HOW: HIV/TB Free Clinic

HOW is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization based in the USA, whose staff consists of all volunteers. Its mission is to provide hope and care to neglected, abandoned, and orphaned children in deprived areas of the world with a specific focus on VietNam.

Helping Orphans Worldwide, HOW has many wonderful volunteers, this is Milly's Blog she is a dedicated volunteer nurse who is on her second Volunteer Immersion Program (VIP) trip with HOW. Milly has taken it upon herself to educate herself in EB wound care treatment and will be conducting an EB training for the nurses in HCMC while on her VIP trip. Milly has been volunteering with HOW for two years now and is an Angel! Milly is one of our many volunteers who goes above and beyone constantly to help HOW continue our work.

HOW could NOT conduct our work without the support of our amazing donors from Ping & Amy Chao Family Foundation, and Transparent Fish Fund! We have been blessed to have been given such generous grant from Ping & Amy Chao Family Foundation with the Transparent Fish Fund and especially the hard work of Nancy Nguyen! HOW has no paid staff and this financial assistance is what keeps us going along with our outstanding volunteers who take their time to come on HOW's VIP trips as well as volunteering their time all year long. Please read Milly's blog...

It is the morning after my arrival in HCMC and I am looking forward to meeting old friends at the clinic. The doctors that run the clinic work full-time but have dedicated their lives to making a difference to the poorest of the poor. Before and after work they come to the clinic and look after HIV+ patients. They give out antinetrovinol medications, antibiotics or whatever is needed for free!

Volunteer nurse's Milly and Germain volunteering at Free HIV/AIDS & TB Clinic in HCMC

Everyone who comes here is a victim of opportunistic infections. They all have TB (Tuberculosis), some have HPV (Human Papilloma Virus), some have warts and other dreadful conditions due to their weakened immune system. TB does not just affect your lungs, it can do its destructive work just about everywhere in the body. Today we are witnessing one of the many operations performed here. With just a little local anaesthetic the doctor cuts into a man's ankle....blood and pus pour out, she digs and scraps right down to the bone...he does not complain, he just grits his teeth and breaths. Once that is packed full of gauze and bandaged, the doctor moves to the other ankle. It is much worse! As I witness this, I silently pray that he may pass out...he does not...he gently squeezes my hand and keeps thanking everyone. He will be back tomorrow for the same pain and the day after that until his wounds heal and some more open up.

When we arrived this morning with bags of thermometers, BP machines, bandages, gloves etc we were treated like stars! I had brought all this over from very generous donors in Melbourne. Here nothing is thrown away and I can't help but think of our wasteful ways back home. I am thinking of quite a lot in our couple of hours here in this clinic on the side of a busy street in Saigon. GET YOUR ACT TOGETHER MILLY!! YOU HAVE SEEN THIS BEFORE!!

 Milly and friends make a HUGE DIFFERENCE.The clinic has been given gifts to give the gifts of free medical health.

Everyone who comes here is a victim of opportunistic infections. They all have TB (Tuberculosis), some have HPV (Human Papilloma Virus), some have warts and other dreadful conditions due to their weakened immune system. TB does not just affect your lungs, it can do its destructive work just about everywhere in the body. Today we are witnessing one of the many operations performed here. With just a little local anaesthetic the doctor cuts into a man's ankle....blood and pus pour out, she digs and scraps right down to the bone...he does not complain, he just grits his teeth and breaths. Once that is packed full of gauze and bandaged, the doctor moves to the other ankle. It is much worse! As I witness this, I silently pray that he may pass out...he does not...he gently squeezes my hand and keeps thanking everyone. He will be back tomorrow for the same pain and the day after that until his wounds heal and some more open up.

When we arrived this morning with bags of thermometers, BP machines, bandages, gloves etc we were treated like stars! I had brought all this over from very generous donors in Melbourne. Here nothing is thrown away and I can't help but think of our wasteful ways back home. I am thinking of quite a lot in our couple of hours here in this clinic on the side of a busy street in Saigon. GET YOUR ACT TOGETHER MILLY!! YOU HAVE SEEN THIS BEFORE!!

One last check to make sure all equipment is working well after a long journey!

We met an Australian nurse in her 70's here today who comes over every year for 6 weeks and works everyday! The world is a beautiful place after all. In this place of sorrow, sadness and pain, empathy, compassion and faith reign supreme. These broken bodies remind us of the dignity and sacredness of every human being and the blessings of wonderful people who NEVER EVER give up.

Vietnam, you have dug a hole deep in my heart!

Milly Mazzei (Australia)

Please visit if you would like to make a donation where 100% of your donations will go to support EB or the HOW program of your choice: Transparent Fish Fund 

http://www.tfishfund.org/how.html

Thank you!!

Article written by Hillary Brown.