Children's Bridge Foundation

In March 2006, the Children’s Bridge Foundation’s manager, Kate Maslen, visited three orphanages in Vietnam. Kate took numerous photos on her trip. Upon her return, Kate sent me a DVD containing all of her photos so that I could use them in a presentation I was preparing for the Foundation. At an orphanage located about an hour outside of Hanoi, called Hai Duong. there were 800 children. After viewing dozens of photos, there was one little boy I could not stop thinking about. He had a huge tumour (hemangioma) on the left side of his face. In June, I asked Kate to contact our representative in Vietnam to find out if the tumour was operable. The orphanage staff was unsure of the answer.

Another two months passed and this little boy continued to occupy Kate’s thoughts and mine. At the end of August Kate and I agreed that we just had to do something for this little boy. Tan Ngo, our Vietnam coordinator arranged for the boy, 10 year old Son Pham, to go to a children’s hospital in Hanoi. The tests commenced in September and continued to the end of November (we also began raising funds to help cover the costs of these tests and trips to Hanoi).

In late 2006, Tan Ngo, was in Vietnam and he met with both Son Pham and the orphanage Director. The tumour had grown considerably since March and the opening in Son Pham’s mouth had become dangerously small. It had been determined that there were no physicians in Hanoi capable of performing such a difficult corrective surgery. It had also been determined that if an operation wasn’t possible in the next few months, this ten year old boy would almost certainly die.

Son Pham was brought to the orphanage when he was three years old because birth defects of any kind are deemed to be bad luck in many Asian cultures and because his family was too poor to provide proper medical care. At the end of November, it appeared that the same tumour that resulted in Son Pham losing his family, was going to also cause him to lose his life.

Before Tan was able to leave the orphanage, Son Pham wrote a letter to Kate Maslen. When translated, the note says:

Aunt Kate, Please help me. Son Pham.

In December, we received the news that Son Pham was placed at the top of a waiting list for a US charity that will perform his surgery. A team of physicians from the US will travel to Vietnam to perform surgeries for children in March, 2007.

First, the good news:
The U.S. doctors have finally arrived in Vietnam. They have examined Son Pham and have commenced treatment. Son Pham is traveling to Hanoi each day to receive injections directly into the tumour. The purpose of these injections is to harden the tumour so that it can, hopefully, be surgically removed in two to three months time. If the tumour hardens enough, the surgery will be performed . . . in the United States.

Now for the bad news:
Son Pham is now in constant pain and can no longer feed himself. The tumour has started to harden and this has almost completely closed the small opening in his mouth. His daily trips to Hanoi, 90 minutes each way sitting in a crowded truck, have become unbearable for him. Now that the tumour is solidifying, even the slightest movement causes him excruciating pain. When he returns to the orphanage each day, all he does is lie in his bed and cry.

The Orphanage Director said that, every day when Hoang Son goes to Hanoi, he takes with him the two toys Foundation volunteers and staff sent to him last month. As painful as it is for him, all the way to Hanoi and all the way back to the orphanage, he holds these prized – and only – possessions as tight as he can for fear that he may drop them or have them taken away.

While the doctors have said that they will donate their time to perform the surgery in the U.S., they will not cover any of the expenses associated with travel nor will they cover additional expenses associated with the surgery itself or for Son Pham’s stay in the U.S.

What you can do to help:
For the short term, we want to pay for room and board in Hanoi for Son Pham and for his nanny so that this dear little boy doesn’t have to experience the additional pain associated with his daily truck trips to Hanoi. We also need to pay for special food supplements that his nanny can feed him through the small opening remaining in his mouth. If this opening closes further as a result of the injections, we will need to hospitalize Son Pham so that he can be feed intravenously until he travels to the U.S. We will also need funds to pay for this.

We are currently exploring the possibility of bringing Son Pham to Canada for his surgery. Wherever he goes for surgery, airfare to North America for Son Pham and his nanny will be required, as a minimum. We will let you know what total expected costs are as more information about the course of his treatment becomes available.

If you can make a donation of any amount to help Son Pham, please send a cheque to the Children’s Bridge Foundation (Children’s Bridge Foundation, Attention: Kate Maslen, 1400 Clyde Avenue, Suite 221, Ottawa, Ontario, K2G3J2) or click here to make a donation on-line in the "Fund Designation" feild, choose "Son Pham". We assure you that 100% of your donation will go towards helping Son Pham.

