A Happy Visit

Some days ago, Thien Nhan and his family got a visit from their great friend Son Michael Pham of Seattle-based Kids Without Borders. This 100% volunteer-run charity supports a range of programs that aid needy kids in Vietnam, including the Go Vap orphanage in Saigon.

"It was great to see Son Michael," said Mai Anh. "The kids always remember him."

Along with Hanoi-based philanthropist Greig Craft, Son Michael Pham was instrumental in arranging Thien Nhan's urethral surgery in the USA last August. He even accompanied the family on part of their trip.

Plans are currently being put in place for Thien Nhan's second (and more extensive) genital surgery, expected to take place this autumn in the USA. Surgeons will attempt to reconstruct a scrotum, bring down Thien Nhan's undescended testicles, and extract his penis, which is now hidden beneath his skin.

Son Michael reported that Thien Nhan was very well. "He can move so quickly on one leg and has amazing balance," he said. "He is incredibly strong."

To view more photos from Son Michael's July 2009 mission to Vietnam go to:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/39932570@N06/

[Photo: Thien Nhan (up), Nghinh, Little Minh, Big Minh, Mai Anh, Son Michael]

Summer Bug

While winter is typically the "flu season", a nasty flu is going around in Vietnam. Poor Thien Nhan has been ill for three days now, with a cough and a fever. So far, his older brothers are fine, as are Mum and Dad.

"It's summer holidays, so that's an extra miserable time to be sick!" says the boys' mum, Mai Anh. Before this little setback, Thien Nhan had been enjoying a great summer, getting up to lots of mischief with his brothers. Here's a photo of the three of them getting cleaned up after a day spent playing.

[Photo, left to right: Little Minh, Thien Nhan, Big Minh]

Hot & Bothered

It's summer and Thien Nhan and his brothers are home from school. Unfortunately, it's more than 40 degrees Celsius in Hanoi today -- and expected to get hotter over the weekend!

"The kids are very noisy and naughty being inside all day. It is too hot to go out," reports mom, Mai Anh.

Even when the temperature drops enough to turn off the aircon, Mai Anh has taken to keeping the front door closed. "There's a small outdoor market across the street, and Thien Nhan stands in the doorway behind our metal gate and begs the vendors to bring him fruit," she reports. "I have to close the door to stop him from begging for snacks and sweets! He looks very cute so all of the vendor women spoil him!"

Charitable Request

Hi all,

I've just been informed that the family of Cuong, the little boy who died of a facial tumor, has received a donation of over US$4,000 -- from the readers of Dang Tri Newspaper and other Vietnamese and overseas sources.

This is enough to pay off their medical debts and buy a new cultivator. No further fundraising is needed to get this poor family back on track.

Thanks everyone!

Elka

In Trouble

In Vietnam, the school term just ended and kids are starting summer holidays. Although Thien Nhan isn't even 3 (his birthday is July 15th) he got an end-of-year report. At his parent-teacher interview, Nhan's preschool teacher reported that the tot "can't sit still."

"The teacher recommended that he work with his hands as he is very skillful at taking things apart and putting them back together again," says Nhan's mom, Mai Anh. The teacher went on to complain that, whenever groups of important visitors (like school inspectors) stop by, Thien Nhan makes a gun out of lego and pretends to shoot them.

"She said that none of the other kids know how to make lego guns," said Mai Anh. Since firearm toys are illegal in Vietnam, Thien Nhan's design skills weren't appreciated!

[The photo shows Thien Nhan (far left) with his brothers Big Minh and Little Minh]

Preparing for Round Two of Surgery

The recent discovery that Thien Nhan, who will turn 3 in July, has two undescended testicles has lent new urgency to his situation. If left inside the body for too long, his testicles may become damaged. Most infants born with this condition undergo corrective surgery within their first year.

When Thien Nhan was attacked by wild animals at birth, he suffered so much genital damage that doctors were unaware that his testicles remained inside his body. "That he still has his testicles is another miracle," says the boy's mom, Mai Anh. "We hope that this will enable him to forego hormone replacement drugs, and even to father children one day."

