Syndrome or Tretalogy of Fallot, a heart disease with serious complications.  This is a problem with the heart's structure that's present at birth. Congenital heart defects change the normal flow of blood through the heart. With Tetralogy of Fallot, not enough blood is able to reach the lungs to get oxygen, and oxygen-poor blood flows to the body.

Her operation was successful and she was allowed by the doctors at the Hospital for Sick Children to leave Canada for Vietnam on June 8, 2008 .

Binh An Vo

2011- Hirschsprung’s Disease

Born on July 16, 1997, Binh An belongs to a very poor family in Hue. He had a total of 13 surgeries in Vietnam to treat a disease called Hirsprung's, which is a condition that affects the large intestine (colon) and causes problems with passing stool. Hirschsprung's disease is present when a baby is born (congenital) and results from missing nerve cells in the muscles of part or all of the baby's colon. Hirschsprung's disease is treated with surgery to bypass or remove the diseased part of the colon. The disease prevented him from living a normal life, isolating him from his classmates and children of his age.

Approved by Herbie at the recommendations of VSCAS, he and his mother came to Toronto on February 19, 2011. Admitted to the Hospital for sick Children, he underwent 9 hours operation under the care of Dr. Walid Farhar (urologist) and Dr. Jack Langer (general surgeon). Although the operation went well, he experienced a few complications that required three more operations. In the last exam was conducted on May 27, 2011, he was deemed recovered enough to return to Vietnam. To that date, he and his mother had stayed in Toronto exactly 3 months and 14 days. Though recovered and permitted by doctors to return to Vietnam, at the request of VSCAS, he and his mother stayed in Toronto to join VSCAS’ members to celebrate Herbie Day, and a special fund-raising and appreciation dinner gala organized by VSCAS for them to express their gratitude to Herbie Fund, to Dr. Farhar and Dr. Langer of Sick Kids’ Hospital, to VSCAS and donors before they departed from Canada.

In Vietnam, Binh An is now able to attend school full-time.

Hong Phuc Dang: 

2013 – Orthopedic and Craniofacial Plastic Surgery

Before surgery

After surgery

Phuc came to Toronto with his mother in June, 2013. Before the orthopedic surgery to create his nose, at the recommendation of the orthodontist and with the approval of Herbie Fund, Phuc was treated by the Dental Department at the Hospital for Sick Children (cleaning, filling, extraction and crowning many of his crooked teeth). Once the dental work was completed, he was operated by Dr. Forest and his Plastic Surgery team who remove a piece of his skull and one of his rib to create the nose bridge. The operation was highly successful and he was allowed to return to Vietnam after the last examination on December 12, 2013.

How they are and what they are doing now

Dan Nhi:

 

Now growing up to be a graceful lady, Dan Nhi keeps close contact with her guardian in Toronto. She sent her letter and most recent photos and told her that she is now practicing fashion design. She designs her own clothes, and 100 pairs of T-shorts she designs were sent to Switzerland to test the market there. She’s presently running a dressmaker store in her town. We wish her all the best.

Yen Nhi:

is in perfect health. At 9 years old now, she has become a very talented artist. You’ll be marveled looking at how beautiful the greeting card she sent to VSCAS on the occasion of our Tet (Lunar New Year) (See her writing besides)