Time flies so quickly and it has been one year since the day I identified myself with Giving It Back To Kids. It may not be a big number compared to the 15 years of GIBTK's journey to save and transform children's lives. However, the values that I have received when working here are not small at all.
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| 15 year anniversary celebration |
My mind goes back to the interviewing date with Robert, and I think it was the fastest interview ever. After only a few minutes he gave me a precious chance to join GIBTK and also helped me to become what I am today. Believe it or not, the working environment at GIBTK is so wonderful that you can't even find the exact or enough words to totally demonstrate it. After only one year, I can see myself as a more mature girl in both my cognition and actions. With GIBTK, I am equipped with valuable skills through emotional health lessons and trainings in a lot of different aspects. Our organization has a culture in which people collaborate rather than compete with each other. You can find support whenever you need it.
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| Emotional health training class |
About the program that I am taking responsibility for, the Heart Surgery Program, I really love it. The tremendous benefits it brings are undeniable. Thanks to free heart surgeries, a large number of children suffering from great heart pain since birth, can lead a better or even a normal life as others. We know that every child is special, deserving to receive all basic rights including health care services, education, family life, play and recreation.
The more I work, the more I truly understand how worthwhile this program is. There are a lot of patients with tragic circumstances that I will never forget. Dinh Le Anh Thu from Quang Nam province is one of those cases. Thu's mother left her for good when their family discovered her heart defect. Witnessing the image of the father alone taking care of his beloved daughter and looking for support from charitable organizations to save her life, makes my heart broken. He is only 30 years old, but gray hair has covered his head. It must be because of the big preoccupation, which is how to provide Thu with a heart surgery. Thanks to the sponsor from GIBTK, her first operation was successfully done on November 9th 2017. However her illness is so serious that she will need another surgery in the future to cure the defect completely. We will still keep in touch with them to help whenever they need it.
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| Ha Huy Truong after successful surgery |
Ha Huy Truong is another story. Actually, GIBTK funded the first surgery for him last year. When I met this child in the hospital, he was crawling on the bed to move from one place to another. His disease is so complicated that his heart is not able to provide enough blood and oxygen for his whole body. The small and weak legs make him unable to walk. He underwent a successful operation in December 2017. When Truong was about to return home, his mother didn't forget to give me a call and say goodbye. I wasn't in Da Nang at that time and burst into tears when answering that call. It's just a small thing, but I was really moved. Also, it helped me to realize that I am going in the right direction.
Sometimes, I heard sad news from patients' family, which made me extremely sorrowful. In such situations, what helps me to keep going is thinking about innocent smiles of heart patients whose lives were saved, or the happy tears of their relatives. Also, there are some people that inspire me a lot. I luckily had a chance to meet Dr. Khang, who I usually work with by the phone, during his business in Da Nang. I still remember clearly it was a quite late afternoon after the operations that Dr. Khang performed. Nevertheless, he still spent time going to another hospital to check over another heart patient who was in a serious condition and could not be discharged from the hospital. The image of a humble and enthusiastic doctor was carved deeply in my mind.
For me, GIBTK is a special and unique organization. On this occasion, may I express my sincere gratitude to all GIBTK's members for being always by my side and raising me up. I do wish all of you and philanthropists good health and happiness. Hopefully, 2018 will be a year of great prosperity for GIBTK!
><((((º> BBlessed
