Scans & Tests

Two days ago, Thien Nhan underwent US$3,000 worth of CAT scans and tests at the Viet Xo Hospital in Hanoi. These scans were then forwarded to Dr. Tue in Houston, Texas, who will review them to plan for Thien Nhan's upcoming genital surgery.

While Thien Nhan, 3, was put under full anaesthesia for the CAT scan, he was awake for some other scans and tests. "The doctor told him that he could scream as loudly as he liked but he could not move," recalls his mom, Mai Anh. "It was amazing but that was exactly what he did. He lay as still as if he had been glued to the table but cried a bit, since it hurt." She goes on to say: "I felt so sorry for him. He looked so small lying on the examination table and then even smaller when he went into the big CAT scan machine."

After studying the film, the Hanoi doctors are hopeful that one of Thien Nhan's undescended testicles might prove viable. Since Thien Nhan suffered major genital damage when he was attacked by wild animals shortly after being abandoned at birth, this would be great news. The US doctors will review the scans later this week.