Peter Addison, Chair of International Programs, introduced Minh Nguyen, Rotary Oceania Medical Aid for Children (ROMAC) Southern Region Chair (Vic/Tas). Ninh was accompanied by 5 year old Elina and her mother Enneth.
Minh Nguyen has been a member of the Rotary Club of Keilor East, since 1999, with a background in Mechanical Engineering.
ROMAC provides surgical treatment for children in Australia and New Zealand from developing countries from our Pacific region in the form of life giving and/or dignity restoring surgery not accessible to them in their home country.
Elina, a 5-year-old girl from Vanuatu, has struggled with a left clubfoot condition since birth. This has been a challenge, exacerbated by a lack of local orthopaedic specialists and visiting medical teams due to the COVID outbreak.
Her condition, causing difficulty in walking and unkind teasing from peers, led her to stop attending school despite encouragement from her teachers and family.
In 2023, Elina was referred to ROMAC and was offered treatment by Dr Leo Donnan, an orthopaedic surgeon at VicOrtho, Melbourne. Arriving in Melbourne with her Mum and Aunt in 2024, she began her treatment journey with a series of casts on her left foot. Shy from years of teasing, Elina fears the cast cutter but is comforted by her Mum's reminder of her dream to return to school and play freely with other children.
