Cao Lanh, Vietnam 2011

Preparing for Surgery, a Fourth Time

Sara Anderson, ReSurge's chief communications and advocacy officer

Cao Lanh, Vietnam

Imagine your heartbreak if your child had a deformity and you had no means to help her, simply because you were poor.  Imagine your grief if you thought you could finally get your daughter’s cleft lip fixed because of the charity of others, only to find out that the medical teams could not perform the surgery after all because your child had a small and unusual airway that made it impossible to intubate and provide anesthesia.  Imagine your sadness and frustration if this happened to you … not once, but three times.

That is what happened to Thi Kim’s parents.  However, they were tenacious about getting help for their daughter.  Earlier this month, Thi Kim and her parents sought surgery again and this time, their story ended happily.  Expert pediatric anesthesiologist Dr. George Gregory had researched Thi Kim’s case and had conferred with his colleagues back home and with his fellow volunteer team anesthesiologists on the ground in Cao Lanh. 

On April 5, 2-year-old Thi Kim was intubated … and then her cleft lip was repaired.  Her mother was thrilled with the result, thrilled that her daughter could now lead a normal, productive life. Our anesthesiologists were pretty happy too! 

The Gift of Speech

Leslie Dudley, ReSurge Volunteer Nurse

Cao Lanh, Vietnam

Ha is an 18-month-old petite child who traveled two hours on a motorbike with her parents to get her cleft palate repaired. Last year, Ha had her lip repaired and now has begun talking, so this palate repair will help her ask for fish at the market, as she did yesterday; fish is Ha’s favorite food.  Ha also let us know that she loves balloons.  She is already speaking fairly well already and the repair at this age should help her have normal speech ... and let others know her likes and dislikes ... for the rest of her life.  

Ha lives with her parents and grandparents in one house.  Her grandmother watches over her while her parents work for local farmers during the day. Ha’s mother told us that the area where they live is known for their lotus crops.

Photo:  Leslie Dudley with a sleepy Ha and her family.

Cao Lanh Clinic: Slideshow

View a photo slideshow of our first day at the Dong Thap General Hospital in Cao Lanh, Vietnam.  A dozen medical volunteers are donating their time to help children in the Mekong Delta, where access to reconstructive plastic surgery is very limited.

Our Team’s Arrival in Cao Lanh, Vietnam

Cao Lanh, Vietnam – Beverly Kent, ReSurge International director of volunteer services.

After a 21-hour flight to Ho Chi Minh City and a four-hour bus ride, we finally arrived safely in Cao Lanh, Vietnam.  Accompanying us is award-winning, former New York Times photographer Darcy Padilla who will be capturing our work.

As with all ReSurge medical team trips, we’ll be providing surgeries and hands-on medical training during our stay.  Also on our team is renowned pediatric anesthesiologist and University of California, San Francisco, professor Dr. George Gregory, who will lead our team in its educational efforts.

The day after our arrival, we held clinic day where the team evaluated approximately 115 patients. We hope to offer help to many of them over the next two weeks.