Italy: one week to go...

The countdown is on! In just one week, Thien Nhan will fly to Bologna, Italy, to undergo the most important surgery of his young life.

Dr. Roberto DeCastro, one of the world's leading experts in genital reconstruction, will rebuild an age-appropriate sized penis and scrotum and insert prosthetic testicles. Because some nerves in Thien Nhan's groin are undamaged, the penis should have sensation, and should continue to grow as he matures.

This complex surgery will take seven to nine hours. Recovery time is estimated at 14 to 20 days. All being well, this is the most difficult surgery that Thien Nhan, who's now four years old, will have to endure.

After a sizeable discount the surgery will cost US$45,000. Travel and three weeks' accomodation in Italy will add around another US$20,000.

Luckily, Thien Nhan's champion, Singaporean cartoonist CC Lee http://chewonitcomics.blogspot.com/, has come through yet again. From May to December 2010, CC Lee raised an astounding US$13,755 towards Thien Nhan's medical care. As usual, he topped up the donations with his own money and handed over US$14,000.

In all, CC Lee, his readers and colleagues have donated US$77, 600 to help Thien Nhan. We are overwhelmed by the generosity of CC Lee and his fellow Singaporeans!

Thank you, Singapore!

[Photo shows Thien Nhan and his schoolmates doing their morning exercises].

Surgery at NUH Singapore

In late July 2010, Thien Nhan will return to Singapore to undergo reconstructive genital surgery at National University Hospital (NUH). Urologist Dr. Prabhakaran, who is also a professor at National University of Singapore, has kindly offered to waive his fees for this complicated procedure, which will involve the reconstruction of a scrotum and the insertion of prosthetic testicles. The surgery is scheduled for Friday, July 30th.

Many thanks to Pam and Kim Odhner, who have offered Thien Nhan and his "entourage" free use of their home, during their stay! Thien Nhan will recover at their place from August 2nd to 7th.

We are still seeking leads to cheap accomodation (2 rooms) near NUH from July 28th to August 1st -- please email Elka at elkeray@yahoo.com with any tips!

This surgery is possible due to the tireless efforts and generosity of Singapore Straits Times cartoonist CC Lee - chewonitcomics.blogspot.com/- and the many Singaporeans who have contributed towards Thien Nhan's care.

Thanks again Singapore!

Thien Nhan, his mum and two brothers spent three nights in Singapore, where Thien Nhan had an appointment with Professor Prabhakaran at National University Hospital (NUH). Dr. Prabha was very optimistic about Thien Nhan's case, and advocates doing major genital surgery in Singapore this summer.

Not only did Thien Nhan's check up go well, but he also finally got to meet his "Uncle Lee" -- Singapore Straits Times cartoonist CC Lee, and Mr. Lee's colleagues and fellow cartoonists. Without CC Lee's - and other Singaporeans' generous support - Thien Nhan's past and future surgeries would not be possible.


Special thanks to CC Lee, David and Lina, Adarsh and Ms. Latta, and Stella and May Lian. And thanks to everyone who has donated so generously to this special little boy!

[photo: Minh (in black) and Thien Nhan waiting for Thien Nhan's ultrasound at NUH]

Chuc mung nam moi!

Chuc mung nam moi! Happy Year of the Tiger!

Thien Nhan and his family enjoyed a happy and relaxing Tet in Hanoi, with the kids spending a lot of time playing with their cousin, watching movies and enjoying family gatherings at Ong & Ba Ngoai's house (maternal grandparents).

This photo shows Little Minh, 4, pushing Thien Nhan, 3, in a stroller, as the pair toured the Museum of Ethnology during their Tet break from preschool.

The kids are now back at school and mum Mai Anh is back at work. The family is also busy planning for Thien Nhan's trip to Singapore in late April, where he will see specialists at National University Hospital. Stay posted for further details!

Bad News

After months of waiting for the results of complicated tests conducted on Thien Nhan's hormone levels in Houston, Texas, we have news -- and it's not good. The tests showed no sign of working testes, which means that Thien Nhan will require lifelong hormone replacement therapy and be unable to father biological children.

While we're disappointed, we remain convinced that Thien Nhan has a bright future ahead of him. He is a very courageous, smart and determined little boy.

