Before heading to Vietnam, Dr. Steve Garner, Interplast volunteer plastic surgeon, sent us a short email highlighting the importance his time in Vietnam would have for him. Steve is now in Phan Rang working in partnership with local medical staff, to bring reconstructive surgery to those in need:
“Vietnam will be a special trip for me. The majority of my childhood was during the Vietnam War years with agonizing war images plastered on TV, magazines, and the broken hearts of those on both sides on the conflict who suffered it in ways I cannot even imagine. I wept the day, in 1979, I received my acceptance letter to medical school because I knew I would never ever have to be sent anywhere on the planet as a combatant. To be able to go now to that same sliver of earth's Southeast Asian geography as an American citizen on a humanitarian trip is an emotional and sentinel event for me as well as a humble reminder than I am truly one of the fortunate sons.”
“Vietnam will be a special trip for me. The majority of my childhood was during the Vietnam War years with agonizing war images plastered on TV, magazines, and the broken hearts of those on both sides on the conflict who suffered it in ways I cannot even imagine. I wept the day, in 1979, I received my acceptance letter to medical school because I knew I would never ever have to be sent anywhere on the planet as a combatant. To be able to go now to that same sliver of earth's Southeast Asian geography as an American citizen on a humanitarian trip is an emotional and sentinel event for me as well as a humble reminder than I am truly one of the fortunate sons.”
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