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(QNO) - "Vietnam is no longer my second home. It is my home. I truly want to stay here for the rest of my life because I have found where I belong," said Virginia Mary Lockett, President of the Steady Footsteps organisation.
Virginia Mary Lockett, now 72 years old, still remembers her early days settling in Da Nang. In the summer of 2006, Virginia and her husband, David, sold their beachside home in Virginia Beach, USA, to move to Vietnam with a tourist visa.
Her first visit to Vietnam was in 1995, when she and her husband came to adopt a child in Nha Trang.
During the wait for the adoption paperwork, a translator took her to visit a man severely injured in a traffic accident. As a physiotherapist, Virginia knew that with proper care, the man could recover the ability to walk. This experience prompted her to return to Vietnam, this time not to adopt a child but to help patients in need.
When her children were independent, Virginia returned to Vietnam as a volunteer with the Overseas Volunteers in Healthcare (HVO). She worked for three weeks with doctors at a rehabilitation facility in Da Nang. Together with her husband, she founded Steady Footsteps.
With the money from selling their house, they flew to Da Nang, where Virginia began working diligently with patients at local hospitals, focusing on brain injuries and strokes. In 2010, she joined the Traditional Medicine Hospital in Da Nang, treating stroke patients, brain injuries, and more.
Virginia's work and devotion earned her the admiration of many. She believes that with the right exercise and family support, recovery is highly possible. Her dedication was recognised with the Friendship Medal from the President of Vietnam, a fitting tribute to her years of service