Italian surgeons’ book inspired by Miracle Boy Thien Nhan

Hanoi (VNA) – An autobiography has been co-published by two Italians, recalling their humane and professional journey as voluntary surgeons, and telling an inspiring story on how they met Vietnamese boy Thien Nhan who was abandoned in a deserted plantation for three days after birth.

The book entitled “Il bimbo e le belve” (The child and the beasts) was written by Roberto De Castro and William Amighetti to look back on their years of humanitarian mission across Italy, the United Kingdom, the United States, Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh, Syria and Vietnam.

Doctor De Castro has performed pioneering surgical techniques for effective treatment of malformations and genital mutilation of boys 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 limbs to Vietnamese children with disabilities.

“The book tells stories about Roberto De Castro taking humanitarian journey over 15 years in Vietnam,” Amighetti told Vietnam News Agency correspondents in Italy. “It is also my journey during the years of helping unfortunate children disabled by birth defects or accidents in Vietnam and all over the world.”

One of De Castro’s success stories is “Miracle Boy” Phung Thien Nhan, who was abandoned by his biological mother at birth in the central province of Quang Nam. When Nhan was found three days later, he was barely alive and suffered a total loss of genitals and one leg due to a brutal attack by wild animals.

The baby infant resiliently survived the incident and was subsequently adopted by Tran Mai Anh, coming to live happily with his new family in Hanoi. With the support of the Italian surgeon, Thien Nhan received a successful reconstructive surgery in January 2011.

Nhan’s story is an inspiration for the two surgeons to pen the autobiography.

His foster mother Mai Anh later became the founder of the Thien Nhan and Friends programme, and together with Greig Craft, president of the Asia Injury Prevention Foundation, the programme raises funds for surgeries for poor Vietnamese children suffering from genital defects or loss of genitals and related diseases./.