Dozens of children with severe urological birth defects and rare urological conditions in HCM City, Vinh, Hà Nội and Đà Nẵng are receiving free genital surgeries under the ‘Thiện Nhân & Friends’ programme, a project offering child genital reconstruction surgeries in Việt Nam.

These surgeries, part of an annual program that started 18 years ago, were performed by Italian surgeon Dr. It is carried out between 18 October and 9 November by a volunteer medical team from Italy, the UK, Egypt and the UAE, led by Roberto De Castro.

The surgeries are performed at the 2nd Children’s Hospital in HCM City, Nghệ An Maternity and Pediatrics Hospital in Vinh City, the National Pediatric Hospital and Việt Đức Hospital in Hà Nội, and Đà Nẵng Children’s and Women’s Hospital in Đà Nẵng City.

For decades, Dr De Castro has performed pioneering surgical techniques that have effectively treated genital malformations and injuries in both boys and girls, allowing them to live full lives.

One of De Castro’s greatest success stories is Phùng Thiện Nhân, who was abandoned at birth by her biological mother in a remote area of ​​central Quảng Nam province. When Nhân was found three days later, he was barely alive and had lost most of his genitals and a leg due to a brutal attack by wild animals.

The baby survived the incident and was subsequently adopted by journalist Trần Mai Anh and moved to Hà Nội with his new family. Thiện Nhân underwent successful reconstructive surgery in January 2011 with support from De Castro.

Her stepmother, Mai Anh, later became the founder of the ‘Thiện Nhân and Friends’ program, together with the Asian Injury Prevention (AIP) Foundation, which covers surgeries, travel expenses and medical supplies for impoverished Vietnamese children in need of genital reconstruction.

Over the years, the ‘Thiện Nhân and Friends’ program has performed 630 surgeries, examinations and diagnoses for 2,000 children; 1,000 patients are still waiting for treatment.

Dozens of leading experts in the field of pediatric reconstructive and urological surgery from around the world attended the program. In Vietnam, international experts, in addition to examinations and surgeries, organize scientific workshops and practical training sessions with Vietnamese medical personnel, sharing their experiences and introducing the latest advanced methods in pediatric urological surgery.

According to Greig Craft, founder of the AIP Foundation and co-founder of the ‘Thiện Nhân & Friends’ program, the mission of the program is not just to treat a small number of children with genital disabilities.

“We believe that by spreading inspiration for life and sharing medical knowledge through the coming together of leading experts, the impact will extend beyond the boundaries of the program. We are fortunate that our first patient, Thiện Nhân, shared this vision and chose to become a scientist in the future,” he said.

Thiện Nhân entered university eighteen years after he was found in the forest and given a second chance at life. He chose the field of Artificial Intelligence and believes that “Just like my life was changed through medical intervention, AI has the potential to revolutionize healthcare and improve the lives of many people.” Based on his 18 years of experience, the young man believes that “empathy and patience will lead to miraculous successes.”

-with ANN