Cover of the book “Il bimbo e le belve” (The child and the beasts) written by Roberto De Castro and William Amighetti. (Photo: VNA) The book entitled “Il bimbo e le belve” (The child andthe beasts) was written by Roberto De Castro and William Amighetti to look backon their years of humanitarian mission across Italy, the United Kingdom, theUnited States, Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh, Syria and Vietnam.
Doctor De Castro has performed pioneering surgicaltechniques for effective treatment of malformations and genital mutilation ofboys and girls in these countries to allow them to live and lead a full life.He has also trained local medical workers on these techniques.
Doctor Amighetti, meanwhile, has brought artificial limbsto Vietnamese children with disabilities.
“The book tells stories about Roberto De Castro takinghumanitarian journey over 15 years in Vietnam,” Amighetti told Vietnam NewsAgency correspondents in Italy. “It is also my journey during the years ofhelping unfortunate children disabled by birth defects or accidents in Vietnamand all over the world.”
One of De Castro’s success stories is “Miracle Boy” PhungThien Nhan, who was abandoned by his biological mother at birth in the centralprovince of Quang Nam. When Nhan was found three days later, he was barelyalive and suffered a total loss of genitals and one leg due to a brutal attackby wild animals.
The baby infant resiliently survived the incident and wassubsequently adopted by Tran Mai Anh, coming to live happily with his newfamily in Hanoi. With the support of the Italian surgeon, Thien Nhan received asuccessful reconstructive surgery in January 2011.
Nhan’s story is an inspiration for the two surgeons topen the autobiography.
His foster mother Mai Anh later became the founder of theThien Nhan and Friends programme, and together with Greig Craft, president ofthe Asia Injury Prevention Foundation, the programme raises funds for surgeriesfor poor Vietnamese children suffering from genital defects or loss of genitalsand related diseases./.


