Thien Nhan Ready for Surgery

Thien Nhan is in hospital in Hanoi, ready for surgery today. Dr. DeCastro, the Italian surgeon who performed Thien Nhan's genital reconstruction last year, will perform a procedure to enlarge the skin around the boy's groin, so that prosthetic testicles can be put in place during a follow-up surgery next year. Today's procedure is expected to take around four hours.

"Thien Nhan is worried about this surgery," admitted his mom, Mai Anh, yesterday. "He remembers how much the last surgery hurt and is tired. Nobody likes being in hospital. We all feel worried and tired." Thien Nhan turned five last July. He won fans around the world after he miraculously survived being dumped in the jungle in Central Vietnam at birth and horrifically mauled by wild animals.

This November, Dr. DeCastro and a team of Italian and Vietnamese specialists will perform surgeries on 32 little boys with genital deformities in Hanoi. Because everyone involved in this amazing endeavour is volunteering their time, these procedures will cost an average of just US$1,500 per child. These life-changing surgeries were organized by American philanthropist Greig Craft, a longtime resident in Vietnam.

Then and Now

Four years ago, shortly after birth, Thien Nhan was abandoned on the edge of a forest in Central Vietnam. He lay in the open for three days and was badly mauled by wild animals. Found by passerby, the horrifically injured baby was transported 2.5 hours by motorbike to the nearest hospital, where doctors performed life-saving surgery. Unfortunately, the child's right leg was lost and his genitals were badly damaged.

Last week, Thien Nhan, now 4, underwent another life-changing surgery in Bologne, Italy. Surgeons worked for more than 8 hours to rebuild the boy's penis and insert prosthetic testes. "The surgeons say everything went well and he is recovering," reports Thien Nhan's relieved mum, Mai Anh. Full recovery is expected to take three months.

[Top left photo: Thien Nhan recovering from surgery in Bologne, Italy. Top right photo: Thien Nhan in Intensive Care as a newborn in Central Vietnam.]