HEALTH: Charity that brought him here is lauded, too.
02/10/2009
By Greg Mellen, Staff Writer
Long Beach Press Telegram (California, USA)
LONG BEACH - Mr. Smith might have gone to Washington, but Soksamnang Vy, aka Lucky, went to City Hall on Tuesday.
The 1-year-old Cambodian boy brought to the United States for life-altering open-heart surgery, his mother and members of the Long Beach nonprofit group that made the trip possible, were acknowledged by the council in a short ceremony at the start of the meeting.
Peter Chhun, founder of the nonprofit Hearts Without Boundaries, said Lucky and his mother, Ratha Pang, would "cherish this kind invitation forever."
Chhun said Lucky is just that, lucky to be one of the few among thousands of Cambodian children with similar afflictions to receive treatment that is considered routine in the United States but virtually unavailable in Cambodia.
Vy, who lives in a destitute village outside of Phnom Penh, suffered from a dime-sized hole in his heart called a ventricular septal defect. Although easily repaired in the United States, the defect, left untreated, leads to fatigue, heart damage and a shortened life expectancy.
Hearts Without Boundaries helped broker a deal to treat the boy, secured travel documents and arranged and paid for transportation and lodging.
Chhun said his group has found another child in need of open-heart surgery and is negotiating with Miller Children's Hospital in Long Beach to care for the stricken child. Chhun said the cardiac team at the hospital was assessing whether the child was a good candidate.
Soksamnang is the second child the nonprofit has brought to the States. The first, 9-year-old Davik Teng, returned to her home in July and is reported to be in good health.
Chhun was congratulated by Mayor Bob Foster for his work. Foster and 6th District Councilman Dee Andrews presented Chhun and his group a certificate and Lucky with toys and Aquarium of the Pacific tickets.
greg.mellen@presstelegram.com, 562-499-1291
02/10/2009
By Greg Mellen, Staff Writer
Long Beach Press Telegram (California, USA)
LONG BEACH - Mr. Smith might have gone to Washington, but Soksamnang Vy, aka Lucky, went to City Hall on Tuesday.
The 1-year-old Cambodian boy brought to the United States for life-altering open-heart surgery, his mother and members of the Long Beach nonprofit group that made the trip possible, were acknowledged by the council in a short ceremony at the start of the meeting.
Peter Chhun, founder of the nonprofit Hearts Without Boundaries, said Lucky and his mother, Ratha Pang, would "cherish this kind invitation forever."
Chhun said Lucky is just that, lucky to be one of the few among thousands of Cambodian children with similar afflictions to receive treatment that is considered routine in the United States but virtually unavailable in Cambodia.
Vy, who lives in a destitute village outside of Phnom Penh, suffered from a dime-sized hole in his heart called a ventricular septal defect. Although easily repaired in the United States, the defect, left untreated, leads to fatigue, heart damage and a shortened life expectancy.
Hearts Without Boundaries helped broker a deal to treat the boy, secured travel documents and arranged and paid for transportation and lodging.
Chhun said his group has found another child in need of open-heart surgery and is negotiating with Miller Children's Hospital in Long Beach to care for the stricken child. Chhun said the cardiac team at the hospital was assessing whether the child was a good candidate.
Soksamnang is the second child the nonprofit has brought to the States. The first, 9-year-old Davik Teng, returned to her home in July and is reported to be in good health.
Chhun was congratulated by Mayor Bob Foster for his work. Foster and 6th District Councilman Dee Andrews presented Chhun and his group a certificate and Lucky with toys and Aquarium of the Pacific tickets.
greg.mellen@presstelegram.com, 562-499-1291
1 comment:
Keep up your good work. You'll help the neediest most when doing humanitarian work and staying clear out of politics. And you'll be most appreciated.
Ordinary Khmer
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