Ho Van Meo – father and former soldier
http://www.advocacynet.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Father-vietnamese.jpg
Nguyen Thi Xuan, mother of four children affected by Agent Orange
2013 Profile by Peace Fellow Kelly Howell
Ho Van Meo joined the army in 1974 and traveled along the Ho Chi Minh trail for seven years. He spent the majority of his time in southern Vietnam, in Song Be and Phuong Long. These areas had already been heavily bombarded with AO, especially the Ho Chi Minh trail.
Of his five children, only the last one born, a girl, Ho Thi Vanh (b. 2005), has not experienced any serious medical problems. However, she is only eight years old, and it is too early to be certain that she will not become ill.
His first three children suffer from what appears to be the same neuropathic ailment as Le Thanh‘s, described above. Ho Van Thanh, a boy born in 1979, passed away when his paralysis worsened to the point where he could no longer breathe, at the age of 25. Lacking the funds for appropriate medical care, the family was unable to bring him to the hospital.
The second and third children, both girls, Ho Thi Thuy, and Ho Thi Nguyen, were born with no obvious health problems as well, only to eventually begin showing symptoms of the same neuropathic disorder that led to the death of their older brother. Ho Thi Thuy (b. 1982) began to show symptoms at the age of 5, while her sister, Ho Thi Nguyen (b. 1983), did not begin to be symptomatic until the age of 15. Her family thought that she would be alright, only to be disappointed once again. Their fourth child, a boy named
Ho Van Hai (b. 1986), appeared normal at birth but was developmentally and metally disabled. He resides with an uncle in Ho Chi Minh city. Their last child, a daughter named Ho Thi Van (b. 2005), has scored normally on all of her tests at school and is in the 3rd grade. They are hoping for the best.
 Nguyen Thi Xuan, mother of four children affected by Agent Orange. |
When I asked Nguyen what this was like, she told me that it is very difficult. She must care for her two disabled daughters as well as her healthy daughter, and she is by herself. Her siblings have families of their own, and they cannot help her much. She is determined to keep her youngest child in school, in order to give her a chance at a better life.
Caring for her two disabled daughters is a full-time job, as they require constant attention. Due to the paralysis, they have difficulty breathing and need to be moved often. They must be fed many small, special meals a day, as they cannot handle swallowing large portions. They must also be changed and bathed, and their bedding cleaned at least daily.
She also complained about the lack of available medical care for AO victims. In rural areas of Quang Binh, there is usually only one clinic per district. This one clinic, staffed with only one medical doctor and several nurses, may serve upwards of 10,000 people.
Additionally, the clinics are cash only, and are expensive. To avail herself of the medical coverage offered in Vietnam for AO victims, she would first have to apply, be approved, and then take her children to a hospital in a nearby city.
Nguyen says that it could take her years to be approved, and if approved, wonders how she would transport her immobile children to the city for regular care. She has no vehicle capable of moving them, so she would have to call a taxi. As they are prostrate and cannot hold themselves upright, this is a preposterous proposition. Additionally, she could not move her children herself-she has great enough difficulty trying to bathe them and move them about within her home.
Upon my arrival, she told me that her daughter Ho Thi Thuy had been refusing to eat for several days. “Normally she opens her mouth and eats when I put the spoon there,” she said, “but now she is clamping her mouth closed and will not eat. She has done this before…without a doctor to tell me, I do not know what else to do.”
AEPD is helping Nguyen start a small grocery store she can run from her front porch. In this way, she can increase the income of her household while being near to her children and continuing to care for them. She is excited about the possibilities but still concerned about taking on new responsibilities and how that might affect her children’s care.
