In Memory of Vina Trinh

Vina's Victory over Viruses Research Foundation is a Tax exempt 501 (c)(3) Nonprofit Charity

Please mail correspondence or donations to:

VVV Foundation

PMB # 156

14845 SW Murray Scholls Dr. Suite 10

Beaverton, OR 97007

Phone: 1-877-573-1200 or
(Local) 1-971-506-6316

March 15, 2008
We are proud to announce the 1st Annual Pound the Pavement Walk-A-Thon at Southridge High School and participating communities see information at www.vvvfoundation.org.

We like to take the opportunity to thank all of you who continue to post comments of support on our guestbook. We are forever indebted to all of you who have committed to support Vina's cause and have offered prayers and support.

VINA'S STORY:

Vina was a young healthy 12 year old student who was blessed with a talent for basketball few will ever know. She was loyal to her friends and dedicated to her family. She was in love with NIKE shoes and with the WNBA and NBA, especially the Portland Trailblazers. She placed at last year's county free throw competition in the top 3, and was MVP each year she played for the recreation leagues. She lived and breathed for basketball, enjoyed snow boarding with her family, but especially excelled and was granted with the gift of placing a smile on all whom was fortunate enough to cross paths with her. Vina loved her family with out parellel.

Vina had flu-like symptoms this Christmas like many other times before. This time on January 5, on Saturday, after being watched by Mommy that night, who slept in her bed to keep an eye on her, our baby V awoke with seizures for the first time in her life.

She wasn't quite alert and didn't respond normally that morning. She was rushed to the ER by ambulance with mommy and I in tow. She had many tests and was found to have a virally caused meningoencephalitis. This is when both the meninges (the covering of the brain) and the brain itself is infected. This infection was causing uncontrollable seizures to our baby V.

This site was started by her cousins and family to gather as much prayers and positive energy as possible to help Baby V i in her fight with this devastating disease. Pleading for our Father & our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ for a  miracle. Millions of well wishers from the country gave our Baby Vi & our family a healthy dosage of spiritual support, we will forever be indebted to their efforts.

After many heroic efforts and a massive showing of support in family, friends and well wishers to Doernbecher's Children Hospital's ICU, our Baby Vi succumbed to~ on January 12, 2008 at 2:25 pm to the effects of the viral meningoencephalitis.

 Baby Vi was the first child in recorded medical history to attempt Isoflurane anesthetic to try and stop the unstoppable seizures associated with the brain infection. The injury to the brain resulted in other disorders such as diabetes insipidus, which is caused by an injury to the master endocrine organ, the pituitary gland. She fought a lung infection and withstood chest tubes that were caused by trauma related to the mechanical ventilator. Our Angel was a brave and strong soldier.  We are the proudest parents of our Baby Vi and so happy to have been able to be blessed with her as our child. We send our gratitude to our heavenly Father for entrusting us to watch over her for these 12 years.

The problem with this disorder is that it could happen to any family. Tragically any young, happy & healthy child  during Christmas could come down with the flu or any number of other viral illnesses leading to seizures and/or coma. Resulting in permanent brain damage and/or death. Please visit http://www.vvvfoundation.org/ to read stories of others impacted by this disease.

The infectious disease specialists @ OHSU Doernbecher Pediatric ICU stated that, "most cases of viral meningoencephalitis will never have the virus that caused the problem identified.

Our family is greatly disappointed with the total lack of innovation in this disorder. Medicine cannot rally to fight a disease related to highly infectious viruses if techniques to diagnose the organism aren't even available. VVV Research Foundation's GOAL and HOPE is to improve current vaccination techniques that have been proven in other countries that are not needle based and/or invent new ones. 20,000,000 people come down with the influenza annually, this is one known cause of viral meningoencephalitis. Over 50,000 people die a year from complications such as meningoencephalitis that could have been prevented if a vaccine or other antiviral medications were available to fight viruses (viruses are the most common causes of meningitis and encephalitis). The unfortunate fact is that most viruses that need treatment cannot be identified. VVV Research Foundation urges families and medical communities across the nation to take action and not settle for doing nothing at all, which is our current practice in medicine towards the treatment of viruses. 

Awareness, action and research is needed to save healthy children like our daughter from this disease.

In summary: 

Modern medicine has stalled in its attempts to fight or even identify most viral infections.  98% of those inflicted with lethal seizures related to viral meningeoencephalitis are pre-teenagers and teenagers. It is also a known fact that viral infection can be inflicted upon infants, adults and the elderly. Despite all the efforts by the ICU team, nothing was done to effectively fight  Baby Vi viral infection. These viruses cause highly infectious viral illnesses.  How can modern medicine begin to start treating something they can't identify?  During Baby Vi's fight, we were told by the ICU team that the virus was not and may never be identified.This disorder is not uncommon and unacceptable. Please help the 20,000+ victims annually afflicted with this devastating disease (meningoencephalitis). This is a legacy our Baby Vi would want us to fulfill in her name.  Let us all come together to fight the last frontier, viruses.

"Pound the Pavement" WALK A THON and Fair: please click link for directions to Southridge High School.

For details on the WALK-A-THON visit http://www.vvvfoundation.org/ email us to volunteer or go to http://www.vvvfoundation.org/ to download a pledge form, or an event flyer.

Our sweet baby girl, our cousin, our friend, our grand daughter, our niece, and above all~ our very own guardian ANGEL, Vina. We love you eternally and you will forever be in our hearts. GOD granted us with most the precious of gift, our baby  Vi. Rest easy baby.