Little Minh is in Hospital

As if Thien Nhan's family hasn't been through enough this past fortnight...

The night before last, Thien Nhan's brother and best friend, Little Minh, 4, suffered a seizure and stopped breathing. He was rushed to the 108 Hospital in Hanoi, where doctors managed to revive him.

Tests reveal that Little Minh suffers from epilepsy. "He is stable now but it was very scary," reports mum Mai Anh, who was only released from hospital herself a few days ago (and is supposed to be home in bed, recuperating). "They are doing more tests to work out the cause of the seizure and how to treat him."

Thien Nhan, 4, is staying with his grandparents and his eldest brother, Big Minh, 11. "I want Brother Minh to get better soon and come home," said Thien Nhan. "I miss him a lot."

[photo shows Thien Nhan and Little Minh during better times]

Quality Control

Little Minh (left) and Thien Nhan are in charge of Quality Control Testing at Bubbafish, the little toy business owned by their mom, Mai Anh, and their Aunt Elka.

Here the kids are testing a zebra and a dog -- new samples for the Christmas season. Bubbafish gives a big chunk of sales to Thien Nhan's surgical costs. If you know of any retailers or distributors that might be interested in selling these handmade plush toys in the run-up to Christmas, email Elka for product info at elkeray@yahoo.com

Home, But Not Alone

Hanoi has been in the news a lot recently due to stormy weather and flooding, with parts of the city under several feet of water. All that rain and stagnant water have led to a rise in illnesses, including colds and flus. Thien Nhan, who is badly affected by weather fluctuations, has come down with yet another cold. "He's tough and rarely gets severely ill," reports mom, Mai Anh. "But he had a fever last night and feels miserable." While big brother Little Minh is fine, Mai Anh kept him home from preschool too -- mostly to appease Thien Nhan. "When Nhan saw Minh getting ready to leave he started screaming," says Mai Anh. "He was desperate for Minh to stay home with him."

In other news, Sparrowgirls, a US website that covers adoption stories, has added an account of Thien Nhan's adoption to their site. Check out the site's cute collection of Thien Nhan photos:
http://www.sparrowgirls.com/thenest/Family/Adoption/FamilyAdoptionStories/Vietnam/NghinhandMaiAnh/tabid/104/Default.aspx

Jaws

Thien Nhan, 2, who is teething, was wrestling with his big brother, Little Minh, 3, yesterday and bit him, causing a bruised wrist and badly scraped finger. It was the culmination of a bad week for Little Minh who, as well as having a bad cold, recently received five stitches in his forehead and is still sporting a bandage. A scrape on his neck adds to his sorry appearance. "He looks like an old dishcloth," joked mom, Mai Anh.


After Thien Nhan bit his brother, their dad, Nghinh, locked himself and Nhan in another room until Thien Nhan apologized. Thien Nhan yelled so loudly to be released that Little Minh, his finger still bleeding, felt badly for him and said: "Please let him come out now! I forgive him!"


"Little Minh is teething and just felt like biting something," said Mai Anh. "Unfortunately he chose Little Minh's hand." Here's a photo of the duo on a better day!

Brothers

Since Thien Nhan got home from the US late last week he's been inseperable from his 3-year-old brother, Little Minh, who'd stayed back in Hanoi. "When they met at the airport they hugged for a long time," says mom Mai Anh. "Now they play together non-stop and really stick together." Mai Anh also reports that Thien Nhan has been sleeping better since his urethral surgery.

Heading West

Following further consultations, doctors at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago decided that Thien Nhan is too young and small to receive a high-tech prosthetic leg at present. He will spend a few more years practicing with a non-jointed limb and a new frame walker, to aid his balance and muscle-development. By the time he starts school Thien Nhan should receive a prosthetic that will allow him much greater mobility.

With the Chicago appointments wrapped up sooner than anticipated, tomorrow morning the family will fly to L.A., their final destination in the US before heading home. There, they will visit Little Saigon, home to the biggest community of Vietnamese people in the US, and attend some fund-raisers. The family will be staying at the home of Cathy Ha Lam, founder of the nonprofit organization Our One World (http://www.our1world.org/). While their journey to the US has exceeded everyone's expectations, Mai Anh, Nghinh and Thien Nhan will be happy to go home and see Thien Nhan's brothers, Big Minh, 8, and Little Minh, 3, who have been very well-behaved, brave little boys during their parents' long absence.

[Photo shows Dr. Theresa Clancy helping Thien Nhan to practice with his new walker]