Baseball Star

Thanks to Quang Huy for sending words of encouragement to Thien Nhan and his family, along with this truly inspiring video of a little American boy with one leg playing baseball. The clip is brief and adorable -- really worth checking out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ha-UBQ8NDAw

Hot Sellers

This past Saturday, the Bubbafish/Help Thien Nhan booth at Saigon's Mekong Merchant Craft Fair sold over 120 soft toys, raising VND1.5 million for Thien Nhan and giving away hundreds of flyers about his case.

Many thanks to our wonderful Protec volunteers Ms. Diem and Mr. Nam for helping to staff the stall, and to Marga, Hilda and Mekong Merchant for organizing such a busy fair and for providing us with free booth space!


Despite being an extremely hot day -- especially for Elke, whose coming baby is due early January -- the fair was a great family event. Bubbafish's soft toys were a hit, and we raised a lot of publicity for Thien Nhan!

[photo left to right: Ms. Diem & Mr. Nam of Protec & Elke & Co Mai of Bubbafish]

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

Medical Breakthrough

Thanks to Philip Chu, of Hong Kong, who sent us an article about the world's first-ever whole organ transplant grown from the patient's own stem cells. This innovative procedure offers real hope for Thien Nhan's genital reconstruction and leg in the future.

Professor Martin Birchall, one of the surgeons who implanted a new windpipe in a 30-year-old Spanish woman, said: "This is just the beginning... In 20 years' time the commonest surgical operations will be regenerative procedures to replace organs and tissues damaged by disease with autologous [self-grown] tissues and organs from the laboratory. We are on the verge of a new age in surgical care."Professor Birchall said the technique could initially be extended to growing other hollow organs such as the bowel, bladder and reproductive tract but could later be extended to solid organs.

The new technique of customising organs so that they are indistinguishable from the body's own tissues not only overcomes the problem of rejection but also greatly extends the range of organs and tissues that can be transplanted. Transplant of many body parts, such as limbs, has been restricted by concerns over immunosuppression.

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

Christmas Is Coming...

Bubbafish soft toys were a big hit at last Saturday's Saigon South International School Christmas Craft Fair, with more than 150 of the colorful critters finding new homes. As well as raising VND2 million for Thien Nhan and other needy Vietnamese kids, we also gave away more than 100 flyers about Thien Nhan's cause. Many SSIS' students were fascinated by the tot's story, and eager to help by handing out flyers and buying our handmade toys. Many thanks to SSIS for providing us with a free booth at their fantastic Christmas Fair!

As well as employing deaf and disadvantaged female workers in Hanoi, Bubbafish donates a percentage of sales to Thien Nhan and other needy kids in association with the charity Kids Without Borders. If you're looking for cute Christmas gifts that support a good cause, let Elke know: elkeray@yahoo.com

Special Guests

Last week, Son Michael Pham of Seattle-based Kids Without Borders (KWB) -- the organization that helped to arrange Thien Nhan's urethral surgery in the USA -- stopped by Thien Nhan's house for a visit. This was the first time that Son Michael had met Thien Nhan's eldest brother, Big Minh, 8, and grandmother.

With Son Michael were four youngsters from the Hoa Phuong Orphanage who are currently studying and working in Hanoi under the support of KWB's "Teach Me To Fish" program. During this trip to Vietnam, Son Michael visited a variety of orphanages and projects aided by KWB in HCM City, Hanoi and Hai Phong. For more information about the great work done by KWB, which is 100% volunteer-run, check out: www.kidswithnoborders.org/

Something to Sing About!

A TV crew from the Bai Hat Vietnam song-writing contest visited Thien Nhan's family yesterday, to present the tot with a special gift. Composer Jazzy Da Lam's song about Thien Nhan, titled "Incredible Things", took first place in the nationwide contest, and Ms. Da Lam donated her VND5 million prize to Thien Nhan.

An additional VND1 million prize for musical arrangement also went to Thien Nhan. Thank you Ms. Da Lam and everyone who voted for Thien Nhan's special song in the Bai Hat Vietnam contest!

Saigon Reunion

Following an eventful Friday morning marching to promote traffic safety in Saigon, Thien Nhan, his parents and big brother Little Minh enjoyed a festive dinner with some of Thien Nhan's loyal supporters in HCM City. Some 30 people attended this gathering.

On Saturday, Thien Nhan's mom Mai Anh met with Greig Craft and Na Huong of the Asia Injury Prevention Foundation, Son Michael Pham of Kids Without Borders and Elke Ray of Bubbafish toys to map out fundraising activities for Thien Nhan over the coming months.


In preparation for Christmas, Elke and Mai Anh will be selling Bubbafish toys at various shops and markets in Vietnam, while Son Michael Pham is working on offering these cute toys in the USA. As well as employing deaf and disadvantaged female workers, Bubbafish uses a percentage of sales to fund Thien Nhan's medical care and to support other child-related projects in Vietnam. If anyone has leads to toy distributors/retail outlets overseas, Team Thien Nhan would love to hear from you! A small selection of bubbafish toys may be seen at http://www.bubbafish.com/

(The photo shows Greig Craft holding Thien Nhan, who slept through lunch.)

Thien Nhan Supports Traffic Safety

Early this morning, Thien Nhan joined actress Michelle Yeoh and hundreds of other participants at a rally outside the Presidential Palace in Ho Chi Minh City to raise awareness about traffic safety.

