I cant let my child grow up without a body part
The incident happened in early 2025, when baby Nguyen Van Minh (7 years old, Thai Nguyen) was already active and healthy, he suddenly had unusual pain and fatigue in his legs. Shortly after, those pains became signs of one of the most fearsome diseases in children: bone cancer. "I just complain of tired legs and night pain. I think it's probably because my child runs a lot of dancing, people say he lacks calcium, so I'm also subjective," said Vu Thi Hien, Minh's mother, recalling.
During the April 30 holiday, May 1, she discovered that her Minh thighs were unusually swollen. After a thorough examination and test, the family was shocked to receive the news: bone cancer stage IIB, the tumor had spread all over the thighs. The pain increased when most hospitals offered the only solution to save Minh's life, which was to amputate his leg. But her instinct as a mother made Ms. Hien unable to accept that: "What will your childhood be like if you lose your legs? I have to find every way. She took her child to all kinds of large and small hospitals, worried but determined not to give up any chance to keep her legs.
At a time when there seemed to be no more hope, Ms. Hien heard about spending conservation cases for bone cancer patients using personalized 3D printing technology at Vinmec. Without hesitation, at noon that day, the mother and child went to Hanoi and Vinmec Times City International General Hospital.
After examination and consultation at the Interdisciplinary Osteoporosis Council (MTB Sarcoma) chaired by Prof. Dr. Tran Trung Dung - General Director of Vinmec Health System, the doctors informed Ms. Hien that he was reviving: Minh's condition could still keep his legs. However, the boy will have to replace the entire thigh with personalized 3D printing material - an advanced technique that completely removes the tumor and preserves motor function.
Special surgery and the second practice journey
On October 15, 2025, Minh was taken to the operating room at Vinmec. This is a complex major surgery, a turning point that will decide the future of a child. The surgery lasted for many hours, the doctors had to both treat the invasive tumor and preserve maximum healthy tissue, while accurately recreating the structure of the thigh to ensure the baby could walk normally later. After four hours, the surgery ended successfully to the chaos of the entire team.
When the doctor said we have kept our childs leg, I burst into tears. For the first time in many months, I cried because I was relieved, because hope had become a reality, Ms. Hien shared.
However, surgery is only half the way. Minh still needs to practice rehabilitation, control pain and adjust movement. For the Minh child, the biggest challenge is not technology but the recovery process. The child is only 7 years old, has undergone 2-3 months of chemotherapy, and then faces a major surgery. To travel later, the child must start recovering right 1-2 days after surgery, while children who only need a little pain are uncooperative, said Dr. Nguyen Tran Quang Sang Head of the Department of Osteoporology and Software of Vinmec Times City.
At Vinmec, physical therapists and rehabilitation specialists accompany pediatric patients every day. The first steps after surgery were very difficult and painful, sometimes Minh burst into tears out of fear. But every time the child get weak, there are always doctors and nurses to gently support and encourage him. "For normal people, recovery is difficult, for 7-year-old children after major surgery, it is even more difficult. But thanks to good pain relief control and encouragement from the medical team, after 5 days Minh recovered very well, shared BSCKII Nguyen Van Vi - Head of the Department of Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine.
Minh's progress surprised the whole team. From having to hold on, having to help, Minh started to stand alone, then took the first small steps himself. Each step is an affirmation: the mother's choice is correct, and her medical efforts have been rewarded.
There are children who have to study twice in their life: first to grow up, then to conquer fate. Minh is entering that journey - a journey in which he still keeps his legs, keeps running and keeps his childhood.
Up to now, Minh is the youngest patient in Vietnam to have his entire thigh bone replaced with personalized 3D printing technology, following the miracle Vinmec performed with Minh Duc (8 years old) in May 2025. Vinmec's mastery of bone replacement techniques using personalized 3D printing technology is giving many patients with bone cancer hope of living fully on the journey to fight this severe illness.
