A Newcastle family, driven by their own heartbreaking experience, is channelling their grief into action by organising community runs to fund life-saving equipment for premature babies in Vietnam.
From Personal Tragedy to a Mission of Hope
Laurey and Phil Jordan's world was shattered in 2019 while they were living in Vietnam with their two daughters. They suffered the devastating loss of their son, Billy, six months into Laurey's pregnancy.
"The experience broke me in ways I never could have imagined," Laurey shared, reflecting on the profound grief. She expressed deep gratitude for the comprehensive support services available in Australia, from counselling to medical care, which stood in stark contrast to the situation they witnessed upon returning to Vietnam.
"In Australia we're really well looked after," she said. "We can get those services pretty easily, and when we went back to Vietnam - where both of us had spent 10 years - we realised those services aren't around."
Bridging the Gap in Neonatal Care
Motivated to ensure fewer parents endure similar pain, the Jordans established Hills 4 Hearts in partnership with the VinaCapital Foundation. Their mission is clear: raise funds for essential equipment, support, and training for neonatal clinics in some of Vietnam's most impoverished regions.
Phil highlighted the critical need, explaining that a CPAP machine can be "the most important thing" for a small child or baby with a cough. Tragically, some infants face a seven or eight-hour motorbike journey to reach such equipment. With more clinics and resources, these children would have a significantly greater chance of survival.
To date, their incredible efforts have raised more than $50,000, successfully establishing four neonatal clinics in remote areas. This year, their goal is to raise $24,000 to fund a fifth clinic, and they are already more than halfway there.
The Gladdy Gallop: A Community in Motion
The fundraising culminates this month with the Gladdy Gallop, a five-kilometre community run in Stockton. The event starts at Stockton Park at 10.30am on Saturday, November 29, finishing at the Gladdy Hotel.
In a remarkable twist, Phil, who once joked that "you couldn't pay me to run before," has become an avid runner. His first marathon in 2019 in the mountains of Sapa, Vietnam, raised enough money to fund a small neonatal ICU. Now, running is a core part of their fundraising strategy.
The run is designed to be inclusive, with participants free to set their own distance and pace. The initiative has even garnered international support, with a team in Saigon raising over 56 million Vietnamese dong (more than $3,000 AUD).
The Jordans hope the Newcastle community will come out in force for the Gladdy Gallop, turning a morning run into a lifeline for vulnerable babies thousands of kilometres away.
