More than VND4.5 billion ($193,826) was raised for poor children with heart diseases through a text message campaign carried out by the Vietnam Television (VTV) and the National Humanitarian Portal 1400 from November 1 to December 30, 2019. This is the biggest amount of money donated to the “Heart for Children” program through text messages during the over the program’s 11-year history. All of the money will be used to fund surgery for poor under-16 children with congenital heart diseases nationwide. Earlier, the program coordinated with the Vietnam Red Cross Society to carry out text message campaigns in 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018. More than VND15 billion was raised through these campaigns to help nearly 600 children across the country. The “Heart for Children” program was launched in 2008 and has been operated by the telecom firm Viettel, the Tam Long Viet (Vietnamese Heart) Fund, and VTV. Since then, the program has funded surgery for nearly 5,200 children with heart diseases in the country. (VOV)