We will post any updates to this page and will include them in the Children’s Bridge Weekly Updates.

The response of Canadians to this young boy living half a world away provides reassurance to all of us that anything is possible. We would like to extend our deepest thanks to everyone who has generously donated time, efforts, and financial support to help us bring Son Pham to Canada.

Son Pham
Son Pham received the second injection into his tumor. The purpose of these injections is to stop the blood flow to the tumor. A hemangioma consists primarily of blood vessels. If the tumor isn't isolated from the rest of Son Pham's circulatory system, he could bleed to death during surgery.

As painful as these injections are for Son Pham, they are absolutely necessary. Until Son Pham travels to Canada for his surgery, he and his nanny will be staying in Hanoi close to the hospital so that Son Pham can get any treatment he needs and so that he does not have to endure the long trips between orphanage and hospital.

Canadian Hospital Update
This has been a week of information gathering. We are anxiously awaiting the arrival of the CT scan of Son Pham's hemangioma from Hanoi Children's Hospital. This test result is required by Toronto Sick Kids and by the IWK in Halifax to compose a complete treatment plan for Son Pham. The treatment plan will provide us with a breakdown of costs associated with Son Pham's journey to Canada. Copies will be given to both hospitals.

Son Pham's Orphanage
The Hai Doung Orphanage, home to Son Pham and over 700 other orphaned and abandoned children, was built in 1982 to house, feed, educate and train orphans, handicapped children, Agent Orange victims and other children in desperate need of shelter. This area of Vietnam was heavily bombed by Americans and heavily sprayed with Agent Orange during the Vietnam War. The high levels of dioxin in the soil and in the food supply have resulted in abnormally high rates of birth defects in this area. What was once a bomb crater has now become a pond in the centre of Hai Duong Orphanage. The orphanage staff, including the Director, are all committed to helping the children in their care to the best of their ability. Every one of them has been deeply touched by the difficult plight of Son Pham. The Director of Hai Duong has accompanied Son Pham to the hospital for his treatments.

The Foundation has been putting money into this orphanage for the past two years and will continue to do so for many years to come. The needs at this facility are great. The children's rooms have 5 bunk beds. The beds are metal with bamboo mats. It is not uncommon for more than one child to share each bunk. The main yard has a metal swing and there are very few other activities available for the children. Most of the children in this centre are school aged and have varying degrees of special medical needs. Many children use sign language to communicate with one another. Assistance is required for basic breakfast nutrition programs and to purchase supplies ranging from soap and towels to sign language and trade education tools. In the words of one generous donor, "I want to help make sure that that these kids will not have to use coconuts for soccer balls ever again!"

We just put up a large photo gallery of this orphange on our website. Please click here for more information on The Hai Doung Orphanage and to view the pictures.

Better Learning through Better Vision
In two weeks, Jonathan Arnel, a member of the Children's Bridge Foundation Board of Directors, will travel with his family to Hai Duong to conduct eye examinations for the children. The goal of this mission is to provide the children with glasses and or medical care. The children’s' capacity to learn will be dramatically enhanced through improved vision.

The Son Pham Fund

Families who have already given to the Son Pham Fund can double the impact of their gift through corporate gift matching. On the Children’s Bridge Foundation website, there is a list of companies that will match charitable gifts made by their employees.

http://www.cbfoundation.com/donations_matchedgift.html

If we are so fortunate to encounter a situation where the money raised exceeds Son Pham’s treatment costs, remaining funds would be used to help the 700+ children residing at Son Pham’s orphanage, Hai Duong. Details and pictures of Hai Duong can be found at http://www.cbfoundation.com/prog_vn-haiduong.html

Son Pham
Son Pham and his nanny continue to reside in modest living quarters near the Children’s Hospital in Hanoi. He is receiving all of his food in liquid form. The Children’s Bridge Foundation is paying for all of this. While Son continues to be in pain, he is deeply touched by the outpouring of love and help coming from Canadians.

Our Vietnam program coordinator, Tan Ngo, will be traveling to Vietnam on Saturday. Tan is bringing a care package of clothing, vitamins, toiletries, toys, and books to Son Pham that was put together by Foundation staff and volunteers.

