Personal Perspective: The Answer to "Why?" by Benjamin Pham Nguyen (UCLA)

As a part of our blog, we open up entries to 7G goers so that they can offer their insight of their view on the M.E.M.O. 7G mission trip. We call these entries, "Personal Perspective," and list the name of the 7G goer. These are their stories on this journey.

7G (noun): a change in perspective; a newfound lesson; an experience that I will keep close to my heart. 

As I come up with a loose definition for the past two weeks, I feel an aura of warm nostalgia that I share with my 7G comrades which can only come from a meaningful experience. This trip has been a journey that has taken me through mountain peaks of joy and low valleys of heartbreak. There are so many extraordinary moments that I wish I could capture in a bottle, but they can not be externalized. During the whole experience, different thoughts ran through my head: rarely do you...feel anger seeing a baby receiving palliative care that could have lived a normal life but chance had decided his fate...feel your heart move when seeing a person cherish each and every human life enough to support children that are outcasted from the community from no fault of their own...feel humility when seeing the joy of a group of children playing bare feet on the ground covered with sharp rocks with nothing more than a soccer ball...feel a sense of purpose when arriving at a clinic location and seeing the long line of patients...feel a sense of community when participating in bonfire games in the rain with local volunteers after an exhausting day of clinic.

Thien Binh Orphanage: playing soccer with the kids.

Visiting the orphanages, I noticed that the children did not need much more than each other. The first orphanage we went to was located in Dong Nai. The children were shy and quiet at first, since I imagined it would be hard to welcome strangers. We asked for their names but failed to get a response. Though soon after, the kids became accustomed to our strange scrubs and our English. They began climbing on, scratching, biting us, and running away with our cameras. We chased them down, yelled, and screamed to no avail. The area was filled with laughter and screams from the hyperactive children. Playing with nothing than our hands and feet, our phones, and a soccer ball, we communicated to each other in a way that was deeper than language. That moment was truly priceless. At the same time, we had dental clinics, and kids learned how to brush their teeth. At the second orphanage at the Ky Quang Center, children were displaced from society due to disabilities ranging from deformities to mental disability. Each room held around 10 kids and was equipped with nothing but a few beds. Working with the materials at hand, the caretakers cared for each child. For instance, with string tied to his shirt and bed, a toddler had a leash to keep him from running away. To protect the head of an older woman that could not move or speak, the caretaker in that room used a laundry basket. As I went from room to room passing out toothbrushes, I noticed most children were not able to brush their teeth on their own. Cries and screams from each room made me feel helpless, as I felt the urge for a different reality where each child could and would thrive in society. My anxiety was vindicated, as one caretaker that I handed toothbrushes to had a genuine smile and warmly thanked me. At that time, I felt that even the smallest guestures had a huge impact. Afterwards, I joined the other 7Gers on the first floor to feed the children. In one room,  around 20 children were thrilled to play with balloons that costed no more than a dollar. Each child taught me the true value of life. I felt a sense of responsibility to give my all to others less fortunate because chance had provided me superfluous advantages in life.

The children circled around, interested in what Trang, Anh Vi, and Amanda had to say.

Letting the kids be kids for the day.

During clinic days, students received no more than 6 hours of sleep. Though no matter how tiring the end of the day may be, waking up for clinic was like waking up for Disneyland the next day. When our alarm rang, we were suddenly recharged and ready to work each morning, even on the day that our team had to wake up at 3:30am.

Most of my time spent during clinic days was with the dental team led by Dr. Timothy T. Bui. Our team provided two free dental services, extractions and fillings, to locals as well as dental education to teach children how to brush their teeth properly.  Dentistry in rural Vietnam was difficult and cumbersome. With a extremely intelligent and brawny group of students led by an ambitious leader, we formulated detours around any problematic roadblocks that arose during the two weeks. The whole set-up consisted of many boxes easily weighing more than 50 pounds (22.7 kilograms) that included chairs, tables, lights, and all other dental equipment totaling around 15 boxes. Within five minutes of unloading for the first dental clinic, one $6000 portable dental unit sizzled and burned due to electrical incompatibilities and was unusable. At the end of the first week, we found out that all three expensive units had not been guaranteed to be Vietnam-proof. And by that time, I have extinguished two electrical fires and was prepared to relieve more. By the second week, we were concerned for our own dental team, who were overworked. However, all of equipment were fixed in time for the second week of clinics, and the students endured to serve extractions and filling for around 100 patients each during the total six days we provided dental services (i.e. the four clinics, scholarship students, and first orphanage). The dental equipment consisted of an adjustable lawn chair for the patient, a small foldable table for dental equipment, a stool for the dentist, and a small LED light, all of which can be found at an Ikea store. One could expect 7G dental team to be in the Ikea Rural Dentistry Fall 2013 Catalog.

Each chair was also equipped with a MEMO student as the dental assistant. The 7G dental team was able to get hands-on experience as well as learn dental procedures performed by Dr. Bui and Vietnamese dentists from the HCM University of Medicine and Pharmacy, also known as Đại học Y Dược Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh. They were able to observe extractions, fillings, and doctor-patient consultations being performed. They learned more than just technical skills. At the grade school that was gifted with scholarships, every child who saw the dentist was afraid, and many refused to be seen by the dentist. Many assistants consoled and comforted crying children. The environment and patient interaction made a huge impact during clinics. With seemingly make-shift and simple equipment, we took pride in delivering health care to over 1500 patients who did not have access. Even at the end of the day, I felt there was so much more to be done and more patients to be seen.

The University Medical Center.

Dr. Duy and Dr. Belville teaching the university surgeons about endovascular surgery.

Dr. Belville transfers his knowledge about radiology to the the Vietnamese doctors to ensure better patient care.

The health care system in Vietnam is improving each day. Our tour of the University Medical Center, also known as Bệnh Viện Đại Học Y Dược TP.HCM., taught us about the changing Vietnamese health care system. We were able to see surgeries and hospital logistics. During surgeries, Dr. Duy D. Nguyen and Dr. John S. Belville transferred knowledge about procedures and new technologies to Vietnamese doctors to ensure better patient care. Dr. Bui consulted hospital administration about the dental floor that will opening in the new hospital building. UMC welcomed us with open arms, and I felt honored by the hospital to allow us to observe the inner workings of the hospital. Special thanks to Anh Phúc for making it all possible and taking care of us from the moment we stepped off the plane all the way until our departure. No matter how high the price of education set by the UC education system, those having knowledge should pass it on to the public. We must use the understanding that comes from education to improve the lives of those that do not have a chance to access this information.

I appreciate all the health care professionals and their families who sacrificed their time and money to lead us, teach us, and help others. The trip could have not be possible without a group of motivated individuals who have far-reaching visions and are ambitious enough to make their goals become a reality. To be able to witness the unbelievable poverty and circumstances that people live in, I can finally see the impact of a person that cares and it will mold me to what type of person I want to become in the future. From seeing the caretakers in the orphanage, the admirable doctors, and the motivated MEMO students, I vow forever to be a volunteer.

Written by Ben Nguyen (UCLA). Edited by Johnson. Photos taken by David.