Spurred by this stunning discovery, Seattle-based charity Kids Without Borders and American philanthropist Greig Craft are working hard to arrange for Thien Nhan's next surgery. His first genital surgery took place at Dartmouth, NH in the USA last August.

All being well, this autumn surgeons will construct a scrotum from Thien Nhan's own skin, bring down his testicles, further dilate his urethra, and extract the one third of his penis that is now tucked up inside his skin. This is major and highly specialized urethral and plastic surgery. The expenses and logistics are considerable.

Ongoing fundraising efforts are being led by Kids Without Borders and the Asia Injury Prevention Foundation, which is founded and managed by Greig Craft. For more information, please visit http://www.kidswithnoborders.org/ or http://www.asiainjury.org/.

To date, much of the financial help received by Thien Nhan has hailed from Singapore, largely thanks to the heroic efforts of Singapore Straits Times cartoonist Lee Chee Chew, who has raised more than US$50,000 for the tot. To see Mr. Lee's artwork and donor list, please visit: http://chewonitcomics.blogspot.com/

Life Lessons

These days, Thien Nhan is very talkative. His mom, Mai Anh, reports that Nhan, who will turn 3 in July, "chats constantly". A very bright and inquisitive little boy, he is currently obsessed with dinosaurs (see his favorite shirt!)

Most afternoons, Thien Nhan and his brothers go to a nearby park to get some fresh air and exercise. Passerby often stop to make a fuss of little Nhan, who is something of a celebrity in Vietnam. Mai Anh worries that all of the attention will go to the tot's head. "Of course I want him to feel confident," she says. "But I also want to be sure he is not spoiled!"

Although her kids are still small, Mai Anh is determined to teach them about helping others. "I hope that Thien Nhan will grow up and do good things for others in the same way that people have joined to help him now," she says.

Help for Little Manh

On April 22nd we posted a brief report about Manh, a little Vietnamese boy who had endured years of domestic violence, then been terribly burned when his drunken dad set the family home on fire, killing himself and Manh's mother.

Sam, a Canadian-based aid worker involved with aiding little Manh, just sent the following note:

Thanks to the posting about Manh on the Thien Nhan blog, I've just got Ms Kelly Song's offer to help with his education. She is a Korean woman who lives in Singapore. Isn't that fantastic? Manh has just had his operation a few weeks ago at Hue Central Hospital with help from the US New-Yok based Tran Tien Foundation of Dr Sung Tran. Manh is such a courageous boy. Chi Minh Minh of Les Amis De Hue has been walking with Manh and connected him to Tran Tien Foundation.

Thank you Ms. Song! Anyone else who wishes to know more about Manh, please visit http://trantienfoundation.org/stories-blog.htm. If you are willing to help this brave little boy, please email Sam at samsey2@ncf.ca

Stair Master

Last weekend, Thien Nhan's family moved into a new house down a small alley near Hanoi's Hoan Kiem Lake. Nhan's mom, Mai Anh, was worried that Nhan, who will turn 3 in July, would have trouble negotiating the steep, narrow stairs, as this house stands 3 storeys tall. "Within a day he could race to the top," she reports. "I caught him standing at the top of the stairs and daring his brother [Little Minh] to push him down! He isn't scared of anything!"

Once they were settled into their new home, Mai Anh took the three kids to the circus. Thien Nhan watched the acrobats for some minutes, then turned to his mom and said: "They're boring! I can jump, fall and roll so much better than that!"

Growing Up!

Check out this adorable video - http://www.thiennhan.info/vn/VideoClip.aspx?VideoId=8Im5rF4eFGo#Video - in which Thien Nhan recites a popular Vietnamese kids' poem about a little creeper vine.

Thien Nhan, who will turn 3 in July, has memorized the entire, long poem, which tells the story of a little potted creeper that sits indoors on a windowsill. Determined to feel the sun and the breeze on its leaves, the little creeper stretches itself out the window and climbs the wall of the house, braving the wind and rain.

Thien Nhan learned this verse at preschool. "He loves to sing too," says his mom, Mai Anh. "Nhan and Little Minh [Thien Nhan's brother, 4] rarely stop chattering."

