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Today I have a special guest writer. Thuy our Heart program manger. Below is a "follow-up letter from one of our newer rising stars at GIBTK office. Last summer she wrote about replacing Thao, who went to the states to attend school. At the time she felt so underprepared and wrote that she felt so unqualified to fill Thao's shoes. We miss Thao but this lovely young lady has done so well filling Thao's "shoes"
Enjoy;
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| Thuy with one of "her" heart babies!!! |
"Tet is coming in Viet Nam is the most important holiday throughout the country. This is a special time at the end of the year where everyone gathers together with family. The mother of a heart patient who received the support from GIBTK's donors called me to say thank-you and wish me a New Year. This was a very strange feeling to me.
At recent weekends, I often see phone numbers of my "acquaintances" calling on my phone screen. They are our former patients or their parents, aunts, grandpas from different locations in Central Viet Nam giving me a ring just to say "Hello again, how are you doing?". Or just a text with spelling mistakes from poor parents in mountainous Tien Phuoc, Quang Nam to let me know that their kid is very well now and they miss me. Honestly this leaves me speechless.
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| One HAPPY mom, can you imagine knowing your baby will have a chance at living a full life??? |
Again I must admit that this work gives me so much gratitude. Robert often says "A job is just a job. But a job done with love makes a big difference." I feel I have been fulfilled with so much love from the patients and their families. It is something I get through the giving of the donors, Dorothea and Robert, and GIBTK.
Since July when I first stepped into the "big shoes" after Thao left, there have been 11 successful heart operations performed thanks to your giving. This means that 11 more kids have been saved, 11 lives having a vivid chance of being transformed, 11 families being happy this holiday.
Taking charge of this program has not always been an easy thing to me. It is when you have to hesitate because of a very high cost of a surgery may take and you have to consider what should be done very first, a less expensive or the high cost one.... It is heartbreaking when you had to consider refusing a child because of his Down syndrome. Sometime it is my emotions that control my actions and my communication. It is when I become hurried and worried seeing poor parents begging for help and I rush something that should be more accurate and with a calmer less emotional state of mind.
GIBTK's direction is about relationship, so every teammate commits to keeping close to the patients or the recipients as much as possible. When we did a survey on the Heart Program in the period from 2006 to November 2014, I thought I felt clearly the win and loss of what we have been doing with this program. We had successful stories of those becoming healthy, getting married with beautiful kids or developing well in their strengths. Which to us is beyond any rewards. The fruits are so sweet and beyond all expectation. Sadly we also discovered that for the prior years we have lost the contacts of some people whose phone number or address can't be found. Some kids we have literally passed away. It hurts but motivates us to stimulate the follow-ups, building and keeping a tighter relationship with those we serve.
In this recent time, there seems to be more children identified with congenital heart cases at kids at Da Nang hospital, many at early months of their lives. Mostly coming from disadvantaged families. I suppose these kids are the reason for GIBTK's annual Gala. The last Gala's success truly delighted the GIBTK's team and I believe there will be many more kids with heart defects in Viet Nam to be cured and changed.
Robert, despite his very concern about his beloved wife, daughter and son especially in this time, has come here with a lot of hugs from Dorothea, giving chocolate, visiting every single home, and holding a cheerful year-end party for all kids in our homes. This is such a source of inspiration for us to continue what we are doing. It is to care, to give love and value others, all from our hearts.
I've learned from him how to love and value my heart patients and their families no matter what, and let them know that they are valued and loved for who they are. I have realized that investing a few extra minutes with them at the hospital, just to listen to them, look at their eyes and hold their hands will erase any boundaries and make a difference. Robert also taught me by his actions how to hug people the way you desire you get back. It is such a beautiful thing to sit beside a 6-year-old kid's bed in the hospital after he undergoes a life-saving surgery and hear him openly and hopefully sharing about his dream to become a policeman to arrest bad guys.
Eventually, what I have had at GIBTK is not the name or the position of a program manager. What I have is seeded in my heart, by the love from our leaders and donors, and the changes that can be seen in our teammates and patients. Love is not self-seeking and does not discriminate. The more love you have for someone, the more power, energy and patience you will have to fight for them."
Thuy
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