About Hills 4 Hearts
In January of 2019 Phil, his wife Laurey and two daughters (Willow & Frankie) were stuck by tragedy when they lost their son (Billy) 5 months into the pregnancy.
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This was without doubt the toughest ordeal they had experienced. It left a void in their hearts and through talking about their experience with others they learned this was far more common than they had realised.
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The more they opened up and spoke with people the more they learned. They were shocked to discover how many infants lose their lives in Vietnam from simply being unable to access basic care and equipment in the early stages of life. This hit really close to home and they couldn’t imagine what it must be like to lose a child so young knowing it was easily preventable.
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Phil & Laurey began doing more research into this which eventually led to meeting the team at VinaCapital Foundation and the amazing work they are doing in their Survive to Thrive neo natal program.
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Every day in Vietnam there are hundreds of neo natal deaths as a result of a simple inability to access some of the most basic health and medical equipment. Neonatal mortality in Vietnam accounts for more than 60% of all deaths in children under five.
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Phil and Laurey had called Vietnam and Southeast Asia home since around 2005 and they wanted to be able to give something back to the country that had given them so much and help these people in need.
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The question then became how? They wanted to create something which could provide ongoing support and awareness in this space but also allow others to actively get involved themselves.
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It was decided that Phil would sign up on the Vietnam Trail series and run his first ever marathon in the picturesque mountains of Sapa in Northern Vietnam. They asked for peoples generosity in sponsoring the run with the aim of raising enough money to provide a small neo natal ICU (intensive care unit) to a much-needed province in Vietnam.
This is how Hills 4 Hearts was born. The goal now is to aim to have a “Hills 4 Hearts” run annually with the goal of each run to raise enough funds for a neo natal ICU in the regions of Vietnam most in need.
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To date we have been successful in providing 3 neonatal ICU’s one in Yen Bai, one in Nam Cha My and one in Cha Val commune, Nam Giang district, Quang Nam Vietnam.
Phil and his family had to leave Vietnam at the beginning of the pandemic, but Phil is still able to visit through his work and continue his work with VinaCapital foundation.
About
VinaCapital Foundation
A Healthcare and Education Organization for Vietnamese Children and Women
The VinaCapital Foundation (VCF) is a USA-registered 501-c3 public charitable organization, licensed as an international non-governmental organization in Vietnam. Founded in 2006, VCF’s mission is to create healthcare and education solutions to transform the lives of underserved and marginalized children and women in Vietnam. The work of VCF touches the lives of millions of Vietnamese in 63 provinces every year.
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VCF invest in 3 areas:
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GRASSROOTS MEDICAL PROGRAMS:
Heartbeat Vietnam, which funds children’s heart surgeries, including pre- and post-operative care; Rural Outreach Clinics, which provides free health examination for children in remote areas; Care to Rise, which accesses, protects, encourages, and provides long-term care to Covid-19 orphans until adulthood; and Grassroots Assistance with specialized care, nutrition and psychosocial activities for children and their parents.
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HEALTHCARE CAPACITY BUILDING PROGRAMS:
Survive to Thrive, which provides hospitals training and equipment for emergency and neonatal care; Clean Water installs filtration systems to provide potable water for underserved communities; National Emergencies, which organizes and implements disaster and pandemic relief.
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EDUCATION PROGRAMS:
Brighter Path educates and transforms ethnic minority female students with scholarships, mentoring and Annual Empowerment Meeting; while Brighter Path Girls’ Clubs provide life-changing knowledge and soft skills training in legal rights, sexual and reproductive health, financial literacy and leadership so they become agents of change in their rural communities.
VCF’s vision is a thriving Vietnam where all children and women are healthy, educated and empowered to benefit from economic growth and contribute to sustainable improvements in their communities. Across every program runs deep commitments to children’s and women’s rights, gender equality, improved nutrition, environmental protection and poverty reduction. VCF is committed to building a vibrant middle class.