The actress and former Bond girl is Road Safety Ambassador for the Asia Injury Prevention Foundation (AIPF), which co-organized the march together with the Vietnam National Traffic Safety Committee. One of AIPF’s key missions in Vietnam is to encourage the wearing of motorbike helmets, as motorbikes form the main mode of transport here.

Thien Nhan and his family flew down from Hanoi last night to attend the Saigon rally. They were keen to show their support for AIPF, which is headed by Greig Craft—the American man who organized Thien Nhan’s surgery in the United States last August. At the rally, the family was also reunited with Son Michael Pham of Seattle-based Kids Without Borders, who helped them no end during their USA trip.

"We brought Thien Nhan's walker so that he could join the march for a bit," reports mom, Mai Anh. "He hadn't slept very much so was a bit grumpy. But later he cheered up."

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."

Visiting the Countryside

Yesterday, Thien Nhan and his family drove four hours out of Hanoi to visit his adoptive dad Nghinh's ancestral home in honor of Nghinh's paternal grandfather's death anniversary. It was Thien Nhan's first trip to his paternal village, where dozens of relatives were waiting to meet him. "He was on his best behaviour and charmed all the old ladies, following them around and chattering," says Mai Anh. "They all wanted to feed him and he ate so much chao (rice porridge)." Today, the family prayed before their ancestral altar and visited Grandpa's grave. "Thien Nhan knew how to pray," reports Mai Anh. "He is really enjoying this trip to the countryside." [Photo shows Thien Nhan with his paternal grandmother.]

Thien Nhan's Special Song

The song "Incredible Things", written by composer Jazzy Da Lam [photo at right] to honor Thien Nhan's miraculous survival, was recently entered in the Bai Hat Vietnam song competition: http://baihatviet.vtv.vn/News/Tin-tuc/2008/10/20/654.vtv

In just three days, "Incredible Things" received an amazing 14, 893 votes, way ahead of the second-place song at 1,810 votes. To learn more about this talented young composer, go to http://www.myspace.com/jazzydalam

What a special gift for Thien Nhan, who loves music!

A Family Outing

Since Little Minh, 3, was feeling better, Mai Anh and Nghinh took all three kids to the amusement park outside Hanoi Children's Palace on Saturday morning. While Big Minh, 8, preferred the roller skating rink, Thien Nhan, 2, loved the merry-go-round. Last time Nghinh went on a fairground ride he got sick, so Mai Anh had to accompany Thien Nhan on all of the rides. "After five rounds on the merry-go round I felt drunk," says Mai Anh. "Thien Nhan wanted to keep going. He loves all those crazy rides so much. He is very strong!"

The photo shows Little Minh (right) and Thien Nhan (in dad's arms) wearing their Protec motorbike helmets.

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!

Hard Work

Thien Nhan was healthy enough to go back to preschool today. Following his afternoon nap, he spent an hour-long session with our wonderful volunteer physiotherapist Ulrika, who wrote the following about today's lesson:

"Today's practice went very well. TN was standing or walking with his walker for about 40 minutes in a row. For training balance in standing we did some LEGO while using the walker close to a table. We also played some football for more difficult balance training. TN was using his walker back to front, so that the open end was facing the ball. He was holding on to it, of course, but while trying to kick with his left leg he automaticly has to lean over towards the right which gives some good practice."

Under the Weather

Both Thien Nhan, 2, and his brother Little Minh, 3, are home from school sick today, with mild fevers and sniffles. Usually, Thien Nhan has physio sessions with Swedish physiotherapist Ulrike Urquart on Mondays and Thursdays, but today's lesson had to be cancelled. The tot was already feeling poorly during his last two physio lessons, and gave poor Ulrike--who volunteers her services-- a hard time.

"I wasn't as popular as the first time," said Ulrike. "Well, that's the challenge working with little kids. You can have a great plan for the meeting and then have to rethink. But that's what I love about my work."

"He was cranky and yelled at Ulrike a lot," said Thien Nhan's mom, Mai Anh. "He did not want to cooperate. But Ulrike is very good with him. We are so lucky to find her."

A Beautiful Visit

Miss Vietnam Mai Phuong Thuy stopped by Thien Nhan's house in Hanoi for a surprise visit yesterday. Miss Phuong Thuy had first met Thien Nhan on August 8th, a few days before the toddler left Vietnam to have surgery in the US. On that occasion the beauty queen had shared her birthday cake with Thien Nhan, cheering him up after a round of medical tests.

This time, the 20-year-old Miss chatted and played with Thien Nhan and his big brother, Little Minh, 3, who recently got five stitches in his forehead after crashing into a table. Miss Phuong Thuy reported being pleased to find Thien Nhan healthy, happy and getting bigger.

Happy Birthday Big Bro!

Thien Nhan's eldest brother, Big Minh, celebrated his ninth birthday this week and mom Mai Anh bought a big chocolate cake for the occasion. After Minh blew out the candles, Little Minh, 3, and Thien Nhan, 2, each got a turn.

The three brothers then went to check out nearby toy shops so that Big Minh could select a toy for himself.

Another Step Forward

Swedish physiotherapist Ulrike Urquhart, who lives in Hanoi, has very kindly volunteered to work with Thien Nhan two days a week to help the tot to improve his strength and balance. Within moments of meeting, Ulrike and Thien Nhan were happily playing together, with language proving no obstacle. "They were very happy and natural together," says Thien Nhan's mom, Mai Anh. "It's wonderful. Thien Nhan can learn to walk and also learn some English too."