Canadian Hospital Update
Formal applications for the treatment of Son Pham have been made at both Toronto Sick Kids and at the IWK in Halifax. On these applications, Son’s doctor in Vietnam has agreed to provide post-operative care for Son Pham, with the understanding that the Children’s Bridge Foundation will be paying all costs associated with his treatment. Without this commitment from Son Pham’s doctor and from the Foundation, Son would not be considered for treatment in Canada.

Clarification
In earlier updates we had indicated that Son Pham was receiving daily injections into his hemangioma. This information was incorrect. We had been told by the Hai Duong Orphanage Director that Son had to travel to the Children’s Hospital in Hanoi every day because of the injections. We misinterpreted this information. In actuality, Son was traveling to the hospital every day because of the pain he was experiencing as a result of the injection. He is receiving an injection every two weeks.

In the News
Shelley Page wrote an article for the April 1st edition of the Ottawa Citizen. This thought-provoking story can be found by clicking here.

This story also included a large photo of Son Pham (doesn’t show up on the above link).

In addition to this, the story about Son Pham was also featured on CTV News on Ottawa on CJOH TV. Joanne Schnurr, a reporter/producer for CJOH did an outstanding job on the story. The segment includes interviews with both Kate Maslen and Tan Ngo.

In Closing

We Googled “Son Pham” and came across a website that has a following in the U.S. Below is the original post plus responses to the message:

My wife and I receive a weekly newsletter from an adoption agency here in Canada. This week they posted a request for donations to help out a 10 year old boy in Vietnam. I can usually be cold hearted about this kind of stuff, but this guy will burn a hole into your brain.

The adoption agency is non-profit, 100% of your donation will go to helping out Son Pham. A small donation can go a long way in Vietnam.

* you are not allowed to complain about money, rates, work situation etc. for 48 hours after reading the story.
pass the link on.
thanks
CN
http://www.cbfoundation.com/HoangSonPham.html

Add a Comment

________________________________________
Comments:

Posted by Rob Dunlavey at 9:14 am on March 20th

OK, you're on. No complaining for 48 hours!

The on-line donation for this kid was very easy by the way --if you feel so moved.
________________________________________

Posted by Adam McCauley at 11:59 am on March 20th

Man, what a sad story. Thanks for the link Christian, a donation has been made.

________________________________________

Posted by Gary Taxali at 10:29 pm on March 20th

Ditto here. To a donation and ceasefire on complaints.

In addition, I think everyone's donation should include making someone else donate also. Try and get at least one person and make them do the same for this Vietnamese child.

Gary
p.s. Donation took all of 1 minute.

Hospital Update
We continue to await any official word from the Toronto Sick Kids and the IWK Children’s Hospital in Halifax.

We remain hopeful and will let you know as soon as we hear anything.

As the hospitals cannot disclose details of this case to our supporters, we would kindly request that all inquiries regarding the status of Son Pham’s case be directed to Kate Maslen, Manager of the Children’s Bridge Foundation.

Kate Maslen (613)226-2112x2
katemaslen@cbfoundation.com

Son Pham
Our Vietnam program coordinator, Tan Ngo, visited Son Pham on Friday and delivered a care package prepared by Foundation staff and volunteers. This package included new clothes, toiletries, toys, writing utensils and notebooks, and cards/photos prepared by our supporters.

Son was overwhelmed when he received the parcel. Tan indicated that his favorite item was a toy airplane. Son Pham has never seen a real airplane before. Tan said that he saw Son Pham smile for the first time when he lifted the airplane over his head and made ‘engine’ noises so loud that the nurses had to ask him to be quiet.

Son has one injection remaining before he is ready to be assessed for surgery. These injections are extremely painful for Son and he sleeps for a couple of days after each injection. The medication is having an effect on his appetite and he is losing some weight, but his caregivers in Vietnam are doing everything possible to ensure that he gets the nourishment, pain medication and care he needs. We are trying to avoid the need for a feeding tube, as this would add complications to his journey to Canada. The sooner we get him to Canada, the better his chances for survival will be..

Children Helping Children
We continue to hear stories of children doing their part to help Son Pham. This week we would like to recognize the following youth for their generosity and kindness.

