It is so amazing to me how fast time goes… I returned from Hoi An on Sunday evening with a few new sundresses and some shorts - I LOVE my clothes (and so cheap!)
Monday morning it was back to work at the Social Support Center (disabled orphans), Agent Orange Victims Baby Orphanage (AOV2), and Malnourished baby orphanage. SO MUCH work to do. I’ve spent much of my evenings re-organizing the toys to be used at specific sites, as to prevent cross-contamination and decrease risk of spreading illness. Bacterial and fungal skin infections can run rampant here without adequate cleaning of supplies/toys. The medicine cabinet is now well-stocked, just needs more organization. There are a few babies at Agent Orange that I am concerned about; I will go see them again this afternoon. Many coughs, runny noses, skin rashes, and one mysterious lump on a baby’s head (from infection).
When working with the disabled children at Social Support I’ve learned that simple touch (backrubs, shoulder rubs, small hugs, hand shakes, etc.) can make a great difference to these children. They live in a community-based environment and have caretakers with them 24/7. But I wonder how much one-on-one attention they receive. We found today that large lego blocks, toys that make noise, and toddler-toys actually work well for many of these kids (some are very debilitated by intellectual handicaps). My hope by the end of the month is to have 10 of the kids routinely brushing their OWN teeth with less prompting from us (it’s a very lofty goal: I hope they can manage it!) Our beloved Tam is doing very well with his reading English - he has his ABC’s and counting; now we are working on “opposite words” and basic phonics (thanks Kate, for the great flash cards).
At Agent Orange orphanage (AOV2) this afternoon it is bath time for the infants. So excited! I’m going to try on the new Onesies (thanks Ellis!) on the little ones. Some of these babies are SO small - only weeks old and weigh 10-12 pounds! There are 18 babies that I routinely see Monday-Thursday. It’s nice to be there so often, as to get to know them all and be able to assess if one’s health is declining or improving. There is always an interpreter present so I can communicate with the house-mothers about the health and general care of each infant. I love going to AOV2 since I can LITERALLY lay down on the floor and have little babies crawling all over me. My own personal heaven :)
I have to remind myself of some advice my mom gave me before I left: I am only ONE person, and I cannot help all of Vietnam! …when there is such great need in these places, I have difficulty accepting that I cannot ”fix” everything. Back home when working in the hospital, I am used to completing the task, getting it done right, and seeing improvements in my patients. Here, changes happen much MUCH slower…there are limited supplies and medication, a lot less money, fewer educated healthcare workers, and less resources for impoverished communities. GVN and Mr. Viet have done an amazing job establishing this program here in Vietnam, and have already made great strides in improving the healthcare, nutrition and education of these children…but there is still SO MUCH to be done. The work is endless. Hundreds more volunteers are needed here in DaNang to continue the work with these children.
So, basically, I’ve had to learn that I am only ONE person. I cannot help an entire country in a month. I can do my best to help a few, and hopefully improve their lives, one minute at a time. I hope that every hour I spend can make a difference in some way.
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