We visited an Agent Orange Rehabilitation Center about 40 minutes away from our hotel. The individuals at this location either live at the center or come from their homes for a few hours. This rehab center provides individuals affected by Agent Orange with physical therapy, education, and overall care.
This center is ran by the government and there are multiple locations throughout the providence. The individuals who are affected by Agent Orange are from the generation after the ones who fought in the Vietnam War. There is a father and son who are living at the rehab center; the son (pictured above in the pink button-up), 30 years old, is mentally disabled as consequence of Agent Orange, and his father served during the Vietnam War. This center is equipped with medical aid and hospital care. There is a fitness room to encourage and improve individuals going through physical therapy. There is a young boy (pictured above in the center wearing a green shirt), who couldn’t walk at all when he first arrived at the center, but now only a few months later, he is able to stand, take steps, and grasp objects.
Rehabilitation centers like these reflect the sad consequences of the war. There is no cure for Agent Orange since it is a genetic defect. Recently, American programs have made efforts to address this environmental effect of the war.
Here’s a recent article on Agent Orange and it’s status in Vietnam: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/10/world/asia/us-moves-to-address-agent-orange-contamination-in-vietnam.html?pagewanted=all