HOW: Jane and Brett's Blog

This blog is written by Brett, who will be blogging from his heart about he and his care giver Jane’s experience with Huy, with Helping Orphan's HOW, and EB Awareness in HMCM, Vietnam. This is Brett's Story:

 My name is Brett Murray and I have a carer Jane Teede. We are from Bunbury Western Australia and travel quite frequently to Vietnam.

We love the people and the climate. We have now become involved with HOW through some very nice people we have met.  Which all started on a street corner by meeting Mr. Dat, who is an extraordinary person with a huge heart.

Mr. Dat first took us to a HOW orphanage, which was a wonderful experience. Since doing this we have met many volunteers from all over the world who all do a wonderful job for HOW. 

We are becoming more involved, especially with the EB side of things, since meeting the founder Hillary Brown who is a lovely person.  We are becoming more involved each time we visit HCMC and are in love with a little fella named Huy. He is just a magnificent kid and is very sick with EB but is becoming a little bit better with the wonderful job and medical supplies, which are donated from all over the world. 

Every time we see Huy his wounds look a lot better and he is becoming happier and more open with us. He is learning to speak English better and converse with us through Mr. Dat

His goal is to get outside, and play with other children, as he is bedridden 100% of the time.  We are in the process of organizing a mobile pram or wheelchair for him to be removed from his bed and taken outside and taken other places, which I am sure, will brighten his life and make it much better for him. 

His family are wonderful people and cannot do enough for their son, who they love very very much.  We have visited Huy on numerous occasions and try to get there at least 3 or 4 times a week while in Vietnam.

Through Mr. Dat, is how I got involved with HOW, by meeting volunteers from Ireland and the USA.  Sitting down and drinking coffee, I learned about the wonderful things they with HOW for children in Vietnam.  So we have become involved with the organization to help as much as we can. 

This time in Vietnam, we have met Hillary Brown and have become even more involved with the EB side of things and the wonderful work they do. 

This time in Vietnam, Jane and I are here for 1 month and hope to see a lot more people come forward with EB do to the “EB Call Back” that HOW is arranging with Nhi Dong Hai (Children’s Hospital two) in HCMC. 

We go home on October 17th, 2012 because I have serious lung problems as I was diagnosed with asbestos disease and will not be able to travel much longer. I have to make the most of all of my time that I can give to HOW in Vietnam.  If more people would donate their time and learn more about EB the world would be a much better place. As you can see by the photos, such small things bring wonderful smiles and good things to their hearts.  As you can see by his new helicopter and the things that people give him take pride on the mantle piece right in front of his hammock and all he sees from his bed are the good things that people do and the small things like the letters and cards and gifts that people give him, especially the hand made origami cranes that the orphaned girls and HOW volunteers, from the Lotus Shelter, (who HOW also supports) mean to him. 

It is so sad to see children suffer from EB when there is no need for any suffering to be going on.  More organizations like HOW should get out in the world and look after those less fortunate.  

The wonderful work that HOW does with EB has got to be seen to be believed, and you can learn more by visiting www.helpinghow.com

We go home on October 17th, 2012 because I have serious lung problems as I was diagnosed with asbestos disease and will not be able to travel much longer. I have to make the most of all of my time that I can give to HOW in Vietnam.  If more people would donate their time and learn more about EB the world would be a much better place. As you can see by the photos, such small things bring wonderful smiles and good things to their hearts.  As you can see by his new helicopter and the things that people give him take pride on the mantle piece right in front of his hammock and all he sees from his bed are the good things that people do and the small things like the letters and cards and gifts that people give him, especially the hand made origami cranes that the orphaned girls and HOW volunteers, from the Lotus Shelter, (who HOW also supports) mean to him. 

It is so sad to see children suffer from EB when there is no need for any suffering to be going on.  More organizations like HOW should get out in the world and look after those less fortunate.  

The wonderful work that HOW does with EB has got to be seen to be believed, and you can learn more by visiting www.helpinghow.com

 Best wishes and take care, Brett