Our next step is to find a pediatric endocrinologist, urologist, psychiatrist, and plastic surgeon with experience in genital repair, ideally based in Singapore. If any of you have leads to doctors in these specialties in Singapore, please email Elka at elkeray@yahoo.com

Thanks and all the best in 2010!

Singaporean Generosity

On January 3rd, the Singapore Straits Times ran a follow-up story by Judith Tan about Thien Nhan and the amazing help that the tot has received from Straits Times cartoonist Lee Chee Chew, whose blog "Chew On It!", is devoted to raising funds for little Nhan.

Since the story ran, Mr. Lee - who's never even met Thien Nhan - has raised another US$31,013 from readers, fans, colleagues (and out of his own pocket). The comic artist also donates all proceeds from the sales of his first two books towards Thien Nhan's rehab. To date, Mr. Lee has raised a whopping US$51,292. Thank you Singapore!

The SST story and Mr. Lee's blog may be found at: ttp://chewonitcomics.blogspot.com/2009/01/thien-nhan-on-print.html

To view the list of donors who have supported Thien Nhan via Mr. Lee, please scroll to the bottom of this blog. Our thanks to all of you!

Generous Hearts

We can hardly believe it but -- thanks to your generosity -- the Thien Nhan Fund has now received over US$100,000 in donations! People all over the world have chipped in to help this brave toddler, with special thanks due to Singapore, home of our champion fundraiser cartoonist CC Lee.

(http://chewonitcomics.blogspot.com/)

Individual donations have ranged from VND50,000 (about $3) to US$5,000. Upon hearing of Thien Nhan's plight, many people who have little to spare have given him as much (or more) than they could afford. Elderly war widows, weary construction workers and struggling young parents have all opened their hearts to little Nhan.

We cannot thank all of you good people enough for working so hard to provide Thien Nhan with a decent chance in life!

A Good Start to 2009

So far, 2009 has brought good news for Thien Nhan and his extended family, with his Aunt Elka and Uncle Thien welcoming a new daughter, Eloise, on January 12th. Baby Eloise arrived by c-section in Saigon, weighing 2.9kg. She's a healthy, contented and beautiful little girl.

In other news, since a story about Thien Nhan and the help provided to him by Singaporean cartoonist Lee Chee Chew appeared in the Singapore Straits Times at the start of January, CC Lee has collected another S$9,065 (US$6,055) for the tot from his readers and fans!

Check out CC Lee's comics and amazing fundraising efforts at http://chewonitcomics.blogspot.com/

Thanks again Singapore!

Happy New Year

Three days ago, the Singapore Straits Times ran a story by journalist Judith Tan about Thien Nhan and the amazing help provided to him by Straits Times' cartoonist Lee Chee Chew. Since hearing of Thien Nhan's 's plight last year, the comic artist had raised and donated over S$32,000 via his 'Chew On It!' blog at http://chewonitcomics.blogspot.com/

Following this recent Straits Times' article, CC Lee reports that another S$5,000 in donations have come in during the past three days! What a fantastic start to the New Year for little Thien Nhan!

Thanks Judith Tan, thanks CC Lee and thank you Singapore!

Cam On Singapore!

Thien Nhan's most devoted supporter, Singaporean comic CC Lee, keeps coming through for the tot. In the last month alone, CC Lee -- creator of the Singapore Straits Times comic strip "Chew On It!" -- has raised US$5,641 from his readers and colleagues in Singapore, and added another $369 of his own money, for donations totalling US$6,010 for Thien Nhan! Check out CC Lee's artwork at http://chewonitcomics.blogspot.com/

Largely thanks to Singaporeans' generosity, we are nearing the US$70,000 mark for donations -- almost half way to our goal. Cam on CC Lee and Singapore!

Chew Love

Singaporean comic artist CC Lee http://chewonitcomics.blogspot.com/ has done it again, pulling in another US$2,112 (S$3,107) of donations for Thien Nhan from the kind people of Singapore! Lee then chipped in a lucky $88 to bring the sum up to $2,200. So far, this amazing cartoonist--who has yet to meet Thien Nhan--has raised close to US$17,000 for the tot from his fans and colleagues, plus chipped in over US$1,200 of his own cash. Thanks to CC Lee's and Singapore's continued support, Thien Nhan has lots to smile about!