Maryfrances Carton, Hannah Carton & Yili Carton, and Isaac Taylor for donating their savings to help Son Pham
Bryanna & Cassidy Thompson

Bryanna & Cassidy Thompson decided to raise money to help children in orphanages in Asia rather than receive gifts at their combined Birthday celebration.
Eight year old, Alexandria Gignac Goulet, took the initiative of telling everyone she knows about Son Pham. She made a list of contacts, made phone calls, and hand wrote thank you notes to everyone who donated.

May 18th, 2007 Update

On May 8th, Tan Ngo, who is currently in Vietnam helping to process adoptions for Children’s Bridge, visited Son again. Son can no longer speak. The hardening mass in his cheek makes talking impossible. Eating is also becoming increasingly difficult and Son is losing weight. With money from the Son Pham Fund, a food processor has been purchased so that Son’s nanny can puree fruit for him as a supplement to the liquid meal replacements he is currently receiving. Son continues to live with his nanny in a room close to the hospital in Hanoi. He will stay there until he flies to Canada. Fortunately, Son only has one more injection and he will receive this fourth and final injection this week.

Hospital Update
We have just received a letter from Toronto Sick Kids requesting that Son come to Canada for further diagnostic tests. After the results of the tests are known, Sick Kids will make a decision final recommendation (and final costs) regarding Son’s surgery.

We will be working over the next few weeks to identify a host family for Son Pham in Toronto. An ideal candidate will live close to the Hospital for Sick Children (Sick Kids) as Son Pham will likely have to attend numerous appointments. Son Pham and his escort do not speak English. We are hoping to find a family where one member is fluent in both English and Vietnamese.

Physicians at SickKids have estimated that Son Pham will need to stay in Canada for a minimum of three-four months. If there are complications, and Son Pham requires critical care for a prolonged period, the costs could increase dramatically. At this point, we are expecting that Son will have at last two surgeries. We will know with more certainty Son’s treatment plan and the associated costs once SickKids has completed his preliminary assessment.

June 1st, 2007 Update
This update is also available in Vietnamese. Please Click Here

This week we are happy to be able to share with you some good news.

Vietnamese Community in Canada
Our sincerest thanks are extended to the Thoi Bao Vietnamese newspaper published out of Toronto for raising awareness for our campaign in Vietnamese communities across Canada. Many Vietnamese Canadians have come forward to make donations and to offer assistance with our efforts to bring Son Pham to Canada for life-saving surgery. Last week, on one day alone, 52 donations from Vietnamese Canadians were received at our office in Ottawa.

Hospital Update
We continue to work with the hospital for Sick Children in Toronto to make the final preparations for Son’s journey to Canada.

Son Pham
Son continues to reside with his nanny in Hanoi close to the hospital. He has received his fourth and final steroid injection into his cheek. While he is no longer able to speak, he is still, fortunately, able to consume liquids. We are currently focused on getting Son and his nanny their passports and visas necessary for them to travel to Canada.

A Special Family For Son
SickKids has estimated that Son and his nanny will need to remain in Canada for approximately four months from the time of assessment to the time that Son Pham is well enough to travel back to Vietnam. The Children's Bridge Foundation is currently looking for a volunteer host family that is willing to open their home to Son Pham and his nanny for a three month period this summer/fall. As this volunteer role requires a significant commitment of time and energy, modest compensation will be provided to cover basic expenses.

An ideal family would reside close to the Toronto Hospital for Sick Children and would meet the following criteria:

At least one family member speaks Vietnamese and English
At least one family member has a valid driver's license and is able to assist with local transportation
Are willing to assist with meal preparation or provide access to cooking facilities in their home
Are willing to provide regular updates to Children's Bridge Foundation staff

As this is a life-altering journey for Son Pham, we want to ensure that he and his nanny are able to stay in a warm and welcoming Canadian home. Son Pham has had minimal opportunity to travel outside of Hai Duong city and will likely be quite overwhelmed by this experience. Son Pham and his nanny are not familiar with Canadian customs and will require a patient family that will help introduce them to life in Canada. To find out more information about this very important part of Son's journey, please contact Tan Ngo at (613)226-2112 x8 or tanngo@childrensbridge.com.

June 28th, 2007 Update

Son Pham is Coming to Canada

After a lifetime of suffering, Son Pham, a 10 year old orphan from Vietnam, will be coming to Canada this weekend.

