When seeing Nhu alertly appear on screen with her family at the Heart for her Gala, Dr. Cao Dang Khang, Head of the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Ho Chi Minh City University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital, could not hide his joy and pride.
Just four months ago, little girl Nhu was still in the midst of the death line when an acute heart attack hit. Being able to appear on the show's 17th anniversary, even just through the screen, is a miracle.
Heart transplant between the biological and necrotic line
Growing up in a family considered "extremely difficult" in Song Cau ward, Dak Lak (old Phu Yen), Thanh Nhu's childhood was the days associated with difficulty breathing and purple skin during exercise. But the turning point came when an acute congenital heart failure 4 months ago suddenly put her in critical condition.
When Nhu had to be transferred to a higher level in critical condition, the immediate cost of treatment became the biggest nightmare for the family. With an income of only 50 million VND/year, my family could hardly imagine how to make such a large and urgent amount of money.
While struggling in the hospital, Nhu's mother was introduced to the Heart for Children program, which supports congenital heart surgery for poor children nationwide. Just a small ray of hope was enough to make her immediately contact the program.
Through connection with the Social Work Department, Ho Chi Minh City University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital, Viettel received Nhu's application and immediately activated the process of verifying the situation, thereby coordinating with the Tam Long Viet Fund, the hospital and many other funds and " Strengthening the army".
Nhu's file was processed by Viettel in the shortest possible time. Then, just a few days after receiving the application, all support procedures including hospital fee payment were completed, opening the door for Nhu to be able to undergo the decisive surgery.
However, the matter is not over yet, the biggest problem in Nhu's surgery is actually that it cannot be solved with money.
During many years of accompanying the Heart for Children, doctors have encountered many complicated cases, but heart transplant for a young child is a completely different challenge. The nature of surgery is extremely sophisticated; but the biggest challenge is finding a donated heart that is suitable for both size and immunity. Without the right organ source, all treatment options are not feasible.
The pressure increased when Dr. Khang recalled: "The time of Nhu's surgery was exactly a week, a child was hospitalized in a similar condition and did not survive because he could not wait for a suitable heart". That made the treatment team more burdened every hour. According to the doctor, the child's life at that time was "calculated in hours".
In that context, any hope becomes invaluable. And then a miracle appeared: a suitable donated heart was confirmed.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, the doctors tried their best to perform the first heart transplant during the 17-year journey of the "Heart for You" program. Then the heart was quickly caught in the chest of the 11-year-old girl. Nhu's life is drawn from the edge of the abyss.
The journey to revive
But the challenge did not stop after the surgery. After the heart transplant, Nhu had to travel more than 600 km to Ho Chi Minh City every month for follow-up examination. Anti-diseptic drugs cost about 32 million VND/month, insurance support 20 million; the rest, combined with travel and accommodation costs for each check-up, is about 18 million, a figure that is too much for families who are in a particularly difficult situation.
Disaster increased when the historic flood in Dak Lak last November caused more than 95% of lobster output, about 21 million, in Song Cau ward to be washed away overnight. Nhu's family, like thousands of other households, lost their livelihood. Regular treatment costs therefore become an additional burden.
Nhu's mother recounted that one night the whole family stayed up all night to try to save the lobsters from the flood but to no avail. However, every time they see their daughter get stronger, no longer purple, no longer struggling with difficulty breathing, they have more motivation to continue.
Thanh Nhu's story made a strong impression on her recent Heart Gala. Right at the event, when the girl's journey was shared, a "powerful soldier" decided to support 100 million VND on the spot to accompany the family during the post-transplant treatment process. The help came at the right time, like a life buoy in the midst of a family almost exhausted.
Thanh Nhu's journey became a memorable milestone in the 17-year journey of Heart for You. To date, the program has supported surgeries for nearly 7,600 children, screened nearly 190,000 children and mobilized more than 250 billion VND from the community. Behind those numbers are silent revival stories, in which Thanh Nhu is a typical example: a heart transplanted, a childhood returned and a family holding on to hope.
Now, as her health recovers day by day, the 11-year-old girl continues to nurture her dream of becoming a graphic designer. For the family, the most precious thing is that Nhu is still here, still smiling and still has a future ahead.
Nhu's heart had stopped and then revived, as a reminder that as long as there was timely sharing, miracles could always happen.
