Vietnamese Generous Hearts WA Inc raise $450k for PCHF’s diabetes program.
- Perth Children's Hospital Foundation
Vietnamese Generous Hearts WA Inc raise $450k for PCHF’s diabetes program.
- Perth Children's Hospital Foundation
A group of compassionate former Vietnamese refugees have raised an incredible $450,000 for PCHF’s diabetes program, providing much-needed equipment and technology to help WA kids with diabetes live safer, more normal lives.
This year’s sold-out Gala Dinner took place on December 9 at the Sicilian Club, with more than 400 attendees treated to a 9-course vegetarian degustation thanks to former Nedland’s restaurateur Sony Tang of Viet-Nosh, as well as musical performances led by Perth’s Vietnamese youth community.
Vietnamese Generous Hearts WA Inc. (VNGHWA) is a Perth-based community organisation led by Angie Nguyen and Yen Ly that raises funds for Australian and international charities through events and community festivals.
Now a self-employed finance consultant, Angie left Vietnam in 1979 at the age of 15. With nothing but a small aluminium tin of candied lemon slices and an army water bottle, Angie and her sister set out in search of freedom. Leaving Vietnam in the dark of the night, Angie feared being captured and imprisoned, so the sisters could not even say goodbye to their closest family and friends.
Angie said: “After the fall of South Vietnam, a lot of people risked their lives for freedom. Many died at sea, but some of us were fortunate enough to be rescued and resettled in countries such as Australia, America, and Europe.
“When we arrived, we had nothing. We had no money; we couldn’t speak English and yet the Australian people and Government opened their arms and hearts to welcome us. This gave us the opportunity to thrive and to give our children, the next generation, a better future.
“Over the years, myself and other Vietnamese refugees have successfully integrated into Australia’s multicultural tapestry and we are proud to call this country our home. We will always remember that Australia offered us a chance to start again.
“As Vietnamese war refugees, we feel a moral obligation to give back to the Australian community, who helped us during our time of need. We also want to pass on this mindset to our children and teach them that when you do well, you should give back to those who are less fortunate than you.”
Angie added: “We really connected with raising funds for PCHF because children are the future of this state. With diabetes there is no cure, and it can be a hard condition to control. Anything we can do to make it easier on the kids and parents would be incredible.”
Yen Ly, 1974, before the fall of South Vietnam.
Angie Nguyen, age 16.
Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes are serious, life-long conditions in which the pancreas stops making insulin or cannot respond to it effectively.
PCHF CEO Carrick Robinson said: “Managing diabetes can be painful, time consuming, and highly stressful for children and their families.
“New technologies such as Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) devices, insulin pumps, and Hybrid Closed Loop (HCL) insulin pump therapy systems are proving to be a game-changer, but these can be expensive, and for many families are out of reach.
“Thanks to the incredible generosity of Perth’s Vietnamese community, we are able to provide this technology free-of-charge so that WA families who need it most can best manage their child’s diabetes, regardless of their financial circumstance.”
Our thanks to this year’s guest speakers including:
• US-based endocrinologist Dr Trang Ly
• WA paediatrician Dr Edward Nguyen
• Jakarta-based entrepreneur Michelle Quan
Angie estimates that the WA Vietnamese community has now raised more than $1.25 million for various charities since 2008.