In many ways, Son's journey will just be beginning when, for the first time in his life, he boards the airplane in Hanoi to fly half-way around the world for what we all hope will be life-saving surgery.

While the outcome for Son is still frought with uncertainty, his future is definitely brighter than it was just seven months ago when surgeons in Vietnam concluded that the surgical removal of Son's hemangioma was too difficult for them to even attempt. At that point, Son faced certain death as his hemangioma continued to grow and would cut off his airways before his 11th birthday.

After he registers with the Vietnamese Embassy in Ottawa, Son and his nanny will be taken to Toronto, where they will meet the family that has generously offered to host Son and his nanny for their expected 4 month stay in Canada. The orphanage Director (Son's legal guardian) will accompany Son and his nanny to Canada. He will return to Vietnam once Son and his nanny are settled in with the host family.

In July, Son will undergo a series of tests at Toronto Sickkids, after which the doctors will make a final decision on his treatment and surgery. During this period, we will not be able to provide updates to you, as Sickkids cannot release any information until after the surgery is performed.

But for not, the news is all good. Son is coming to Canada.

June 29th, 2007 Update

Son Pham has Arrived

It was a beautiful sight to see Son Pham coming down the escalator hand-in- hand with Tan Ngo, at the Ottawa International Airport. Kate Maslen, standing at the bottom of the escalator, greeted Son with open arms. Son Pham was in surprisingly good spirits and was obviously happy to see some familiar faces. We would like to extend our thanks to the Children’s Bridge staff members and Foundation supporters who came out to the airport to welcome Son Pham to Canada.

It is heartwarming to watch Son Pham absorb all the things that Canadians experience and use in our daily lives. Son is very inquisitive and is fascinated by anything and everything. From coffee pots and alarm clocks to toys and treats, Son wants to touch and try everything.

Son Pham will be resting for the next few days in Ottawa before making the trip to Toronto for the initial tests at Toronto Sickkids. We will not know the exact details of Son’s surgery and treatment plan until the initial examinations have been completed.

We are still actively fundraising to reach our goal of $150,000.

It is impossible to adequately express our gratitude to those who have made contributions to the Children’s Bridge Foundation to help Son Pham. We could not have made it this far without you.

Boy arrives in Canada for life-saving surgery
Updated Mon. Jul. 2 2007 10:02 PM ET
CTV News: Rosemary Thompson on the touching tale
Video 2:00min

July 10th, 2007 Update

Son Pham has begun a series of medical tests at the Toronto Hospital for Sick Children. While there is no news we can report on from a medical perspective, we can let you know how he is doing.

Son is adjusting quickly to Canadian life. He is a brave little boy who is every bit as sweet and innocent as he appears to be on camera. When Son and his nanny aren’t at Sick Kids hospital, they spend time with the host family at their home. The host family speaks Vietnamese and they have four children ages 4, 6, 8 and 10. Son enjoys playing with all of the children, especially with the ten-year-old boy who was born just one day before Son. For Son this is proving to be a wonderful escape from the reality of the time he spends at the hospital.

Son is also starting to miss his friends at the Hai Duong Orphanage. These friends are his family and, despite the extremely harsh life he has at the orphanage, he is looking forward to returning there when he is better.

Son now begins the most difficult part of his journey. He has already shown that he is a determined and brave little boy, but the months to come will be the hardest yet.

Our goal is now to raise $200,000 to cover the costs of Son Pham’s medical treatment, travel, and accommodation while in Canada, plus his follow-up care when he returns to Vietnam. Every dollar raised will go directly towards Son’s care and treatment. If for any reason, the final costs are less than $200,000, every remaining dollar will be directed to Son Pham’s orphanage, the Hai Duong Social Service Centre.

Thank you again for the donations you have made for the Son Pham Fund. We will do our best to keep you informed of his progress.

July 26th, 2007 Update
This update is also available in Vietnamese. Please click here.

Thanks to the outpouring of concern and generosity from our supporters, Son has been able to travel halfway around the world to Canada, and he now has completed his preliminary assessment at the Toronto Hospital for Sick Children. The results of these examinations will determine if Son Pham will be able to receive the surgery he needs to save his life. We will not have information regarding Son Pham's treatment plan until August. We have been advised that treatment and surgery for Son Pham could be long, complicated, and high-risk. Whatever the doctors decide, it will be a difficult road ahead for this brave little boy.

