Italian Ambassador awards Medal to sponsor of 'tin soldier' ​​Thien Nhan

The Italian Ambassador to Vietnam awarded the Order of Merit to Mr. Greig Craft, recognizing his contributions in promoting medical exchange programs between Vietnamese and Italian medical teams.

Mr. Greig Craft, President of the Asia Injury Prevention Foundation, who has made many contributions to humanitarian and diplomatic activities in Vietnam, has just been awarded the Order of Merit by the Italian Government.

This is Italy's highest award for individuals with outstanding contributions in the humanitarian and social fields.

Representing the Government of the Republic of Italy, Italian Ambassador to Vietnam Marco della Seta presented this honor to Mr. Greig Craft. But perhaps the greatest reward for him is not the titles, but the times he entered the clinic, the operating room with Italian and Vietnamese doctors - where each smile revived after surgery is a living proof of compassion and friendship across borders.

“Mr. Greig Craft is not only a great friend of Vietnam and Italy, but also a symbol of the strong connection between medicine, compassion and international friendship,” Ambassador Marco della Seta shared.

Mr. Greig Craft is Thien Nhan's godfather and co-founder of the program "Thien Nhan and Friends," one of the typical faces representing the steadfast commitment for Vietnamese children. (Photo: PV/Vietnam+)

“From surgical support activities to organizing and training, to exchanging expertise, he has contributed to creating a truly international humanitarian network that has brought about change for thousands of Vietnamese families,” the Ambassador commented.

Over the past three decades, Mr. Greig Craft has been a pioneer in promoting the normalization of Vietnam-US relations, founding AmCham Vietnam and building Protec - the world's first non-profit helmet factory, for the safety of millions of children and motorcyclists.

It was from the love for Thien Nhan - a baby who was abandoned and lost a body part after a tragic accident but miraculously revived, and the desire to give a chance to live a full life to children with genitourinary malformations, Mr. Greig Craft, his wife (Mrs. Na Huong), Thien Nhan's adoptive mother - journalist Tran Mai Anh and Dr. Roberto De Castro - an Italian reconstructive surgeon, founded the program "Thien Nhan and Friends" in 2011.

After 15 years of continuous operation, the program has examined, operated and consulted for free for more than thousands of children across Vietnam. With the participation of dozens of doctors and physicians mainly from Italy, the UK, Turkey, the US and leading hospitals in Vietnam. Not only does the program provide treatment, it also organizes professional seminars, supports training and sends Vietnamese doctors abroad to study at major hospitals, and donates essential medical equipment to domestic treatment facilities, contributing to improving the capacity of the medical industry and creating sustainable influence.

In 2011, he was awarded the Friendship Medal by the President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. In 2025, his tireless contributions were once again internationally recognized with the Order of Merit from the Italian Government./.

(Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/dai-su-italy-trao-huan-chuong-cho-nguoi-do-dau-chu-linh-chi-thien-nhan-post1075142.vnp