Flourishing hope

This past December, I was not entirely sure what to expect during my medical mission trip to bustling Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, but knew I was filled with the desire to help and care for the children with mental disabilities who lived there. I realized during my second year of pharmacy school that I have a strong passion for public and mental health, so I chose to embark on this exciting journey.

My practice site was a small mental health clinic inside a community hospital. Upon arrival, I was told by the program coordinator that their department is usually the most challenging experience for the volunteers, since caring for children with mental disorders can be both physically and emotionally demanding. Many children at the clinic were suffering from depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), or anxiety disorders. Some of the children were descendants of Agent Orange victims, and had been born with developmental disabilities or congenital cardiac disease.

Reminding myself of why I sacrificed my winter break to immerge into this valuable experience, I felt grateful and eager to start the mission.

Building a strong rapport

On my first day, my fellow volunteers and I were introduced to the facility, which was a small house accommodating about 20 children. The parents usually dropped their children off at the clinic in the early morning and picked them up in the very late evening. In the morning, we spent most of our time playing different games and physical activities with the children. Some of them would never leave their table with the building bricks, and others simply enjoyed drawing with crayons and markers. We helped these children complete their artwork and encouraged them to talk about why they chose to make what they made.

Some children were not very energetic, while others were very interactive. An adorable little boy, who drew a small russet house with three people sitting at a dining table, asked me in Vietnamese, “This house has both my parents! I drew it, so can you take me to this house?” At first we were confused by the question, but was told that his parents were divorced. He was left with his grandmother and a younger sister, but his grandmother had since passed away. He currently lives with his stepmother. I was profoundly touched. The story brought some of us to tears realizing that these children at the clinic may have been through many significant emotional crises in their lives. We hugged him, looked at each other, and silently agreed that we were right when we decided to be here.  

Our tasks in the afternoon varied greatly. At lunch, we prepared the meals and fed the children. We could assist the local staffs in providing rehabilitation exercises and therapeutic treatments or find ourselves dancing and singing the “Five Little Ducks” song to help the children feel happy and entertained. We were there to offer our empathy, care, and love, as well as bring hope to these children and prove to them that they are never alone on their journey. After only 1 week, I had built a strong rapport with the staff members, children, and their families.

Since the clinic could not afford electronic medical records, we decided to build a larger storage space inside the house to keep the children’s medical profiles organized. The project assisted in monitoring treatment changes, which also improved patient care as a result. Outside of the clinic, I usually spent my evenings teaching English to the local staff members.

“Cura personalis”

The program coordinator was totally right. After each 8-hour shift, I was emotionally and physically exhausted, but was also overwhelmingly filled with a sense of accomplishment. I was thrilled to see the children’s smiles every time they hugged me, and I loved the diverse group of volunteers I met. I have learned in school the definition of “cura personalis,” which means care for the whole person.

I may have inspired the children and the staff members to carry on their journey, but it is they who deeply inspired me to pursue my passion in pharmacy and psychiatry. After being on two medical mission trips to Vietnam, I would encourage everyone to encounter this life-changing, unforgettable experience. Moreover, contributions during these types of trips can have a lasting impact on the people’s quality of life.