Our fundraising efforts continue as we work to reach our goal of $200,000.

If you are interested in sponsoring a child please visit:
http://www.cbfoundation.com/prog_vn-sponsorship.html

Over the past few weeks, we have received many inquiries about volunteer opportunities with the Children's Bridge Foundation. To learn more about becoming a volunteer, please visit:
http://www.cbfoundation.com/volunteers.html
and complete one of our volunteer applications.

September 18th, 2007 Update

Medical Tests at Sick Kids
On July 4th Son began undergoing a series of medical tests at the Toronto Hospital for Sick Children. Son spent much of July and August at Sick Kids Hospital. When he wasn’t at the hospital, he split his time between the host family in Toronto and with Tan Ngo’s family in Ottawa. Tan is the Vietnam Adoption Program Manager with Children’s Bridge and he volunteers his time with the Children’s Bridge Foundation. Son did have some opportunities to do some sightseeing over the summer and to just play like a 10 year old boy should.

While most of Son’s medical tests have been completed, it could still be a number of weeks before Son’s doctors are able to determine what they are able to do to help him.

Missing Home
Son misses his friends at the Hai Duong Orphanage. These friends are like family to him and, despite the extremely harsh life he has had, he is looking forward to returning to the orphanage when he is better.

We are providing regular updates to the staff and children at Son’s orphanage. They all miss him and they wish him well.

Fundraising Target
In October we are hoping to receive additional, specific information from the Toronto Hospital for Sick Children about the proposed treatment plan for Son Pham and the associated medical costs. Until we receive this information, our fundraising target will remain at $200,000. As soon as we know what the expected costs for Son’s medical treatment, accommodations, living expenses, travel and follow-up care in Vietnam will be, we will let you know and will adjust our target if required. Every dollar raised will go directly towards Son’s care and treatment. If for any reason, the final costs are less than the money raised for Son, every remaining dollar will be directed to Son Pham’s orphanage, the Hai Duong Social Service Centre.

It is impossible to adequately express our gratitude to those who have made contributions to help Son Pham. Son is extremely grateful for everything you have done to help him and to make him feel so loved and wanted. We will do our best to keep you informed of his progress. Updates will be posted to our website as they become available.

November 1st, 2007 Update
This update is also available in Vietnamese. Please Click Here

This morning we met with doctors and staff at the Toronto Hospital for Sick Children to hear the results of Son Pham’s medical assessment. While we had always known there was a possibility that SickKids may not be able to treat Son, we did not allow ourselves to dwell on that possibility.

Well, today, our fears came true. After spending two months reviewing all of the results of Son’s medical tests and after looking at all possible treatments and outcomes, the medical review team at SickKids has concluded that it is in Son’s best interest to not receive any treatment. This is a case where the treatment would be worse than the condition itself. The only effective treatment plan would have resulted in Son essentially spending the next 5 years in a hospital thousands of miles away from his home.

There is some good news, though. After extensive testing, doctors have determined that, in all likelihood, the growth on Son’s cheek will not claim his life. The growth has been determined to be like a birthmark. This means that it will stop growing when he stops growing.

At the outset, we were compelled to help Son. We wanted to provide Son with better quality of life and with a brighter future. While things haven’t turned out the way we had hoped (and prayed) for, Son’s daily life and his future will be brighter thanks to the incredible generosity of Canadians.
While all of us – Son and his nanny in particular – are still digesting this news and everything that it implies, there have been a few decisions made.

In the time that Son has been in Canada, it became apparent just how attached Son is to Mai, his nanny, and how attached she is to him. Son had lived in foster care with Mai when he first arrived at the orphanage, but once he reached school age, he had to live at the orphanage. The wonderful news that Mai told us today at the hospital is that she, her husband and her three daughters all want Son to live with them permanently. Through financial support from the Children’s Bridge Foundation, we will make this possible. For the first time in his memory, Son will have a family. He will continue to go to school at the orphanage, but at the end of the day, he will go home to his new family.

