Our Stories
Vietnam Physiotherapy Program
Building independence through knowledge
In Hue, Vietnam, South Australian physiotherapist Denise Palmer witnessed a heartbreaking reality that would change her life, and the lives of countless children. During a visit to local orphanages, she saw children with cerebral palsy lay on their backs, unable to move or even sit up. Some had never been held by their parents. Fear and misunderstanding surrounded disability, with many parents and carers believing physical contact could make the child’s condition worse.
Denise saw that the carers didn’t lack love, they lacked knowledge. With the right training and simple techniques, carers could give these children comfort, dignity, and the ability to interact with the world around them.
A spark of compassion
Returning home to South Australia, Denise approached the DREAMIN Foundation with a proposal: to return to Hue and train carers and health workers in basic physiotherapy and disability care. DREAMIN immediately recognised the potential. Together with fellow physiotherapist Susan Durand, Denise travelled back to Vietnam to begin hands-on training.
In each orphanage and community centre, they demonstrated simple yet life-changing techniques, such as how to position children for comfort, prevent choking by sitting them upright, and use everyday materials like pillows for support. For many carers, this was the first time they had been shown how to physically interact with the children in their care.
A community transformed
The impact was immediate. Fear turned to confidence as carers began to touch, lift, and hold the children with love and pride. The change was emotional and profound — the first steps toward dismantling generations of stigma and isolation.
As their work expanded, Hue University took notice. Moved by the transformation happening in their city, the university partnered with DREAMIN and the University of South Australia to create Vietnam’s first paediatric physiotherapy training program. This partnership ensured that future healthcare professionals could receive formal education in physiotherapy without relying on visiting teams.
A lasting legacy
Today, that program operates independently, led by local Vietnamese educators and clinicians. It has become a model for sustainable change. A program born from compassion and sustained by knowledge.
“When I saw a mother hold her child for the first time, I knew the change had begun. That moment was worth more than any funding or recognition.”
— Denise Palmer, Physiotherapist
