New life with artificial limbs for the limbless girl

Linh Chi, the limbless little girl--like Nick Vujicic, has had artificial hands, provided by the Vietnam orthopedic technology center. The girl immediately wrote and did many things with the artificial hands for the first time in her life. On an autumn day eight years ago, Mrs. Trinh Ngoc Thuy in Yen Bai City received the bad news: The ultrasound results showing the baby in her abdomen with severe disabilities. The next day, Thuy was on the operating table. A baby girl was born. She did not cry, just opened her eyes to look at the doctors. The baby was pretty but she was limbless. Some time later, Thuy knew that her baby’s disability is the legacy of Agent Orange, passed down from her paternal grandfather, a veteran in the Vietnam War. This man, named Nguyen Dinh Xanh - former Commander in Chief of the military commander of Yen Bai province, was exposed to Agent Orange after fierce battles at Khe Sanh in Quang Tri province, central Vietnam. Xanh’s son - Nguyen Dinh Nam, Thuy’s husband - was perfectly healthy so he did not expect that the legacy of Agency Orange passing on the 3rd generation. After the shock, Thuy calmed down and accepted the reality. She named her daughter Linh Chi. The baby grew up in extraordinary efforts of her mother. She has become an active and glib girl. When Linh Chi could perceive her body flaws, she often asked her mum: "Why don’t I have limbs, mother?" Thuy had to lie: "When you grow up, the new limbs will grow." The girl can still do some personal works such as eating and drinking, Chi still needs her mother always besides. The meeting with the world famous disabled Nick Vujicic at his talks in the My Dinh Stadium in Hanoi on May 23 has completely changed the life of Linh Chi. After this event, Thuy has received a lot of phone calls from strange people, who wished to help her limbless daughter. For the first time, Thuy found that she and her daughter are not alone. Four months later, the Vietnam Orthopedic Technology Centre proposed to make free artificial limbs for Linh Chi. Linh Chi’s legs are just a short piece of thigh so it was very difficult for making artificial legs for her. Experts had to try many different ways but all failed. Finally, they found a solution: making frames that fit the thighs of Chi, opening the hope of stick artificial legs for her. Meeting with orthopedic specialists and doctors, Chi proved fearless. She was always curious about everything around. During the time of making artificial limbs, Thuy was always beside her daughter. The motherhood helped the little girl not be afraid, even when she lied on the operating table. A pair of artificial hands was created specifically for Chi. She immediately used them to write. Thuy said: "The biggest change for me is from being always self-deprecating and sad, I now feel optimistic and I’m more open. Chi makes me proud. I always keep trying to make her happy in any circumstance." Some pictures of Thuy and Linh Chi at the Vietnam Orthopedic Technology Centre: Experts are making artificial legs for Linh Chi. Thuy and her husband are watching their daughter dancing the Gangnam Style. The nap of the brave little girl beside her mother. Vietnamnet