Sin Chhon greets her daughter, Davik Teng, after heart surgery at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles on Monday. (Jeff Gritchen)03/24/2008
By Greg Mellen, Staff Writer
Long Beach Press Telegram
LOS ANGELES - Davik Teng, the Cambodian girl brought to the United States for life-altering heart surgery, underwent what her cardiologist called a "perfect" procedure Monday and was awake and talking to her mom by the late morning.
"It went better than even we thought," cardiologist, Dr. Mark Sklansky of Childrens Hospital Los Angeles told Davik's mother, Sin Chhon, after the 9-year-old emerged from a smooth hourlong operation. "She's a very strong girl, and she's going to do very well."
After hearing the news, Chhon broke into tears and hugged her companions Peter Chhun and Chantha Bob, the two local men responsible for bringing Davik to the United States.
Although it was estimated the surgery that started about 8:15 a.m. could take two to three hours, Dr. Vaughn Starnes, the cardiac surgeon, called the procedure a success at 9:15 a.m.
A world-renowned surgeon, Starnes repaired a quarter-sized hole in one of the chambers in Davik's heart, known as a ventricular septal defect, by sewing a Dacron patch to cover the opening.
"What we did is routine," Starnes said.
Although the operation is common in the United States and, in Davik's case, would normally have been performed during her first year, Chhon tried for years to get help for her child in Cambodia and was consistently rebuffed.
Bob, a Long Beach waiter, first encountered Davik several years ago while delivering rice and food to her small village outside of Battambang in a western province of the country.
Chhun, founder of Long Beach-based Hearts Without Boundaries, organized and funded the effort to bring Davik to the United States, and Childrens Hospital donated the cardiology team and facilities.
Sklansky estimated Davik could be out of the hospital by the weekend.
By 11:30 a.m., Davik was awake, asking for water and to see Chhun, whom she affectionately calls her "great-uncle."
"It feels like a dream," Chhun said after the surgery. "Today it's real. I don't know what to say. I'm so happy. I don't have the words."
greg.mellen@presstelegram.com, 562-499-1291
"It went better than even we thought," cardiologist, Dr. Mark Sklansky of Childrens Hospital Los Angeles told Davik's mother, Sin Chhon, after the 9-year-old emerged from a smooth hourlong operation. "She's a very strong girl, and she's going to do very well."
After hearing the news, Chhon broke into tears and hugged her companions Peter Chhun and Chantha Bob, the two local men responsible for bringing Davik to the United States.
Although it was estimated the surgery that started about 8:15 a.m. could take two to three hours, Dr. Vaughn Starnes, the cardiac surgeon, called the procedure a success at 9:15 a.m.
A world-renowned surgeon, Starnes repaired a quarter-sized hole in one of the chambers in Davik's heart, known as a ventricular septal defect, by sewing a Dacron patch to cover the opening.
"What we did is routine," Starnes said.
Although the operation is common in the United States and, in Davik's case, would normally have been performed during her first year, Chhon tried for years to get help for her child in Cambodia and was consistently rebuffed.
Bob, a Long Beach waiter, first encountered Davik several years ago while delivering rice and food to her small village outside of Battambang in a western province of the country.
Chhun, founder of Long Beach-based Hearts Without Boundaries, organized and funded the effort to bring Davik to the United States, and Childrens Hospital donated the cardiology team and facilities.
Sklansky estimated Davik could be out of the hospital by the weekend.
By 11:30 a.m., Davik was awake, asking for water and to see Chhun, whom she affectionately calls her "great-uncle."
"It feels like a dream," Chhun said after the surgery. "Today it's real. I don't know what to say. I'm so happy. I don't have the words."
greg.mellen@presstelegram.com, 562-499-1291
3 comments:
Thanks million for Chhun,Chantha ,Dr. Vaughn Starnes and Dr. Mark Sklansky for their best to help Davik.
Your have built your name among Cambodians here.
Hopefully this mission will continue to help other children.
It is joyful for all Cambodians.
As being a Khmer, I acknowledge to all who help her.
THANKS to all the "worthy earthlings" who have helped the child. Thank you. See you some day. Above all my heart is thanking God for the young life to have a new beginning. Yeahhh... God bless and protect the USA...
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