Support A Family

Karen Leonard, founder of Lifestart Foundation, has met many families living in desperate conditions, unlike anything that we experience in Australia. In 2003, at a traditional Christmas gathering at home with her family and friends, she suggested to everyone that it would be wonderful to fully recapture the spirit of Christmas.

In lieu of gift-giving, Karen suggested everyone donate what they would usually spend on a gift to help a needy family in Vietnam. This idea was wholeheartedly embraced and the program Support a Family was created.

Karen travels to Vietnam regularly at her own expense to implement and oversee all of the Lifestart Foundation programs.

Meet The Nguyen Family

The Nguyen family was the first family sponsored by Lifestart Foundation. This family are the recipients of sponsorship from Karen’s original Christmas Eve party.

The Nguyen family were suggested as worthy of Lifestart Foundations help for several reasons.

Firstly, they were the poorest family in their village and secondly, they had a four-year-old disabled daughter who had never seen a doctor.

Initially, Karens first visit to their home was to make an assessment of their predicament and to see exactly how she could help them. Karens shopping and ‘to do’ list when she left the Nguyen’s was nothing like she had imagined.

The Nguyen family is headed by dad Vo Cu, a brick layer, and mum CHAU (pronounced Chow) who up until Karens visit had been completely housebound caring for her daughter. Ngoc (pronounced Nop) is their four-year-old daughter who has cerebral palsy and their son Khanh is a delightful thirteen-year-old boy.

To the family’s credit they had diligently cared for Ngoc with her severe disabilities. It is very common for families in this situation to leave their children at an orphanage as the reality of caring for a sick child is usually too much. For many families it means one less working adult in the family and money they generally don’t have spent on hospital bills instead of food. Ngoc may not have a lot however she is definitely surrounded by a loving family.

During Karens visit Chau explained that when Ngoc had been severely ill on several occasions, they had been refused medical help from both doctors and hospitals as they could not afford to pay the money up-front.

Ngoc’s situation needed immediate attention. She had never seen a doctor let alone have a pediatric assessment! The next day Karen organized an assessment at their home. Words cannot adequately describe Chau’s relief and gratitude at finally being able to discuss her child’s condition with a doctor. Suffice to say everyone cried!

Up until Karens first visit little Ngoc has spent her entire life confined to a wooden bed with no mattress. She was unable to sit or walk. Initially Lifestart Foundation sponsorship money paid for a monthly, one hour physiotherapist visit to their home.

Ngoc’s nutrition was very poor. She was unable to chew her food so Chau was chewing it for her and then feeding her the food from her own mouth. Karen purchased a blender for Chau and taught her how to use it. Chau didn’t realize that by chewing the food first she was getting most of the nutrients instead of Ngoc. Karen also bought vitamin supplements to build up Ngoc’s strength to handle the physio sessions.

Next on the shopping list was a pram. As Ngoc and Chau had been house-bound for four years, a pram would enable them to go to the market or simply move out of the confines of their home. Prams are not the norm in Vietnam and Karen had to go to a big city to get one. It was quite a novelty in the village, yet a very practical one. A bath and pillow were also purchased for Ngoc.

On Karens many visit’s to her home, Chau and Karen cried a lot. Though neither of them spoke the same language, as a parent Karen knew how much this help meant to Chau. It is difficult to imagine the desperation and despair Chau and Vo Cu must have felt for the past four years, unable to get help or advice for Ngoc.

The families only means of transport was a very old bike with threadbare tyres and no brakes.

Vo Cu laughed when Karen asked him how he stopped the bike – he just pointed to his feet!

Sponsorship money bought the family two new bicycles, one for Vo Cu to go to work on and one for Khanh to go to school on. To put this in perspective, the gift of a bicycle is almost like someone giving you a car.

Two pigs were also purchased for the family. They will raise the pigs and sell them for a good profit at a later stage. Sponsorship also covered food supplies, rice and a few treats.

The sponsorship money for thirteen year old Khanh paid in full for one year: school tuition, occupational training, extra tuition in Mathematics, English and Literature, school books, school uniforms, note books and shoes.

The Nguyens’ home was made of very thin bamboo with no windows. Cooking was done on the dirt floor using firewood. Certainly no creature comforts.

Karen’s Christmas Eve group of family and friends have continued to help the Nguyen family every subsequent year. Instead of exchanging Christmas gifts, a hat is passed around and money collected to further help the Nguyen family. Karen’s Christmas Eve group has now helped the Nguyen family build a new house, providing this family and future generations of the Nguyen family with somewhere safe and secure to live forever.