Waiting for Results

In this photo Thien Nhan, 3, is comforted by his dad as he receives the last in a series of injections that he needed in order to test his hormone levels.

"The shots really hurt. He was so brave but he could not stop crying," reported the toddler's dad, Nghinh. "I felt terrible but there was nothing that anyone could do to help him. He just had to go through it."

Having been in Houston, Texas for the past three weeks, Thien Nhan will fly back to Vietnam tomorrow.

The results of the hormone testing should be available in some days. If the tests indicate that Thien Nhan's undescended testicles are producing testosterone, he will return to Houston for major surgery in early 2010.

"He is very eager to go home," said his dad. "He misses home and especially his big brothers."

Water Fun

While much of Thien Nhan's stay in Houston has been spent in hospital, the tot has managed to have some fun too. Here's a picture of the little guy during an outing to a local water park.

Help in Houston

Many thanks to Kids Without Borders' volunteer Susan for helping to make Thien Nhan's stay in Houston easier and more enjoyable. Susan and her sister have helped the family with transportation, dinners, etc. Yesterday, a friend of Susan's drove Nhan to his doctor's appointment.

Here's a picture of Susan, Thien Nhan and Susan's friend, Vu. Cam on!

To learn more about the Seattle-based volunteer-run Kids Without Borders go to http://www.kidswithnoborders.org/Home.asp

A Difficult Process

Thien Nhan, 3, is now in Houston, Texas waiting to begin a 2-week-long process to test his hormone levels. "The test is very complicated and uncommon," explains the tot's mom, Mai Anh. "It involves injecting a vaccine that we must get from another state. So the vaccine is from one state, the test is performed in Texas and then the results must be read in another state."

Unfortunately, the injections are painful and must be administered daily for 2 weeks. "This is the only way to know for sure whether or not his testes are producing testosterone," says Mr. Greig Craft, the American philanthropist who arranged Thien Nhan's treatment in Texas. "If they are, he will need major surgery to retrieve them and place them in a reconstructed scrotum. This would happen early next year."

For the last 2 days, Thien Nhan has been complaining of stomach pains and rushing to the potty a lot. "He hasn't eaten anything unusual so I think it's stress," says Mai Anh. "He is homesick and nervous. This is a lot for a 3-year-old to understand. He is tired."

Homesick in Houston

Having been in Houston for more than a week, Thien Nhan is homesick. "Me oi, I want to go home and play with my brothers," Nhan told his mother, Mai Anh, speaking about his brothers Big Minh, 10, and Little Minh, 4.

"All day long he begs me to phone home," says Mai Anh. "He misses home and especially his big brothers."

[Photo shows Thien Nhan (on stool) with his brothers and cousin, back in Hanoi.]

Testing, Testing

Yesterday and today, Thien Nhan underwent various tests and exams in Houston to determine the extent of the damage to his genitals. "I think we have found the right doctors here," reports the toddler's mom, Mai Anh. "Dr. Tue Tinh is very kind and genuine. All of the doctors answer our concerns very clearly and logically."

Unfortunately, preliminary tests suggest that Thien Nhan's undescended testicles are unlikely to be viable. This would be a major blow. If the boy's testicles no longer produce testosterone, he will require hormone replacement therapy for the rest of his life, and be unable to father biological children. More tests will be performed this week. "We just have to wait and see," says Mai Anh.

[Photo, left to right: Thien Nhan's grandma, the poet Mrs. Kim Anh; surgeon Dr. Tue Tinh; Mr. Son Michael Pham of Kids Without Borders; Thien Nhan; mom, writer Mrs. Mai Anh; trip organizers Ms. Na Huong and Mr. Greig Craft.]

A Good Boy

"Thien Nhan hardly slept at all on the plane," says the toddler's mom, Mai Anh, speaking about their 36-hour trip from Hanoi to Houston.

"He is exhausted and jet-lagged but has been very well-behaved. I think he understands that we are here to help him. He is worried about the hospital but is trying his best to be a good and brave boy."





To view a video about little Nhan's visit to Houston, go to http://www.myfoxhouston.com/dpp/news/local/090927_miracle_baby_help

Welcome to Houston!

Want to welcome Thien Nhan to Houston? The local community and Seattle-based non-profit group Kids Without Borders will host a welcome party for the boy on Sunday September 27th at a Galleria Hotel from 2pm to 6pm.

For more information, please contact http://ca.mc315.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=info@kidswithnoborders.org. If you would like to contribute to cover expenses for Thien Nhan’s surgeries, make online donation from KWB's website and enter Miracle Baby in ‘designation’.

To view a video of little Nhan's arrival in Houston, go to:

http://www.39online.com/news/local/kiah-miracle-baby-story,0,6418131.story