Duc (L), his wife Tuyen and Japanese Professor Fujimoto Bunro.

The kindness of strangers has helped bring a happy life to an Agent Orange victim who underwent Vietnam’s first conjoined twins separation procedure two decades ago.

Duc likes family meals and sometimes takes his wife, Nguyen Thi Thanh Tuyen, on the back of his bike for a night on the town.

“My family life is now very happy. I intend to have a baby next year,” said Duc, adding that he would love to have a daughter.

It has been 20 years since a team of 70 Vietnamese doctors and nurses separated Duc, who was born a conjoined twin due to Agent Orange poisoning, from his brother Viet on October 4, 1988, in a 15-hour operation.

The operation was Vietnam’s first successful separation of conjoined twins and only the world’s seventh such procedure at the time.

Though Duc’s brother, Nguyen Viet, died on October 6, 2007 after a lifelong affliction of cerebral palsy, Duc has lived a happy and productive life since the operation thanks to the love and support of all those around him.

Duc, now 27, has been married for two years. Duc met his wife Tuyen when she was doing charity work at the Peace Village. Duc had been living there for more than 20 years at the time.

“I try to work like any other person so I can support my family,” said Duc, who now works as a computer technician at Peace Village.

“After talking with Duc, I realized he cares about everybody, works responsibly and loves charity work,” said Tuyen.

“My mother initially disproved of my choice to marry Duc because she thought that I have to work harder if I married a disabled man.”

But one year after the couple’s 2006 marriage, Duc bought a flat on Dien Bien Phu Street in District 10, thanks in part to a loan from the Tu Du Hospital and gifts from local doctors and other citizens.

“Going home, I’m a normal person, catching breath of a normal life. My neighbors love us so much,” Duc said.

“Despite having an unusual life and being cared and protected by thousands of hearts, I understand that no parents can raise me all my life. I must live on my own ability and hard work,” he said.

Remembrance

The HCMC Department of Health held a ceremony to mark the 20th anniversary of the successful operation last Saturday.

“Twenty years later, I am very proud, because a group of doctors and nurses were not only faithful with the medical mission but also had a hard-working, intelligent and creative spirit,” said Prof. Duong Quang Trung, who was the department’s director at the time of the surgery.

“The surgery team and the two children both received spiritual and physical support from residents nationwide,” said Trung.

“After 20 years, I want to send the most respectful words to those who raised and took care of Viet and Duc before and after the operation”, said Trung. “This was a very heavy work that required the good hearts of a group of doctors, nurses and midwives.”

“They raised Duc to become a good man and helped him build a happy home and helped Viet live for nearly 30 years, a thing that few people dared to think of before performing the operation.”

Duc was perhaps closest to his midwife Nguyen Thi Muoi.

“Mom Muoi cared for me with each meal and every night. She always stood by me when I was sick or sad, for many years,” said Duc.

“Mom Muoi knew what cooking I liked and always helped me escape the sadness and troubles I suffered.”

“Of course, we can not forget good hearts of international friends, especially Negaukai Association and the Japanese Red Cross Society, who bought us medicine and equipment with money donated by everyday Japanese,” said Trung.

“I owe a big debt to the Japanese people and the Negaukai Association,” said Duc.

“The operation was not only a technical success,” said Nguyen Thi Ngoc Phuong, former director of the Tu Du Hospital. “It was an operation that combined intelligence and human love.”

“Duc’s current life is a reward for all those who took part in the historic operation. Now that Duc says he will have had a child, all his friends and family and all those who helped him through these years are happier than ever,” said Trung.

Reported by Van Khoa