My husband, Hien, and I were born in Saigon, Vietnam, but we grew up in the United States. While searching online for volunteer opportunities, I found Surgicorps International. After reading about the remarkable work they do in Ghana, Zambia, Guatemala, and Vietnam, I knew we had found something special. That discovery sparked a journey that culminated in our first return to Vietnam in fifty years. We have been fortunate to serve our U.S. community, so it was truly exciting to go back and serve the community of our birth.
Both Hien and I come from IT backgrounds and have no medical experience. However, we knew we could contribute immediately with our fluent Vietnamese, so we didn’t hesitate to sign up. The Surgicorps International team was wonderful. Although we were “only” translators, they encouraged us to blend in. By having us wear scrubs, caps, and shoe covers, they made us look professional. Suddenly, we were part of the team! (LOL). As translators, our main job was to comfort patients pre- and post-operation. On this trip, many of the patients were burn victims. I spoke with many of them, some of whom had traveled four to seven hours just to reach the hospital.
I was fortunate to team up with Agnes, who was documenting patient stories. This allowed me to ask a deeply personal question: “Do you blame God for what happened to you?” I made it clear they were under no obligation to answer. To my surprise, 100% of the patients said they did not blame God or anyone else. Their response was profound: “It is what it is. Perhaps, in a previous life, I did something wrong, and now I must pay it back.” I truly admire their strength and acceptance.
I also noticed their immense appreciation for the Surgicorps team. For these patients, Surgicorps is a source of hope—often the only one that can alleviate their pain. Word-of-mouth is powerful; one lady even guided a group of eleven patients to the hospital after hearing about the wonderful work Surgicorps provides.
Many stories touched my heart, but one young man stood out. He was 35 years old and badly burned. When I asked him his wish after the operation, he simply said he hoped to look “normal” so he could get a job and take care of his elderly mother. If there is one profound lesson I took from this experience, it is the importance of cultivating gratitude over complaint.
On behalf of the Vietnamese patients, please allow me to express my utmost gratitude to all of you—the surgeons, anesthesiologists, physicians, registered nurses, OTs, and our non-medical friends—who selflessly volunteered your precious time and covered your own expenses. Thank you for helping change lives, one surgery at a time.
