Gala celebrating 17 years of "Hearts for Children": Reviving nearly 7,600 hearts.
The Heart for Children program celebrates its 17th anniversary, supporting successful surgeries for nearly 7,600 children and announcing several important innovations for 2025.
On the evening of November 27th, the "17th Anniversary Gala of Hearts for Children" program took place, reflecting on the compassionate journey that has successfully supported heart surgery for nearly 7,600 underprivileged children nationwide. The event also announced groundbreaking changes to the program in 2025, opening up hope for even more child patients.
A 17-year journey and meaningful numbers.
Originating from an initiative by the Viettel Military Industrial and Telecommunications Group and the Vietnamese Heart Foundation – Vietnam Television, "Hearts for Children" has been operating steadily for the past 17 years. The program has not only saved the lives of nearly 7,600 children through successful surgeries but has also organized screenings for nearly 190,000 children in various regions, helping to detect heart diseases early.
Heartbreaking stories of resurrection
The gala presented touching stories, demonstrating the miracle of compassion. The story of Pham Thi Thanh Nhu (Dak Lak), who recently received a heart transplant despite her family's difficult circumstances, touched the hearts of many viewers. Similarly, the journey of Nguyen Thi Em (Lao Cai), an orphan who was given a new lease on life after heart surgery in 2024, was an inspiration for her resilience.
Witnessing these stories, many accompanying artists such as Miss Ngoc Han, Miss Ha Truc Linh, actresses Hong Diem and Thanh Huong could not hide their emotions. Miss Ngoc Han donated 50 million VND to the Vietnamese Heart Foundation right at the event.
Commitment from our partners
Representing the founding unit, Colonel Bach Tien Tuan, Deputy General Director of Viettel Telecommunications Corporation, affirmed the commitment to continue supporting and innovating the program to provide even more assistance to families. He shared: "Hearts that have been healed... are a powerful motivation for those implementing the program and for philanthropists to continue their support."
Associate Professor, Doctor Nguyen Lan Hieu, Director of Hanoi Medical University Hospital, who has been involved with the program since its early days, highly appreciated the innovations and expressed his hope that the program would invest more in monitoring the health of the children after surgery.
Recognition and a call to spread awareness.
Speaking at the event, Vice Chairwoman of the National Assembly Nguyen Thi Thanh acknowledged and highly appreciated the role of Vietnam Television and Viettel in creating a program with a strong humanitarian message. She called on organizations, businesses, and individuals to continue joining hands with "Heart for Children" to continue this meaningful journey.
Breakthrough innovations in 2025
Entering a new phase, the "Heart for Children" program will undergo significant changes to increase its effectiveness and scope of support:
- Expand the age range:Support is now provided to children from infancy to under 18 years old, instead of 16 years old as before.
- Expand the list of diseases:The list of heart conditions covered by insurance has increased from 22 to 45.
- Increase financial support:The maximum support amount for each surgery has increased from 63 million VND to 100 million VND.
- Enhance screening:Expand the scale of screening by approximately 20% each year, especially in remote and rural areas.
- Application of technology:Upgrade the website, publicly and transparently disclose the list of donors, and support online fundraising to make the program more accessible to families.
