Hills 4 Hearts campaign and VinaCapital Foundation handovers neonatal medical equipment in Quang Nam province

On May 22, 2023, Hills 4 Hearts campaign and VinaCapital Foundation (VCF) provide 5 pieces of essential neonatal equipment and a 2-day intensive training in neonatal emergency resuscitation for doctors and nurses at Cha Val Regional General Clinic in Quang Nam province through the Survive to Thrive program. The donation will improve the medical capacity of the healthcare system in Quang Nam province and ultimately reduce infant and maternal mortality in the ethnic minority communities of Central Vietnam.

Mr. Phil Jordan and the representative of VCF handover the neonatal medical equipment to the Cha Val Regional General Clinic

In January of 2019 Phil Jordan, his wife Laurey, and two daughters were stuck by tragedy when they lost their son (Billy) 5 months into the pregnancy. It left a void in their hearts and Phil & Laurey began doing more research into ways they could assist in a country that had given them so much. Through their research, they were surprised to learn just how many infants lose their lives in Vietnam from a simple inability to access basic care and equipment in the early stages of life. This led to a meeting with the VCF team and discovering the Survive to Thrive program, Hills 4 Hearts was created. Each year Phil runs a marathon and funds are raised through generous members of the community running and/or donating to the cause and sharing the message with all their family and friends. All the proceeds raised will be contributed toward building neonatal intensive care units (NICU) in areas of Vietnam where infant and maternal mortality are highest.

In previous years, Hills 4 Hearts provided 7 much-needed pieces of neonatal care equipment for Van Yen Medical Center, Yen Bai province, and Nam Tra My District Hospital, Quang Nam province. This year, the fundraising campaign Hills 4 Heart #3 began on February 25, 2023, and successfully raised 10,000 USD to build a new neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) in Cha Val Commune, Nam Giang District, Quang Nam Province. The medical equipment includes one continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine, infant warmer, intubation kit, patient monitor, and portable phlegm suction unit. The program also provides for two days of intensive neonatal emergency training for doctors and nurses from Cha Val Regional General Clinic. The medical trainers are specialists from Da Nang Hospital for Women and Children.

Having a common border of 70km with Laos, Nam Giang is a mountainous district with the highest poverty rate in Quang Nam province. Ethnic minority people account for nearly 90% of the district population. Cha Val Regional General Clinic is serving as a medical center for the inhabitants of 8 border communes in Nam Giang district. With the provision of essential neonatal equipment accompanied by thorough knowledge and skills training, doctors and nurses of Cha Val Regional General Clinic will be able to deliver quality health care and emergency treatment to not only infants and mothers but also many other patients, providing better healthcare services to the most underserved regions of the province.

“We cannot thank Phil and his family enough for what they have done to support our children and mothers in Vietnam. They are our dedicated partners and friends who share similar passion and commitments to provide quality healthcare services for the most disadvantaged and vulnerable children,” says Rad Kivette, CEO of VinaCapital Foundation. “With the wonderful support from Phil and Hills 4 Hearts, for which we are very grateful, we will continue to protect thousands of children and families from preventable deaths and provide those benefits for generations to come.”

The VCF’s Survive to Thrive program aims to reduce infant mortality in all of Vietnam, especially in the underserved provinces through the provision of critically needed neonatal equipment and training. During the past 13 years, the Survive to Thrive program has donated 387 pieces of medical equipment to 11 provinces, helping to treat and save the lives of thousands of children in Vietnam.