Young suburban nurses learn about health issues abroad

Linda Pham’s parents, grandparents and other relatives fled Vietnam 36 years ago, but in a sign of how times have changed, the young nurse from Arlington Heights and two of her friends visited that country to see if they could help orphans there.

The three, who received their diplomas as registered nurses in June, went on a 10-day trip organized by Pham’s uncle, Son Michael Pham, who lives in Washington state and started Kids with No Borders.

In Hanoi, they went to a rehabilitation center for children affected by Agent Orange, a weapon used by U.S. forces decades ago, and they visited orphanages in Hai Phong and Ho Chi Minh City.

“We played with them and held the infants. We did a lot of holding and playing. They were excited to see new people,” said Pham, who speaks Vietnamese, but said many people in that country did not recognize her heritage until she started talking.

Her friend Diana Ancheta of Hoffman Estates said the visits provided stimulation for the orphans even though the nurses were not able to use their medical skills.

“Each child appreciated the attention,” she said.

Casey Lorenzo of Chicago joined the trip because she thought it would be good for her development as a nurse.

“Community health isn’t just based in a hospital,” said Lorenzo, who was joined on the trip by her Vietnamese boyfriend. “You can actually go out to another country and help people less fortunate than we are.”

Some of the children who were handicapped were restrained, and others were confined to their cribs and spent their days staring at the ceiling, the nurses said, describing the way care was lacking.

“It made me appreciate what we have here,” said Pham. “Our health care system. People complain, but there they don’t have one-half the supplies, resources and funds. The caregivers are not licensed.”

Lorenzo said many of the caregivers were orphans who returned to the orphanages to help.

Gigi Melendez, assistant professor at the Addison campus of Chamberlain College of Nursing in Addison where the trio studied, said students are encouraged to go on medical missions to other countries and can often get academic credit for it.

“It really changes their lives in how they see what nursing should be,” said Melendez. “They are taking care of the person in a physical, emotional, spiritual and I guess mental capacity. We can treat the patient where the patient is.”

The nurses were amazed that such basic things as underwear for the children were missing.

“I want to provide the best care, especially considering the large amount of resources that I have,” said Ancheta. “Hopefully I can do another trip. My parents took time to put me through school; why not give back?”