Son Pham NOVA Page

11/21/2008 Son had his surgery yesterday and everything went well. At the last minute, his surgeon decided that there was another area in Son's cheek near the jaw bone that was also ready for removal. The two procedures went very well and Son and I spent the night in the ICU. They took the pressure bandages off this morning and, despite the swelling from surgery, I can see a difference in Son's face. I hope that he will be happy with the results, but it will be a couple of weeks before the swelling is gone. Son will likely spend an extra day at the hospital and will fly home on Sonday morning. (taken from an Email from Olwyn Walters)

11/18/2008 Son travels to Boston today. This is Olwyn and Son's eight trip to Boston this year and it will be a very significant trip for Son. He will be having his first surgery on Thursday. The procedure is expected to take about an hour, so it will be minor compared to the sclerotherapy treatments and the tracheostomy operation he has already had. This will, however, be the first time he will see any significant process. Dr. Mulliken will be focused on the lip/mouth area. He will be removing a mass of tissue on the inside of his mouth in the lip area. This has been in the news quite a bit in the past week in our area, as so many people are following the story. I know that you most likely haven't read or watched these stories, as they have been primarily local to Halifax. I told the reporters that this is the last time they will have access to Son for a while, so I believe that spurred their interest . With each surgery (I don't know how many there will be) Son will have a "new look". Until Son is happy with the results, I have promiserd him that there will be no photos taken of him. Olwyn tells NOVA that Son is in very good sprits, it all goes well he will return to Halifax on Saturday. She will continue to update us.

Son Pham in July 2007

Son with host siblings December 2007

5/8/2008 On May 12th Son will return to Boston for another "double" sclerotherapy treatment. On May 12th Son will return to Boston for another “double” sclerotherapy treatment. Despite the fact that the procedures he undergoes are difficult and sometimes frightening for a boy his age, he is looking forward to this next trip. Doctors are still hopeful that most of Son’s venous malformation will be gone in the next year. Through donations from generous Canadians and Americans, the Children’s Bridge Foundation was able to pay $200,000 of the cost of Son’s treatment at Children’s Hospital Boston. Fundraising continues to cover additional costs over the next year.

4/8/2008 Son Continued his medical treatment in March. He has responded very well to the treatments so far and has had very few side effect. When he is not in Boston he goes to school, learning Math and English. He is proving to be quite an athlete. He is representing his school in a local badmittion tournament. He is very artistic and loves to paint and draw. He is learning to play the piano. His Canadian family reports that he is like most boys his age and loves to play video games! Son is receiving instruction in Vietnamese reading and writing at a schoool in Halifax. The plan for Son continues to be on a 1 year pace, but his condition is complex, in the coming months they will know with more certainty what the future holds. Son will return to Boston in May for his scheduled treatment. Please join us here at NOVA and pray for his continued improvement and safety. Well wishing can be sent directly to NOVA and we will forward to Son.

Son Asks Dr. Mulliken , "is it safe?" before entering the operating room for the first of many procedures to come.

Son Pham will begin his treatment in Boston under the direction of Dr. John Mulliken and the Boston Children's Hospital Vascular Anomalies Team on January 15, 2008. His Canadian Host family is anxious and excited to begin the journey with Son. Please keep them all in your prayers.

HALIFAX, Nova Scotia, December 13, 2007 – The Children’s Bridge Foundation, a Canadian charity dedicated to helping orphans in Asia and Africa, today announced that Son Pham, a Vietnamese orphan who came to Canada for medical treatment for a large vascular malformation on his face, will be traveling to Boston early in the New Year to commence treatment at Children’s Hospital Boston.

Son arrived in Canada in June of this year and immediately began an extensive medical assessment at the Toronto Hospital for Sick Children. On November 1st, 2007 the Toronto Hospital for Sick Children stated that they were unable to treat Son.

“Shortly after this news hit the wire, we received a flood of calls and e-mails from Canadians and Americans telling us to not give up hope and to pursue treatment options in the United States,” said Olwyn Walter, President of the Children’s Bridge Foundation. “In less than a month, we were in possession of proposals from two of the leading centers in the world, Boston and New York, for the treatment of vascular anomalies.” These proposals were based on the detailed medical records created during his stay in Canada.

In both scenarios, Son would be residing in Halifax while traveling to the United States to receive a series of treatments over a period of eight to twelve months or longer. During this time, the IWK Children’s Hospital in Halifax would provide Son with any urgent or general pediatric care needed while he is in Halifax.

“The decision was a very difficult one, as both U.S. centers and both teams of doctors are the best in the world. We could not make a wrong decision in choosing either of them,” said Ms. Walter. “In the end, because of travel logistics and because of the close relationship with Children’s Hospital Boston and the IWK Health Center in Halifax, we chose Boston for Son’s treatment.”

Doctors at Children’s Hospital Boston have generously agreed to donate their time in helping Son Pham. In addition to this, the Ray Tye Medical Aid Foundation in Boston is donating U.S. $150,000 towards Son Pham’s hospital costs. The remaining cost of U.S. $200,000 will be paid for by the Children’s Bridge Foundation, thanks to the generosity of all those who have donated to the Son Pham Fund.

Additional costs over the next year are anticipated for items such as medication, additional medical costs and procedures, home care for the tracheostomy he will have for the treatment period, tutors, travel, and living expenses. The Children’s Bridge Foundation will therefore be continuing to fundraise to ensure as complete a restorative treatment for Son Pham as possible before he returns to Vietnam. It is anticipated that an additional $75,000 will be required. Any surplus funds would be directed towards the enhancement of facilities at the orphanage which was home to Son prior to his journey to North America. The 700 children who are registered at this orphanage eat only rice on most days and sleep two or three to a bed. None of the children have been immunized and they go without medical care.

The Children’s Bridge Foundation is a volunteer-based organization that provides school-aged orphaned and abandoned children in Asia and Africa educational and developmental opportunities that will enable them to become self-supporting members of society. The Foundation is a non-governmental organization, and has no religious or political affiliations.