Over 1,000 children in Dien Ban have disabilities

Dien Ban District has over 1,000 children with disabilities and special needs. Cerebral Palsy is one of the most prevalent conditions; others include cerebral palsy, Down's syndrome and intellectual impairment. There are barely any support services available.

The following is a summary of the principle disabilities and medical conditions experienced by the children in Dien Ban. Further information can be found by clicking the relevant links below, and then visiting our Useful Links page.

Agent Orange Dioxin Poisoning

It has been suggested that there is a link between the use of dioxins (Agent Orange) used during the Vietnam War and the level of disability that is still occurring. The consequences of these disabilities can be catastrophic to individuals and their whole families.

Please visit our Agent Orange page for more information.

Cerebral Palsy

Cerebral palsy is a brain-related condition arising during pregnancy. The brain becomes damaged and this causes problems with the child’s posture, movement and coordination.

Cerebral palsy cannot be cured. However, it is not progressive (it does not get worse as the child develops). It can be managed through therapies such as physiotherapy and speech therapy.

There are many contributing factors resulting in brain damage during pregnancy. Some possible causes of cerebral palsy include infections, poor oxygen supply and family genetic problem.

For more information, please visit our Cerebral Palsy Page.

Down's Syndrome

Down's syndrome is a chromosomal irregularity. Cells in the human body usually have 46 chromosomes present. However, in 1959, French physician, Jerome Lejeune, observed that the cells of people with Down's syndrome had 47 chromosomes present in each cell.

An English doctor, John Langdon Down, was the first to publish a description of the condition in 1866; the syndrome was subsequently named after him.

It is unknown what causes the presence of the additional chromosome. It happens throughout the world and is not specific to any one race, age or social class. It can happen to anyone.

Approximately 1 in every 1000 babies born in the UK will have Down's syndrome. The number of babies born with Down's in the US is about 1 in every 700 live births.

Please support us

Please support us by visiting our Donations page now.

As a non-profit organisation, we rely solely on voluntary donations to continue our transformational work. We currently do not receive any government grants, loans or funding support.