Funny Money

A big THANK YOU to Singaporean comic artist CC Lee and to his many generous friends, colleagues and readers! Since hearing about Thien Nhan's plight in the Singapore Straits Times newspaper, CC Lee has collected US$14,803 for the tot from the kind people of Singapore, plus donated more than US$1,100 of his own money. CC Lee's latest collection drive raised S$2,080, or US$1,463, to which Lee then added US$237 to round the figure up to US$1,700. Special thanks to all monthly and repeat donors for their continued love and support for Thien Nhan! To see some more of CC Lee's comics, go to http://chewonitcomics.blogspot.com/

Special Guests

Last week Thien Nhan enjoyed a visit from Adarsh Bala and his dad Mr. Balasubramanian, both from Singapore. A friend of cartoonist CC Lee's, Adarsh was in Hanoi for business and stopped by to visit Thien Nhan and his family, bearing well-wishes and toys for the three kids.

Upon returning home, Adarsh wrote the following note to Thien Nhan's family:

My Dad and I already miss Thien Nhan greatly. We had a very enjoyable time playing with him in your home. I will definitely be back in Hanoi before the end of this year to see Thien Nhan again. Please give my love and regards to your husband, little Minh and big Minh, your mother-in-law and your cousin and her friends, and of course, last but not least, my darling little Thien Nhan.

Lots of love,

Adarsh

$12,000-plus

Thien Nhan's second birthday will be a lot brighter thanks to comic artist CC Lee and his generous supporters in Singapore.

To date, Lee has raised US$12,022 from his readers and colleagues, AND has chipped in more than $600 of his own money, not to mention his time and talent. We hope that one day Thien Nhan will get to meet his Uncle Lee and say "cam on" in person. Thank you Singapore!

Thanks CC Lee & Singapore

After raising another S$2,035 (US$1,489) from his readers and colleagues, Singaporean comic artist CC Lee threw in an extra US$111 to bring the figure up to a nice round US$1,600. So far, CC Lee and his wonderful readers and co-workers in Singapore have donated an astounding S$14,128 -- that's US$10,338 -- towards helping Thien Nhan! Special thanks to repeat and monthly donors, and of course to CC Lee.

Thanks Papa Eric

Papa Eric, the dad behind the popular Singaporean parenting forum Baby and Pappa (http://www.babyandpapa.com/forums/) added an information banner about Thien Nhan to his site's title page, along with links to our blog and CC Lee's. Thanks for sending more help our way!

More "Funny Money"

Singaporean comic artist CC Lee just sent in another US$2,333--money he raised through sales of his t-shirts and comic books and donations made by his kind readers and colleagues. To date, CC Lee has raised an astounding US$7,430 (S$10,103) for Thien Nhan. Thanks for adopting Thien Nhan's cause, Lee! And thank you Singapore!

The Unstoppable CC Lee

This time round, readers and colleagues of Singaporean comic artist CC Lee sent in S$1,947, or US$1,423 to help Thien Nhan! As well as donating all proceeds from the sales of his books and t-shirts to the tot, plus footing shipping costs, Mr. Lee threw in US$177 to bring his latest Pay Pal transfer up to US$1,600. To date, this wonderful man has helped to raise S$6,643 (almost US$5,000) for Thien Nhan. Check out Lee's comics at http://chewonitcomics.blogspot.com/

Thanks again Singapore!

Thank you Singapore!

More thanks are due to Lee Chee Chew, the talent behind the CHEW ON IT comic strip, and to his generous readers, friends and colleagues in Singapore! So far, Lee -- whose comic strip runs in the Sunday Times -- has raised US$2,400 for Thien Nhan!

To check out Lee's efforts and to get a good laugh, check out his funny site at: http://chewonitcomics.blogspot.com/

THANK YOU SINGAPORE!

Thanks Lee!

After donating $100 to Thien Nhan, Singaporean comic artist Lee Chee Chew decided that he wanted to do more. Determined to help the tot he started to raise funds for Nhan via his blog at http://chewonitcomics.blogspot.com/. So far, Lee's colleagues and readers have donated US$700! His funny comic strip, "CHEW ON IT" runs in The Sunday Times in Singapore.


Special thanks to Gan Yong Lee, Clara, Bretault Francois, Anna Cheong, Chandra, Irene Lee, Paul Lim, Kelvin, Amran Mohamed, Seah Meng Hwee, Loke Wai Liam, Sally Lam, and Tay Chern Hui.