Hanoi (VNA) – Doctors from the US and Italy have provided free genitalregeneration operations for 230 Vietnamese children, and given free consultationand check-ups to 800 other patients since August 2011 under a programmeentitled “Thien Nhan and Friends”

The information was released at an event in Hanoi on June 15 held by Kim DongPublishing House and the programme, which waslaunched six years ago by the Asia Injury Prevention Foundation.

On the occasion, the publishing house introduced the book “Journey of love, diaryof Thien Nhan”, which notes difficulties in the journey to reconstruct genitalsfor Phung Thien Nhan, a young boy with genitalproblems whose story of overcoming a difficult past after being abandoned byhis natural mother and attacked by wild animals inspired the whole nation. 

The publishing house’s editor-in chief Vu Thi Quynh Lien said all money collectedfrom selling the book will be provided for the programme, supporting genital regeneration surgery for kids with genital defects.

Since 2011, the “Thien Nhan and Friends” programme has coordinatedwith many hospitals in Vietnam in conducting genital examinations andreconstruction operations for poor Vietnamese children suffering from severegenital birth defects or loss of genitals from accidents twice a year.

In the framework of the programme, Vietnamesepediatric urologists will attend a workshop in Italy in October this year tolearn experience from their Italian colleagues in the field.

The programme was inspired by Thien Nhan, an infant discarded at birth and leftto die in a jungle. He suffered total loss of genitals and loss of one leg froma brutal mauling by wild animals. He has since been adopted by journalist TranMai Anh and lives happily with his new family in Hanoi. He is the officialGoodwill Ambassador.-VNA