Thien Nhan's 18th birthday

"This is a crucial and momentous surgery for the boy. Thien Nhan, upon reaching adulthood, needs further surgery, building upon what was accomplished as a child. The plan was originally for the surgery in June 2019 in the US, but the Covid-19 pandemic occurred. After that, it took another two years of discussion and arrangement because Thien Nhan was past the age for pediatric treatment, requiring a complete change of the medical team and hospital...", said journalist Tran Mai Anh, Thien Nhan's mother. This was also the time she finished writing the manuscript for " Losing a Leg Is So Joyful! " (volume 2 of "Journey of Love - Thien Nhan's Diary," previously published in 2019), to continue telling "a fairy tale born from the heart...".

Once again, the close companion of the mother and daughter, as well as the Charity Foundation and its friends – Italian doctor Roberto De Castro – stood by their side. Before the surgery, the two men, one old and one young, shared with Thanh Nien newspaper about their journey together over the past 18 years, about their own experiences at 18, and about the idea that "youth is allowed to make mistakes..." or "it's best not to make mistakes at all"...

Having witnessed and accompanied Thien Nhan's growth over the past 18 years, from the moment he was born with numerous physical injuries, fighting for every chance to live, to now being a strong, cheerful young man on the verge of adulthood, how does it feel for you?

Dr. Roberto De Castro: Of course, my love and pride for Thien Nhan and the courageous journey he has taken remain unchanged. Especially today, as he has grown up and reached an important milestone in his life: university student. It was because of this shared interest in Thien Nhan that my wife (Italian businesswoman Silvia Galandini) and I met. We often talked a lot about his future and really wanted to send him to Italy to study so we could be closer to him every day. But at 18, Nhan has his own choices, and we respect those decisions.

And Thien Nhan, why did you turn down the opportunity to study in Italy to become a first-year computer science student at VinUni University?

Thien Nhan: I chose computer science because I felt I needed to prioritize my interests and passions first. I'm very interested in artificial intelligence (AI) and what it can and cannot do to replace humans, especially in the field of healthcare . In my vision, the career I've chosen will likely be connected to the Thien Nhan Foundation, which my mother and Dr. Roberto have invested so much in, and I want to continue helping more children in similar circumstances to mine.

Staying in Vietnam also means being close to family. I need my family, and my family needs me. If there's one thing AI can't create, I think it's family love.

- Ảnh 2. — "Little Tin Soldier" Thien Nhan

A boy who, from the moment he was born, was confined to a hospital bed and underwent numerous surgeries, yet doctors helped him rewrite his own destiny—why wouldn't he aspire to become a doctor?

Thien Nhan: From what I've learned, AI will be incredibly helpful in the healthcare field, creating groundbreaking advancements in medicine. I hope that what I've learned will be applied where it's most needed, helping people as much as possible.

I understand that Dr. Roberto made an incredibly meaningful choice by dedicating almost his entire life to traveling the world helping sick children and bringing a better future to boys like me. I greatly admire his great choice, but I think I can only learn a little from him, and I'm not sure I can follow in his footsteps.

At the age of 18, on the threshold of adulthood, how did he arrive at his career choice?

Dr. Roberto De Castro: I was fortunate to be born into a family where my parents always supported me, respecting my decisions and allowing me to make my own career choices. However, I was also deeply influenced by my uncle, a general practitioner, who gave me advice I will never forget: "Don't look for jobs that bring in a lot of money; choose jobs that help the most people."

From the beginning, I wanted to be a surgeon, to do something that would make a profound difference with my own hands. Becoming a pediatric urologist was a fateful choice, and I have never regretted it. Although it's the same field of study, treating adult patients would earn you a much better income. But I'm always happy to be one of the early adopters, when my patients still have plenty of time ahead of them and I can help them as soon as possible.

- Ảnh 4. — Don't look for jobs that bring in a lot of money, but choose jobs that help the most people - Dr. Roberto De Castro

There's a saying: "Young people are allowed to make mistakes." Did you ever make any mistakes when you were young, and did you often grant yourself that right?

Dr. Roberto De Castro : That's right, young people are allowed to make mistakes. I myself have made various mistakes because of my absent-mindedness, and I'm still constantly absent-minded to this day.

Thien Nhan: I know that when people are young, they have less responsibility for their mistakes than adults. But I still think it's best not to make mistakes, because if you make a mistake, you have to correct it, and that takes a lot of time.

("Speaking of mistakes, Thien Nhan has a very classic quote: 'Thanks to being abandoned by the person who gave birth to me, I was lucky enough to be my mother's child. But if, when abandoning me, they had wrapped me up neatly and left me somewhere safe, away from animals, my mother would have a much easier time now...', Mai Anh added.")

Could a boy growing up surrounded by love ever feel that his range of choices is narrower than that of his peers: that he must be right, be obedient, to be more deserving of what he receives?

Thien Nhan: I never thought that showing love could be a pressure. It's simply about showing love in return, so why should it be a pressure? With the help I've received, even if I'm young and not old enough to repay them now, it's not too late to do so later. I can help them, and I can help others, as long as I bring joy to people as I once received.

- Ảnh 7. — Between them is a bond of kinship.

Italian cinema has a famous film called "Life Is Beautiful ." What is his definition of a beautiful life?

Dr. Roberto De Castro : As I said, I chose a profession that doesn't bring in much money but brings me much happiness because I have constantly strived for innovation, always pioneering in my field to find new methods to help my pediatric patients shorten their treatment time and suffer less physical and mental harm. Because of these tireless efforts, I have received many collaboration offers from around the world, and I have had the opportunity to share new methods and valuable professional experience that I have accumulated over the years with younger colleagues... For me, it is a happy life.

He wondered, what is his real age?

Dr. Roberto De Castro : If I didn't look in the mirror and just stayed on the marathon track, I would still believe I was... 18 years old, like Thien Nhan is now ( laughs ). I see my youth in Thien Nhan; her innocent face reflects the good things I've always strived for since I was an 18-year-old young man, losing all my belongings in front of the university gate, but never losing the fire in my heart, for decades. I see in Nhan the ability to lead others from a young age and in the midst of a group of friends. I believe Nhan will also have a fire in her heart like mine.

As you know, life is so complicated now. The world around us is full of terrible things, so many undesirable events can happen, as well as instability in Europe and the Middle East... But each individual can choose to focus on the good things. We can't change the world, but we can change ourselves.

If he could go back to being 18, what would he change?

Dr. Roberto De Castro : I have never regretted the most important decision of my life: becoming a pediatric urologist, if I could go back to being 18. Although I made mistakes along the way, and I have felt remorse and self-reproach, I accept it as the price I have paid for the path I have chosen...

Someone once said that pain helps people grow. By the time this article goes to print, Thien Nhan will undergo what is hoped to be his final surgery at the age of 18. A boy who, from birth to adulthood, has endured countless surgeries and physical pain, but has been kept alive by loving arms, will pass through the early days of 2025 with one last pain. The first-year computer science student said: AI can bring many things, including groundbreaking advances in medicine; but there is one thing that AI cannot bring, and that is love, the "fairy tales born from the human heart" that the Thien Nhan Foundation has diligently written over the past 18 years...