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]

A Bad Week for Thien Nhan

Thien Nhan's had a rough time of it lately. A bad case of flu landed him in hospital twice this past week, as excessive coughing led to severe vomitting. After several days of not eating, he lost a lot of weight. "He looks very sad and thin," reports mom, Mai Anh. "He looks like a dried sweet potato."

As if Thien Nhan hadn't seen enough doctors, on Tuesday and Wednesday he had to go in to the Hanoi French Hospital prosthetic clinic to be fitted for a new leg. A short video clip (link below) reveals just how upset he was, screaming and begging his dad to make the doctors stop applying plaster to his stump in order to create a mold. But of course it's for his own good -- all being well, a month from now he'll receive a new prosthetic. Since he's outgrown his current limb he also had to stop by VietCot to get it extended, which meant more time in a hospital environment -- and more tears!

http://afamily.channelvn.net/20081119104823692tm0ca82/Con-khong-thich-thi-thoi-Video-that-dau-long

Sick at Home

"Incredible Things", a song that composer Jazzy Da Lam wrote about Thien Nhan, was awarded first prize in the Bai Hat Vietnam song-writing contest. Sadly, Thien Nhan could not attend the awards ceremony in Ho Chi Minh City on Sunday October 26th, as he was down with the flu. A sore throat and a high fever stopped the tot from flying. "We'd already bought the tickets but had to cancel the trip at the last minute," reports his disappointed mom, Mai Anh.

Thien Nhan's fever is down today but he is still at home recuperating. "The weather in Hanoi changed and it was very rainy this weekend," says Mai Anh. "Whenever there is a change in weather Thien Nhan's leg aches so he does not sleep well. And many kids have flu right now and he caught it too."

This week, representatives of the Bai Hat Vietnam song contest will visit Thien Nhan along with a TV crew. "It is a beautiful song," says Mai Anh. "We are very happy that it won and thank all of Thien Nhan's supporters."