Smile of Dzung, a Van Kieu boy

Dear %%Title%% %%Name%%, %%Tier_Level__c%%%%Account_Number__c%%

Ho Thi Ngu arrived at a screening by the Operation Smile program in Thua Thien-Hue province around noon, carrying all sorts of supplies, having brought along two young children. Her middle child, a 6-year-old boy named Dzung, has a cleft lip on his bright face. Ngu said they boarded a bus at 5 a.m., and it took six hours to get to the hospital.

They didn’t have breakfast since they left in the morning, so they only bought a bag of longan to stave off hunger.

Ngu and her children belong to Van Kieu ethnic group, living in Quang Tri province’s district of Huong Hoa. The father left to work as far as in the southern province of Binh Duong just a few days ago, so he could not return for the trip.

Ngu stopped her farming job and left her oldest son, aged 8, with her grandmother to find an opportunity to treat Dzung’s cleft lip. She said that she was very scared, and had never dared to let him have surgery because she was afraid of risks during the process.

But seeing her son often teased by friends who said that he was ugly, and with Dzung coming  home only to cry, she felt sorry for him. After learning that some other children, who were as unfortunate as her child, were cured, she finally mustered up all her determination to take the son to surgery.

Having arrived at the Operation Smile surgery program at Hue Odonto-Stomatology Hospital, Dzung was examined by doctors who then consulted with Ngu carefully. The program paid for accommodation during the pre-surgery days and also covered travel expenses, hence she gained more confidence in taking her son to the operating room.

As Ngu was sitting and waiting outside, her eyes were filled with endless worries, but at the same time, also with joy and hope for Dzung’s healthier smile.

Thanks to the sharing and help by Lotusmiles members in supporting the travel by the medical and volunteer teams, Operation Smile has successfully performed the surgery on  Dzung.

As the greatest reward after a long journey, from now on, the boy can be more confident in life, living without fears of being shunned by friends or the society, and his life will be similar to that of other children of the same age.

Vietnam Airlines and humanitarian organizations hope to further receive love and help from Lotusmiles members to sending miles so that their smiles can be changed, dreams can fly high, and unfortunate children born with facial defects could integrate into life like others. Their parents appreciate and look forward to the members’ help.