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2013 Profile by Peace Fellow Kelly Howell<\/span><\/h4>\n\n
Ho Van Meo joined the army in 1974 and traveled along the Ho Chi Minh trail for seven years. He spent the majority of his time in southern Vietnam, in Song Be and Phuong Long. These areas had already been heavily bombarded with AO, especially the Ho Chi Minh trail. <\/span><\/p>\n\n
Of his five children, only the last one born, a girl, Ho Thi Vanh (b. 2005), has not experienced any serious medical problems. However, she is only eight years old, and it is too early to be certain that she will not become ill.<\/span><\/p>\n\n
His first three children suffer from what appears to be the same neuropathic ailment as Le Thanh\u2018s, described above. Ho Van Thanh, a boy born in 1979, passed away when his paralysis worsened to the point where he could no longer breathe, at the age of 25. Lacking the funds for appropriate medical care, the family was unable to bring him to the hospital. <\/span><\/p>\n\n
The second and third children, both girls, Ho Thi Thuy, and Ho Thi Nguyen, were born with no obvious health problems as well, only to eventually begin showing symptoms of the same neuropathic disorder that led to the death of their older brother. Ho Thi Thuy (b. 1982) began to show symptoms at the age of 5, while her sister, Ho Thi Nguyen (b. 1983), did not begin to be symptomatic until the age of 15. Her family thought that she would be alright, only to be disappointed once again. Their fourth child, a boy named<\/span><\/p>\n\n
Ho Van Hai (b. 1986), appeared normal at birth but was developmentally and metally disabled. He resides with an uncle in Ho Chi Minh city. Their last child, a daughter named Ho Thi Van (b. 2005), has scored normally on all of her tests at school and is in the 3rd<\/sup> grade. They are hoping for the best.<\/span><\/p>\n\n
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![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.advocacynet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/Vietnamese-mother-small.jpg\")
\nNguyen Thi Xuan, mother of four children affected by Agent Orange.<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/td>\n\t<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n
When I asked Nguyen what this was like, she told me that it is very difficult. She must care for her two disabled daughters as well as her healthy daughter, and she is by herself. Her siblings have families of their own, and they cannot help her much. She is determined to keep her youngest child in school, in order to give her a chance at a better life. <\/span><\/p>\n\n
Caring for her two disabled daughters is a full-time job, as they require constant attention. Due to the paralysis, they have difficulty breathing and need to be moved often. They must be fed many small, special meals a day, as they cannot handle swallowing large portions. They must also be changed and bathed, and their bedding cleaned at least daily.<\/span><\/p>\n\n
She also complained about the lack of available medical care for AO victims. In rural areas of Quang Binh, there is usually only one clinic per district. This one clinic, staffed with only one medical doctor and several nurses, may serve upwards of 10,000 people. <\/span><\/p>\n\n
Additionally, the clinics are cash only, and are expensive. To avail herself of the medical coverage offered in Vietnam for AO victims, she would first have to apply, be approved, and then take her children to a hospital in a nearby city.<\/span><\/p>\n\n
Nguyen says that it could take her years to be approved, and if approved, wonders how she would transport her immobile children to the city for regular care. She has no vehicle capable of moving them, so she would have to call a taxi. As they are prostrate and cannot hold themselves upright, this is a preposterous proposition. Additionally, she could not move her children herself-she has great enough difficulty trying to bathe them and move them about within her home. <\/span><\/p>\n\n
Upon my arrival, she told me that her daughter Ho Thi Thuy had been refusing to eat for several days. \u201cNormally she opens her mouth and eats when I put the spoon there,\u201d she said, \u201cbut now she is clamping her mouth closed and will not eat. She has done this before\u2026without a doctor to tell me, I do not know what else to do.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n
AEPD is helping Nguyen start a small grocery store she can run from her front porch. In this way, she can increase the income of her household while being near to her children and continuing to care for them. She is excited about the possibilities but still concerned about taking on new responsibilities and how that might affect her children\u2019s care.<\/span><\/p>\n”,”class”:””}]}]}[/content-builder]
\nNguyen Thi Xuan, mother of four children affected by Agent Orange.<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/td>\n\t<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n
When I asked Nguyen what this was like, she told me that it is very difficult. She must care for her two disabled daughters as well as her healthy daughter, and she is by herself. Her siblings have families of their own, and they cannot help her much. She is determined to keep her youngest child in school, in order to give her a chance at a better life. <\/span><\/p>\n\n
Caring for her two disabled daughters is a full-time job, as they require constant attention. Due to the paralysis, they have difficulty breathing and need to be moved often. They must be fed many small, special meals a day, as they cannot handle swallowing large portions. They must also be changed and bathed, and their bedding cleaned at least daily.<\/span><\/p>\n\n
She also complained about the lack of available medical care for AO victims. In rural areas of Quang Binh, there is usually only one clinic per district. This one clinic, staffed with only one medical doctor and several nurses, may serve upwards of 10,000 people. <\/span><\/p>\n\n
Additionally, the clinics are cash only, and are expensive. To avail herself of the medical coverage offered in Vietnam for AO victims, she would first have to apply, be approved, and then take her children to a hospital in a nearby city.<\/span><\/p>\n\n
Nguyen says that it could take her years to be approved, and if approved, wonders how she would transport her immobile children to the city for regular care. She has no vehicle capable of moving them, so she would have to call a taxi. As they are prostrate and cannot hold themselves upright, this is a preposterous proposition. Additionally, she could not move her children herself-she has great enough difficulty trying to bathe them and move them about within her home. <\/span><\/p>\n\n
Upon my arrival, she told me that her daughter Ho Thi Thuy had been refusing to eat for several days. \u201cNormally she opens her mouth and eats when I put the spoon there,\u201d she said, \u201cbut now she is clamping her mouth closed and will not eat. She has done this before\u2026without a doctor to tell me, I do not know what else to do.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n
AEPD is helping Nguyen start a small grocery store she can run from her front porch. In this way, she can increase the income of her household while being near to her children and continuing to care for them. She is excited about the possibilities but still concerned about taking on new responsibilities and how that might affect her children\u2019s care.<\/span><\/p>\n”,”class”:””}]}]}[/content-builder]