VI
EN
With special affection for Vietnamese children who are unfortunately disabled, two Italian volunteer doctors, Roberto De Castro and William Amighetti, wrote an autobiography titled “Il bimbo e le belve” (The Child and the Wild Beast) to recall their volunteer journeys and the story of the boy Thien Nhan.
Dr. William Amighetti said: "The novel is the story of Dr. Roberto De Castro's journey during 15 years of humanitarian mission in Vietnam and also my journey during the days of helping unfortunate children with congenital or accident defects in Vietnam and around the world."
The autobiography “Il bimbo e le belve” (The Child and the Wild Beast).
The story of Thien Nhan - a boy abandoned in the forest since birth, whose genitals and one leg were eaten by wild animals, but he still lived with great determination - is extraordinary, miraculous and the inspiration for the autobiography "Il bimbo e le belve".
Through “Il bimbo e le belve,” the two authors recall a volunteer journey over many years of activities in Italy, England, America, Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh, Syria and Vietnam.
For Roberto De Castro, those were the days of sharing and performing pioneering surgical techniques in treating deformities and transplanting genital organs for boys and girls so that they could have a peaceful life. For Dr. William Amighetti, it was bringing prosthetic legs and arms to Vietnamese children who were unfortunately disabled.
Volunteer doctor Roberto De Castro.
The author, Dr. Roberto De Castro, is also the compassionate doctor who performed the genital reconstruction surgery for Thien Nhan on January 19, 2011.
From meeting and treating Thien Nhan, Dr. Roberto De Castro and American philanthropist Greig Craft, along with Ms. Tran Mai Anh, Thien Nhan's adoptive mother, decided to found the Thien Nhan & Friends project to help other children with genital malformations and related diseases.
"Tin soldier" Thien Nhan and mother Mai Anh.
Stories of dedication, hope and resilient children will reach Italian readers on July 22. All proceeds from “Il bimbo e le belve” will be transferred to the Thien Nhan & Friends and Give me a Hand programs, with the desire to help children in Vietnam with genital and prosthetic limb treatment.