Help for Little Manh?

We recently heard about another little Vietnamese boy in need of financial and surgical help. Four years ago, at the age of 5, Manh suffered burns over 40% of his body when his parents set the family home on fire in a suicide attempt. There was a history of domestic violence. Manh lost both parents and was left with severe scarring on his face, arms and legs. His hands were so badly burned that he could not hold a spoon or a pen.

With support from his community, Manh is now living with his impoverished grandparents in a small village near Hanoi. A polite, mature and intelligent boy, he is at the top of his class at school. Every day, rain or shine, he makes the difficult two-mile walk to class. Last month, a local private charity arranged for Manh to undergo hand surgery at Hue Central Hospital. The operation has enabled him to use one hand normally. Manh dreams of growing up to become a doctor in order to care for other burn victims.

For more information on little Manh, please visit http://trantienfoundation.org/stories-blog.htm. If you have leads to plastic surgeons or organizations or individuals willing to aid this brave little boy, please email Sam at samsey2@ncf.ca

Acrobatics

Thien Nhan's "good" leg is now incredibly strong, reports the tot's mom, Mai Anh. "He can cover a lot of distance by hopping," she says. "He is very strong and hops around the whole house. He especially loves to jump and do somersaults."

A favorite trick involves jumping off a high desk, landing on "all-threes" and rolling across the room -- a move that scares poor Mai Anh half to death. "I told him that if he didn't stop horsing around like that he'd end up hurting his other leg too," she says. "The next time he did it I said, 'Nhan, what could happen if you're too naughty?'" and he said: 'My other leg could fall off too!'"

YET AGAIN, OUR MIRACLE BABY BEATS THE ODDS

Once again, Thien Nhan has proven that he deserves the title of “Miracle Baby”. While it was believed that the tot's testicles had been severed in a wild animal attack that destroyed much of his penis and severed his right leg, recent tests performed by Thai specialists at Bangkok’s Medic Complex revealed that the toddler, who is almost 3, has retained two undescended testicles.

This condition, in which the testicles are tucked up inside the body, exists in only about 3-4 percent of male babies at birth. Had Thien Nhan’s testicles descended normally, he would have lost them during the mauling.

“When we found out that he still had his testicles we could hardly believe it. We all cried a lot,” says Thien Nhan’s mom, Mai Anh. “It was like God knew ahead of time that he would be bitten by wild animals and hid them inside his body.”

Despite the good news, various doctors have advised the family to consider gender reassignment. While plastic surgeons can create a penis that looks normal, they warn that the reconstructed organ will have 90 percent less sensation than normal. “We cannot accept turning him into a girl,” says Mai Anh. “Thien Nhan’s character and way of thinking and behaving are very obviously male. If we changed him into a female and then found that in 20 years he couldn’t accept it, we would all feel terrible.”

Next month, the tot will return to Bangkok for more tests in preparation for surgery to create a scrotum and bring down his testicles. “We hope that if we can raise enough money and gain the support of pioneering doctors, Thien Nhan will one day become a fully functioning man,” says his mom. “Medical techniques keep improving with new research in tissue regeneration and organ transplants. He has defied the odds so far so why not continue to hope for the best?”

Many thanks to Greig Craft for organizing and supporting Thien Nhan's latest medical mission; to Dr. Preecha Tiewtranon and the team of experts at Bangkok Medic Complex who examined Thien Nhan; the Sofitel Bangkok Hotel for granting the family 2 free nights' stay and the use of the hotel's van; and Singaporean cartoonist and fundraiser extraordinaire CC Lee for funding travel costs via his personal donations.

Bound for Bangkok!

Tomorrow, Thien Nhan and his family will travel to Bangkok, along with Hanoi-based philanthropist Greig Craft. Mr. Craft, who helped organize Nhan's surgery in the US last August, has arranged for the tot to be examined by six leading Thai specialists. "Thailand is internationally recognized as having amongst the best medical care in the region, especially for genital reconstructive surgery," says Mr. Craft. "Thanks to a dedicated group of physicians in Bangkok, Thien Nhan can now look forward to the next level of necessary medical care as he enters childhood. Six physicians have agreed to perform an initial diagnostic exam for free, and will determine a thorough course of action for young Thien Nhan.”

