Special Appeal.

Bui Huy Thanh (b.2006).

When Heart Reach Australia Director Chris O'Dempsey was in the North of Viet Nam during 2007, he toured an area where many of the children he hopes will be sponsored by Australian people were living.

In one location, he discovered this very happy, but terribly disfigured baby boy, Thanh. Without help, Thanh will never have a normal life. It will be an "existence".

Urgent Appeal.

When discussing this sad situation with Dr Ian Young of the Sunshine Coast, a decision was made to begin an appeal to take Ian, and a team of doctors and nurses, to do operations and training programs in Viet Nam. This will bring relief both to Thanh and others like him.

March 2010 Update.

The surgery needed to correct the facial deformaties of this cute child has been completed in Vietnam with the assistance of Australian surgeons.

In late 2009, a visit to the orphanage in Giao Thuy by the HRA Director, confirmed the success of two operations to restore the palate and facial features of this cute child. The results are good. Ongoing assessment may lead to additional surgery in the future, and assistance is still invited (please refer to our Your Way to Help page).

The orphanage at Giao Thuy was again visited by HRA Director Chris O'Dempsey in February 2010. During discussions the orphanage administrators disclosed that the orphanage receives significant funding from a number of overseas countries. Consequently, HRA has concluded that HRA's limited resources will be more effectively used to support children in other locations, with the exception of those Giao Thuy cases where medical or other prior needs exist.

Current sponsors have been notified, and have been happy to change sponsorships to more needy children in other locations. Nevertheless, we will continue to support a blind girl, and monitor several others for possible assistance in the future.