Photo: Cotecoons Group

These children are among 8 children saved thanks to the USD10,000 donation from the group to Heartbeat Vietnam after the Scar of Life 8 event in November of last year.

"As a mom of two, I can understand very well the worry of these parents when they know their children have any kind of disease, not to mention heart defects. I can also feel the happiness filling their hearts when they can see their children becoming healthier thanks to the heart surgeries. Their emotion touches me so much that I have more motivation to bring these stories back to our group and inspire our colleagues to continue to support Heartbeat Vietnam," shared Nguyen Thi Ngoc Tuyet, Chairwoman of Coteccons's Union.

Introduced in 2010, Scar of Life is the idea of Heartbeat Vietnam Ambassador Ngo Thanh Van and the joint effort between her Vietnam Artist Agency and the VCF. The campaign’s spirit is when children receive the heart surgeries, the scars on their chests mean transformations. A sick, suffering child transforms into an energetic bright child, curious, full of life and able to return to school and become a productive member of society.

Year by year, Scar of Life has inspired thousands of people, from business executives to community leaders and artists; all have taken parts in this magical journey to give the second chance in life for disadvantaged children with congenital heart defects.

USD 421,200 (VND 10 billion) was raised on the night, which will be enough to cover the costs of heart surgery for 351 more children, raising the total number of children receiving treatment to 1,871 over the past years.

Founded in 2006, VinaCapital Foundation (VCF) aims to empower the children and youth of Vietnam, by providing opportunities for growth and improvement through health and education programs. The work of VCF touches the lives of millions of Vietnamese in 63 provinces every year.

VCF’s grassroots medical programs include Heartbeat Vietnam and Rural Outreach Clinics - designed to locate diseased at risk and disadvantaged children in even the remotest areas and provide access to quality healthcare.

Heartbeat Vietnam is a program sponsored by VCF that started in 2006 supporting heart operations to save poor Vietnamese children aged 18 or under./.

VNF