Led by internationally renowned surgeon Dr. Preecha Tiewtranon M.D, along with a physician specializing in Prosthetics, a Psychologist, an Endocrinologist and a Pediatrician from the Bangkok Mediplex, the six doctors will carry out a two-day intensive examination starting Thursday 9th April.

Along with the free medical services of Bangkok Medic Complex, the Sofitel Hotel of Bangkok has offered the family free lodgings during their Thailand stay. Well-known Singaporean Lee Chee Chew has led a major fundraising effort, and made personal contributions, to cover travel costs for the family.

Getting Around

Check out this latest video of Thien Nhan at http://www.thiennhan.info/vn/VideoClip.aspx?VideoId=4-iTIZhDZsM#Video

While Nhan is still trying to get the hang of his new prosthetic leg, he is a very active little boy who can cover a lot of ground by crawling and hopping.

Welcome Visitors!

Thien Nhan is excited about seeing his good friends Son Michael and Judy Pham of Seattle-based Kids Without Borders. The pair arrived in Hanoi today on a cross-country "Humanitour" visiting local charities and orphanages, like the one in this photo.

Last August, Mr. and Mrs. Pham accompanied Thien Nhan on his trip to the US for surgery. Thien Nhan is just one of many sick, orphaned and disadvantaged kids that this wonderful couple are helping via their 100% volunteer-run organization.

Check out the new design of their website at: http://www.kidswithnoborders.org/Home.asp

Sick Days

Over the weekend Thien Nhan came down with a fever and cough, which he then passed to his brother, Little Minh, aged 4. While Nhan now seems better, last night Minh's fever rose to a scary 40 degrees. "They take turns being sick," said their exhausted mum, Mai Anh. Meanwhile the kids' cousin, Sol, almost 2, has been hospitalized with pneumonia. Luckily Thien Nhan's eldest brother, Big Minh, 8, seems to have missed this round.

Changeable temperatures and high humidity make early spring a prime time for flus in Hanoi, and many kids from Nhan and Minh's preschool are home sick right now.

Singaporean Generosity

On January 3rd, the Singapore Straits Times ran a follow-up story by Judith Tan about Thien Nhan and the amazing help that the tot has received from Straits Times cartoonist Lee Chee Chew, whose blog "Chew On It!", is devoted to raising funds for little Nhan.

Since the story ran, Mr. Lee - who's never even met Thien Nhan - has raised another US$31,013 from readers, fans, colleagues (and out of his own pocket). The comic artist also donates all proceeds from the sales of his first two books towards Thien Nhan's rehab. To date, Mr. Lee has raised a whopping US$51,292. Thank you Singapore!

The SST story and Mr. Lee's blog may be found at: ttp://chewonitcomics.blogspot.com/2009/01/thien-nhan-on-print.html

To view the list of donors who have supported Thien Nhan via Mr. Lee, please scroll to the bottom of this blog. Our thanks to all of you!

Helping Mum Out

Thien Nhan's mum, Mai Anh, suffers from rheumatism and had terrible shoulder and back pain for much of last week. Her three sons were a big source of comfort, with Thien Nhan - who will turn 3 in July - making a special effort to cheer up his ailing mum. "Thien Nhan climbed into bed and hugged me," reported Mai Anh. "And Little Minh brought me snacks."

A Great Big Brother

Thien Nhan's big brother, Big Minh, 8, is in charge of updating the "Education" section on Thien Nhan's Vietnamese-language website: http://www.thiennhan.info/vn/news/hoc-tap.aspx Each day after school Minh rewrites some of Thien Nhan's preschool teachers' comments and posts them online. A recent example reads: "Thien Nhan learned the poem "Lotus Flower". He also stuck flowers onto a card to make a Women's Day gift for his mom."

*Photo, left to right: Big Minh, Thien Nhan & Little Minh