On the afternoon of 29 September, baby Quoc Huy was taken by his father from An Giang to Children’s Hospital 1 in Ho Chi Minh City for doctors to teach him to walk with his newly fitted prosthetic leg.
After 3 days with the prosthetic leg fitted, Nguyen Quoc Huy was taken by his father Nam from An Giang to Children’s Hospital 1 for doctors to teach him to stand and walk on the newly fitted leg.
On 25/10/2014, Mr Nam was taking his wife to give birth in An Giang by motorbike when, on the way, his motorbike collided with a tanker; his wife was run over and died on the spot, baby Huy was thrown from his mother’s womb and lost his right leg, and Mr Nam also lost a leg. The father has been fitted with a prosthetic leg and can now walk with the new leg. He carried baby Huy in from the hospital gate.
Faced with the curiosity of many people, Huy stared wide-eyed.
Examination results from 3 days earlier showed that Huy’s health was completely good. The stump of the amputated leg had stabilised and was ready to be fitted with a leg.
The prosthetic leg is a special type for a 12-month-old child who has had a limb amputated.
Ms Pham Thi Thanh Tam, a master’s degree holder and doctor and head of the Neonatal Intensive Care Department, welcomed the baby into the Physiotherapy Department. Dr Tam was also one of the doctors who worked hard to save the baby’s life a year ago.
Huy was taken into a special training room. The little boy was tearful because so many people were paying attention to him. His father Nam had to comfort him for a long time before he would stop crying.
Mr Le Tuong Giao, a bachelor’s degree holder and head of the Physiotherapy Department, taught Huy to stand and walk using a chair. The little boy was quite uncomfortable with the new leg because he was not used to it yet. According to Mr Giao, in the first days, baby Huy needs to practise getting used to having an extra, prosthetic leg on his real leg.
Not yet used to the “strange object”, the boy nevertheless showed he adapts quickly and can stand firmly while holding on to the hospital chair. The doctors also gave his father further guidance on basic exercises so the baby can gradually get used to it. In 6 months, the doctors plan to fit Huy with a new leg.
The tragic accident left Huy without a mother. Over the past year, the boy has lived with his father, who has a disability, and been cared for by his maternal grandmother and aunts. In the time ahead, the boy will live permanently with his father and his father’s family.
Thien Chuong