The Struggles of an Organ Transplant Doctor

A poignant story of paternal love and sacrifice has emerged from Vietnam's Children's Hospital 2 in Ho Chi Minh City, where a two-year-old girl, Nguyen Hong Diep, received a life-saving liver transplant. The procedure, which lasted approximately 10 hours, was made possible by her father, who donated a portion of his own liver. This act of generosity is especially moving given the family's extreme poverty; their home is described as a makeshift structure.

Doctors described the case as deeply emotional. The father readily agreed to donate his liver as soon as he learned of his daughter's condition. He quit smoking and drinking to meet the surgical requirements. When a more critical case emerged, he patiently waited, even agreeing to postpone his own surgery to allow the other child to receive the transplant first. "When the doctor explained that there was another child who was more seriously ill, and that if she didn't receive a transplant, her life would be in danger, he just said, 'Yes, save that child first, doctor,'" recounted Dr. Truong Thi Yen Nhi.

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I have met many families facing hardship. But this father's love for his child is so moving that it touches everyone.

The medical team, led by Dr. Tran Thanh Tri, Head of the Liver Transplant Department, faced a difficult decision. The father is the sole breadwinner for his two daughters, working as a farmer. However, with Hong Diep's health rapidly deteriorating due to congenital biliary atresia, which had progressed to end-stage cirrhosis, doctors could not wait any longer for a deceased donor.

This case underscores a significant challenge in Vietnam: the scarcity of organ donations from brain-dead individuals. As of June 10, 2026, Children's Hospital 2 has performed 68 liver transplants on children. Remarkably, 66 of these involved living donors from within families, while only two utilized organs from deceased donors. Hong Diep, now stable and discharged, returns home to her father and older sister, a testament to the power of familial love and medical intervention.

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When the doctor explained that there was another child who was more seriously ill, and that if she didn't receive a transplant, her life would be in danger, he just said, 'Yes, save that child first, doctor.'