Table 5 Illustrative Quotes Vietnam

Describing the RGE episode

“It was something we never dealt with before. All the fevers before were easily taken care of with water and shower. But this disease is something totally different. The more we fed the baby with water, the more he vomited.”

“Imagine my baby, 21 months, hyperactive and healthy, he runs around like an Energizer bunny. And one day, he just crashed like that. It’s a real shocker to us.”

Medical care for the illness

“The doctor’s method is absolutely opposite of what I expected. I expected the doctor should do anything to ease the disease immediately. But no.”

“I often bring my kid to private clinic first, because big hospitals are very complicated and tiring process-wise”

Emotions and feelings during the illness

“We were so worried that the disease would come back we had to watch out everything my baby eats and drinks even after recovery. It became an obsession.”

“When I saw those symptoms (RGE) in my baby, I was so afraid I could not find the strength to hold my baby, I could not even breathe”

“The only moment when I first exhaled in relief, after days, was when my baby check-out of the hospital”