AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL HOSPITAL (AIH) OFFERS FREE SURGERIES FOR 2 CHILDREN WITH CONGENITAL CLUBFOOT

02 months after surgery with perseverant physiotherapy practice, Ho Thanh Lam, an 8-year-old boy of Van Kieu ethnic group in Quang Tri, and Nguyen Dinh Dung, a 3-year-old boy from the Co Tu ethnic group in Quang Nam, have been able to walk their first steps in life. This is one of the meaningful charitable programs that AIH carried out with the hope of providing advanced treatment options for pediatric patients who suffer from congenital clubfoot.

Born and raised in a family with difficult circumstances and lack of love, Lam (8 years old) unfortunately suffered from congenital clubfoot. His father left at the time of his birth, leaving his mother to struggle alone to raise four children.  Previously, with the support from a non-governmental organization in Hue, he underwent surgery, yet his family could not afford all the following treatments so the “miracle” could not come to him. Lam is a studious child, but his journey to school was significantly challenging. In the beginning, his mother would carry him to school on her back before going to the fields. Later, his classmates, empathizing with his situation, volunteered to take turns being his “legs”, carrying him to school. Whether at home or at school, Lam would use his hands to move around and do everything.

Dung's case (3 years old) is a deeply touching story of a young married couple with two children unfortunately suffering from congenital malformations. Dung’s parents work in the fields in a poor village in Quang Nam. His family had long lost hope and accepted Dung's fate, because he has an older sister who suffers from brittle bone disease and underwent many painful and challenging surgeries without any improvement. As a result, his parents believed that their son’s defect was incurable. Along with the difficult circumstances, Dung’s condition has never been examined since birth. 

With the help from charitable groups, the two children were able to have consultations at several hospitals in Central Vietnam. However, their hopes fell apart when doctors there refused to treat them due to the severity of their clubfoot condition. Through photos of their twisted clubfeet on social media, American International Hospital (AIH) and Prof. René D. Esser quickly contacted them and offered them free treatment. 

After examinations at AIH, Prof. René D. Esser stated: Both children suffer from severe congenital clubfoot in both feet. For Dũng (3 years old), intervention at the moment is crucial to prevent long-term complications for reconstruction. Lâm's case (8 years old) is more complex, with severe clubfoot in both feet, a stiff and contracted left knee due to years of immobility, along with significant leg length discrepancy. Correcting and aligning his legs will require more time. Early intervention is the key for treating congenital clubfoot. After surgery, the children need their parents' monitoring, as well as persistent physical therapy to achieve the best results.   

Not only covering the entire surgical cost, AIH and Prof. René D. Esser also provided follow-up visits, including recast and foot reposition, and guided the families in physical therapy to ensure consistent treatment. After two months of effort, both children had their casts removed and were able to take their first steps. AIH will continue to support the families, giving the children the opportunity to attend school and have a brighter future on their own feet.  

Sharing more about the treatment process, Prof. René D. Esser said: “For most people, the word 'normal' is nothing special, but for those born with congenital defects, achieving normalcy is truly extraordinary, especially for children from disadvantaged ethnic minority backgrounds. I am very happy to accompany these patients on this meaningful journey. This is also the message that AIH wants to bring to communities. Through our initiative of sponsoring free surgeries for children in difficult circumstances with congenital clubfoot, AIH hopes to bring them a chance at a better life.

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For checkup and consultation at AIH: 

☎ Hotline: (028) 3910 9999

🌏 Website: www.aih.com.vn

📍 Address: (Entrance from 199 Nguyen Hoang street) No.6 Bac Nam 3 street, An Phu ward, Thu Duc city, Ho Chi Minh city.