On Facebook, amid the flood of news and images of inundation, among the urgent rescue and relief efforts by authorities and functional forces, I came across an image that warmed my heart: hot meals being packed and prepared for their journey from the area of fomer Phu Thuan to Hue Central Hospital, to be given to hungry patients trapped by the floods.

On the morning of July 11, Hue Central Hospital hosted the voluntary blood and platelet donation program titled “White Blouse - Pink Heart”, with the participation of 350 staff members and medical personnel currently working at the hospital. This annual event aims to help address the summer blood shortage while also promoting a spirit of compassion and solidarity within the medical community.

They are ordinary teachers, workers, and officer, yet when a patient urgently needs platelets, they immediately depart without a moment of hesitation. The Huong Thuy Platelet Donation Club, for many years, has quietly spread life through the compassion of their generous hearts.

What was initially planned as a 3-month journey by Dr. Hattori Tadashi in 2002 eventually extended to over 20 years, taking away much from him but bringing light to over 60,000 people in Vietnam. He didn't take any salary, even using his own pocket money to cover expenses for financially-struggling patients and to support some Vietnamese hospitals with ophthalmic medical equipment.