Regarding the orphanage, as we promised from the start, every dollar not spent on Son’s medical assessment, care, travel and living expenses, will go directly towards improving the living conditions and providing educational and developmental programs to benefit Son and the 700 other children registered at the orphanage. As this is all new and we are still adjusting to the reality that Son will not receive treatment, we have not yet decided exactly what the money will go towards at the orphanage, but there is no shortage of needs. Son Pham will have the opportunity to input his thoughts and suggestions into this process, so it is likely that there will be a soccer field and computers. We will keep you informed of any decisions in this area. One thing is for certain and that is the fact that, with the medical care we will be investing in for the children at the orphanage, we will hope to be able to catch any other serious medical conditions early enough to treat them.

No specific plans have been made yet for Son’s return to Vietnam, but Tan Ngo will be taking Son and his nanny mother home in a few weeks.

We promise to keep you posted on any new developments and will provide regular updates on Son Pham. We plan to follow his progress for many years to come.

November 5th, 2007 Update

In accordance with the wishes of Son Pham and his legal guardian, Mai Thi Dong, the Children’s Bridge Foundation is seeking a second medical opinion regarding treatment of Son’s condition, a venous anomaly. Ten-year-old Son has said that he wants to pursue all options rather than return to Vietnam untreated. His legal guardian supports this decision.

At this point we are still gathering information on obtaining this second medical opinion for Son. Thank you to all of you have provided us with recommendations based upon your own experiences.

In the meantime, we are in the process of obtaining from SickKids Son’s medical records and the $72,000 we deposited with them in June less any expenditures they have incurred in their assessment process.

We will keep you informed of any significant developments.

December 13th, 2007 Update
Official Press Release

SON PHAM TO RECEIVE TREATMENT AT CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL BOSTON

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.

January 16th, 2008 Update
- Son Pham in Boston Mass., USA - Jan 2008

After months of travel, tests, hope, heartbreak, then renewed hope, Son Pham has taken a big step on his journey to a healthier, happier life.

This week Son traveled from Halifax to Boston to begin his treatment.

Physicians at Children’s Hospital Boston will assess Son and carry out a tracheaostomy so that his airway will stay open even if there is any swelling from his treatments. This is a very difficult but necessary step, and Son is a brave and determined little boy.

Son was accompanied to Boston by the President of the Children’s Bridge Foundation, Olwyn Walter, who has made a home for Son in Halifax during his treatment. The Foundation’s Vietnam Coordinator, Tan Ngo, is also with Son, and they were joined by Foundation Manager, Kate Maslen

The generosity of thousands of Canadians has made this important step possible. Thanks to your donations and support from the physicians of the Children’s Hospital Boston, and the Ray Tye Medical Aid Foundation, Son is able to get the treatment he so desperately needs. The Foundation is continuing to raise funds to pay for Son’s continuing care over the months of treatment to come.

We’ll send further updates on Son’s progress, and we know you join us in wishing all goes well for this courageous boy.

February 1st, 2008 Update

With the help of donations from people like you, Son was able to have his tracheostomy in Boston and is recovering well. He’s back in Halifax where he lives during treatment with Olwyn Walter, president of CBF, and her family. He’s eating well, and he was excited to go back to school. His classmates are very protective of him, but Son immediately joined an energetic game of basketball.

At Son’s home at the Hai Duong orphanage, many of the children are hearing impaired. Martha Maslen, former head of Children’s Bridge International Adoption Consultants, thought Son might have learned American Sign Language to communicate with his friends. Martha’s hunch was right, so we now have another way to communicate with Son during the difficult times of his treatment. His ESL teacher reports that Son is a very bright student.

Son’s determination is as strong as ever. He will soon return to Children’s Hospital in Boston for the next step in his treatment.

While some of the costs for Son’s treatment are covered by the generous gifts from the Children’s Hospital Boston and the Ray Tye Foundation for Medical Aid, there are still thousands of dollars needed to provide out-of-hospital care, travel costs and living expenses. The cost of providing the equipment and supplies for home-care of his tracheostomy for the next year is expected to be over $15,000 and this doesn’t include the cost of having VON nurses visiting him once per day for at least one week following each trip to Boston. We need your support for Son Pham more than ever.

Son will celebrate his eleventh birthday on February 9th. You can join in the celebration by making a gift toward his continuing care. This year some school children will be celebrating with Son though the Foundation’s Change for a Change program. Your generous support has made it possible for Son to come this far. Please help him continue his difficult journey.

