today

We are still in Vinh and plan to stay here one more night then head out in the a.m. We plan a long day of walking and the weather has been great today-cloudy with no rain and cooler than usual. I hope it lasts. We anticipate reaching Hanoi earlier than expected! Our days of walking are long but are paying off as we are covering so much ground. I never would have believed it had I not been here.

The VAVA took us this morning to see the 3 families. The first family has 2 sons in their early 20's. They were on the wooden bed and totally covered with blankets. When uncovered, the boys made no movement or sound. They were completely still with just expressionless faces. One of the boys had both legs amputated from the knees down. They are skeletons and have no quality of life, except for their loving parents. The father fought near Hue when Agent Orange was dumped on him. His wife works and he takes care of the sons. He said it is very difficult to turn them and take care of them and I assume that is why he is at home and his wife is working. We decided to give a generous donation to assist with the cost of medications. 

The second family we visited has 3 generations of AO. This was a very sad situation. The mother cried when we were there. She told us that her husband went away to war and brought nothing back but agent orange. Her neighbors and relatives helped build a house for them. It was very sad to hear her story but it is not a new story. It is everywhere we go and it is sad every time. We gave a donation to this family as well and she was so happy. She wants to use the money to buy the medication that she gives her family. We asked what type of medication they take and the mother ran to get the bottle. She brought it back and handed it to us. The label on the bottle read: HEALTHY BRAIN PILLS. It was heartbreaking to me as I read the back of the bottle: HELPS IMPROVE BRAIN. 

The last family we saw has only one child, a young man who looks to be about 10 yrs. old but is 22. We were led through a marketplace to his "home" if you can call it a home. He was sitting on a small wooden bench with sides, like a playpen in a room that also served as a kitchen. The room measured roughly 8ft X 10ft. Only 3 of us could stand in the room at a time. The mother was very sweet and kept the son very clean and the room tidy but I don't think we have seen any living quarters this cramped. The father was exposed to AO and it has had devastating effects on him. He was in a room adjacent to the kitchen, an even smaller room than that of his son. He sat on a cot with this bright light shining directly in his face. He was unresponsive. His wife said he began showing signs not long after his return home from the war. His condition just continues to worsen. The father and son live every day with a wall between them. They are unable to interact and I found this to be such a terrible loss. 

 The strength of the parents of AO children is incredible. I often look at them and wonder what it is like to wake up each day to face the struggle that is their life. The wounds of their children fester but never heal. One parent told Bao Anh that he remembers as a soldier feeling the chemical "like rain" falling down to wet his body....seeing the mist that fell from the planes. And what we are seeing now is what these men and women brought home to their families and unborn children.

I know that many people feel that the responsibility for these health problems is unclear. Attempts by American and Vietnamese officials to come to an agreement over this issue has not succeeded. Waiting on scientific proof will continue to paralyze this issue. The health concerns of these people are a humanitarian issue. There are so many needs, from family counseling to rehabilitation centers, and education for those children who cannot attend regular schools. Pointing fingers does not change anything. In the spirit of decency, I hope our country and all people who care for the people of Vietnam, will step up to the plate and do what they can to help. The only way to ever win, is with compassion and a sense of duty.

I am off to buy a camera. Mine was stolen and was the first thing I've ever had stolen in this country. What upset me most of all were the pictures from the last two days that were lost. I took my camera up to my room last night before bringing my computer to the lobby and when I returned, no camera. The camera means everything to me here so I have been pretty bummed out about it but am going with Bao and Phuc to locate another one. So maybe some pictures will go up tomorrow.

Love to you all.