For Young Phúc in Vietnam, Life-Changing Surgery Is Just One Bus Ride Away 

Two-year-old Phúc lives with his mom and dad and four brothers and sisters in the small farming village of Hung Loi in northern Vietnam. A happy toddler, on most mornings he gets up early with the family. His older siblings go off to school, and he usually stays close to his father, Lanh, as they harvest cassava, a yuca-like plant that is a food and bio-fuel staple in this region. 

But today Phúc is going on a different journey with his dad and 8-year-old brother Vien. They are traveling on a bus to Hanoi, about three hours away, to the Vietnam-Cuba Friendship Hospital in hopes of receiving a life-changing surgical care.  

“Phúc was born unlike his siblings,” explains Lanh. “When my wife was pregnant with our fifth child, during the last ultrasound when the baby was almost full-term, the doctor said he had cleft lip. I was very sad but didn’t know what to do.” 

Around the globe, a child is born with a cleft condition every three minutes. Untreated, it can lead to speech difficulties, malnutrition and sometimes social stigmas. Operation Smile is committed to breaking down the barriers of care by providing free, safe care and surgeries in 37 countries. The organization has a long history of working in Vietnam, first providing care there in 1989. Today, it continues to expand access to care by partnering with local health care providers and institutions, providing training that supports lasting, community-based impact. 

For children like Phúc in Vietnam, getting access to surgery hasn’t always been easy. To receive the care he needed, his family had to travel three hours by bus. Many families around the world face similar challenges: long journeys, limited resources and few options close to home. That’s why Operation Smile is committed to changing this. Through Operation 100, we’re working to bring care closer to families’ homes, helping to bridge the gap so that no one is left behind. 

After arriving at the Vietnam-Cuba Friendship Hospital, Phúc is examined by a physician during an initial evaluation to see if he is healthy enough to undergo surgery. They find he has a slight ear infection, so they must wait a week before moving forward. When the day finally comes for his surgery, Lahn is excited and optimistic that it will go well.  

“Today, we operated on this patient for about one hour,” says Bach Minh Tien, M.D., M.Sc., head of the department of plastic and aesthetic surgery at the Vietnam-Cuba Friendship Hospital. “This patient had a bilateral cleft lip.” 

“Phúc has had his lip repaired, the surgery is finished, and he is now in the recovery room. We’ll go home, reunite with our family,” says Lahn, clearly relieved.  

Once back in Hung Loi, Phúc’s mom, Pha, greets them as they get off the bus. Her beaming smile says it all. “I’m very grateful to the doctors and everyone who supported and sponsored my family,” she says. 

Learn more about Operation Smile’s work in Vietnam, and how it is expanding access to surgical care closer to home through  Operation 100.