February 14th, 2008 Update

On February 12th Son Pham underwent his second treatment at Children’s Hospital Boston. The first part of the treatment involved a procedure to put a line of stitches along the mouth region of the venous malformation. The stitches were necessary to ensure that the sclerotherapy (an injection of an irritating solution to shrink abnormal veins) would effectively target a portion of the growth rather than flow through the whole malformation with less effect.

Once the stitches were in place, the first sclerotherapy was performed by an interventional radiologist. Son was under general anesthetic for both treatments. Both treatments went as planned. Unfortunately, the initial result of most sclerotherapy treatments is swelling. The region around Son’s mouth was and remains quite swollen. The swelling is expected to last a few weeks so it will take some time before doctors will be able to assess the full effects of the treatment. The timing for the next sclerotherapy will be determined by Son’s overall response to the first treatment.

Son has been incredibly brave and strong throughout the duration of his stay at the hospital. Each time Son comes to Boston, he meets new friends with similar conditions. This has been a helpful support as Son embarks on this difficult journey.

We would like to extend our deepest thanks to Air Canada for accepting Son Pham into the Kids’ Horizons hospital transportation program. Through this initiative, Air Canada annually provides approximately 2700 flights to pediatric hospitals across Canada to help children reach medical treatment not available in their community. Air Canada and the IWK Health Sciences Centre in Halifax will assist Son and his guardians with transportation from Halifax to Boston for his treatments over the coming year.

Individuals can help Son and other children like him by donating Aeroplan points to the Air Canada Kid’s Horizon’s program. For additional information please check the top of this page or visit http://www.aircanada.com/en/about/community/kids.html.

April 29th, 2008 Update

UPDATE ON SON PHAM’S ONGOING LIFE SAVING TREATMENT IN BOSTON

OTTAWA, Ontario, April 29, 2008 - It has been a long road for Son Pham, an eleven-year-old Vietnamese orphan with a cantaloupe-sized growth on the left side of his cheek, who was brought to

Canada

in June 2007 by the Children’s Bridge Foundation, but the final leg of this difficult journey is now underway. After receiving the devastating news in November 2007 that he would not be able to receive treatment in Canada for his life-threatening condition, all hope faded, and Son believed that he would have to return to his orphanage in Vietnam, untreated, to await certain death.

All of this changed when doctors at the Vascular Anomalies Center at Children’s Hospital Boston said that they believed that they could help Son. In January of this year Son made the first trip to Boston to meet with these doctors and to have a tracheostomy surgically put in place to ensure that he would always have a clear airway throughout the treatment process.

Son returned to Boston on February 11th to have what would be the first of many sclerotherapy procedures (an injection of a solution to shrink abnormal veins). Son’s lip area was the area targeted in this initial procedure.

Four weeks later, on March 12^th, Son was once again at the Children’s Hospital Boston preparing for his second sclerotherapy. A large area of Son’s cheek was the primary target for this treatment. The first part of the treatment involved a procedure to put a line of stitches along the mouth region and another line of stitches below Son’s left eye area. The stitches were necessary to ensure that the sclerotherapy would effectively target specific parts of the growth rather than flow through the whole malformation with less effect. Once the stitches were in place, the sclerotherapy was then performed.

Son responded so well to the initial sclerotherapy treatment that the doctors were able to do two rounds of sclerotherapy the week of March 12th.

While there is little visible difference in Son’s appearance, the areas that have been targeted with sclerotherapy are hardening and are gradually reducing in size. This is the desired result and the doctors in Boston are pleased with the progress to date.

On May 12^th 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. On this trip, as with his previous trips to the Children’s Hospital Boston, Son will be accompanied by two members of the Children’s Bridge Foundation, who will be with Son around the clock, including through the long, sometimes scary nights.

Doctors are still hopeful that most of Son’s venous malformation will be gone in the next year. During this period, in addition to traveling to Boston for treatment, Son will continue to attend school, learning English and other subjects, while maintaining contact with his own language and culture through the Vietnamese community in Halifax.

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 which are anticipated for items such as medication, additional medical costs and procedures, home care for the tracheostomy, tutors, travel, and living expenses.

	Please consider making a special gift to the China’s Children Earthquake Fund