VFP Members visit with Victims of Agent Orange
For the past decade, America’s attention has been on the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, but for those who fought in the Vietnam War, the urge to return here and “make things right” has only grown. Primarily, VFP members are concerned about the lingering affects of contamination by the herbicide Agent Orange and its lasting impact on the civilians in the developing country.
While there, VFP members visited three families with children afflicted with Agent Orange. The photo shows one, Pham Quoc Huy, 22, whose mental retardation severe spina bifida, other deformities, chloracne, and frequent seizures render him unable to communicate, walk, care for himself in even basic ways, or even sit up. Both the father and the mother were exposed to Agent Orange, and the children have lived with the affects of the herbicide throughout their lives. The family has five children, two are “OK” but very frail, one died from brain cancer, and two are clearly affected by AO, The other two families are in a similar state, with young adult children suffering from birth defects, mental retardation, and a host of other health problems — a situation that drives families into dire poverty. It was a rough day emotionally, but a powerful motivator.
We must find ways to help these families. We cannot undo the done, but we should be able to provide the victims with much better care.