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Doctor learns Vietnamese for 30 years, performs free surgery for children

More than 30 years ago, Dr. Christopher Runyan (from the US) made an unexpected decision: Learning Vietnamese.

Báo Lao ĐộngBáo Lao Động17/03/2025


Doctor learns Vietnamese for 30 years, performs free surgery for children

Dr. Runyan examines a disabled child before surgery. Photo: Provided by Nuoy

Try to learn Vietnamese to understand patients

Stemming from a deep desire to contribute, Dr. Runyan believes that language is the key to understanding and supporting communities in need.

"I will try to speak in Vietnamese, just a few difficult and specialized words that I cannot speak, I will speak in English" - the doctor started the conversation with us almost entirely in Vietnamese. This is also his way of approaching Vietnamese children before the surgeries.

In 2019, he came to Vietnam with the organization RICE (Reconstructive International Cooperative Exchange) in a medical cooperation program to improve the quality of treatment and surgical training.

At first, it was just a business trip, but gradually, Vietnam became a place where he devoted much of his heart and wanted to contribute to improving the healthcare system.

"My wish is to serve the children, the Vietnamese pediatric patients. I want the children with cleft lip and palate deformities, and facial deformities to be able to smile brightly like their peers, so that they can walk confidently in their lives" - Dr. Runyan confided.

Dr. Runyan participates in teaching and surgical training for Vietnamese doctors. Photo: Provided by Nuoy

Dr. Runyan participates in teaching and surgical training for Vietnamese doctors. Photo: Provided by Nuoy

In addition to his surgical practice, Dr. Runyan serves as Director of Research at Nuoy, where he focuses on improving plastic surgery outcomes through a data-driven approach. He not only mentors young physicians, but also helps build a solid knowledge base to make training more effective and practical.

Nuoy was formed from the Plastic Surgery International Cooperation (RICE) project initiated by Professor Joseph M. Rosen in 2000. Over the past 25 years, Nuoy has developed into a non-profit organization based in the United States and licensed to operate long-term in Vietnam.

Nuoy has collaborated with leading hospitals such as the National Children's Hospital, Children's Hospital 1, Viet Duc Hospital and Hong Ngoc Hospital to perform thousands of specialized surgeries, improving the quality of life for patients.

In 2024, recognizing the need for specialized maxillofacial surgery, Dr. Runyan spent 6 weeks at Hong Ngoc Hospital to support the establishment of the Maxillofacial Surgery Center. He directly trained doctors, introduced new techniques, and built a program that could be developed in the long term.

Foreign doctors determined to pursue medical practice certificates in Vietnam

Currently, one special thing is that Dr. Runyan is determined to become a real doctor in Vietnam, by pursuing a Certificate to practice medicine in Vietnam.

"This is not only a legal step but also demonstrates my desire to have a long-term commitment to the health system here, helping me participate more deeply in treatment and teaching," Dr. Runyan confided.

In the 2022-2024 period alone, Dr. Christopher Runyan and his colleagues at Nuoy have made significant strides in expanding access to reconstructive surgery, enhancing local medical capacity, and strengthening domestic and international collaboration.

Portrait of a doctor - the surgeon who performed surgery on many disabled children in Vietnam. Photo: Provided by Nuoy

Portrait of Dr. Christopher Runyan - who performs surgery for many disabled Vietnamese children. Photo: Provided by Nuoy

In 3 years, 510 patients were examined and treated for free, 194 surgeries were performed successfully. Nuoy also successfully organized 17 seminars and specialized training courses, supported research with 7 scientific articles, and built a cooperative network with 6 medical partners. Dr. Runyan contributed significantly to these successes. His surgical skills are admired and studied by many Vietnamese doctors.

At the same time, Nuoy has donated more than 600,000 USD in medical equipment and provided 41,000 USD in scholarships for Vietnamese doctors.

For Dr. Runyan, supporting Vietnam’s healthcare system goes beyond surgeries and beyond helping disabled children regain their normal faces. By training young doctors, building professional programs, and immersing themselves in the Vietnamese healthcare environment, he is working to create lasting changes.

Source: https://laodong.vn/y-te/bac-si-30-nam-hoc-tieng-viet-phau-thuat-mien-phi-cho-tre-em-1477691.ldo


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