In the coastal province of Khanh Hoa, where many families live in remote areas far from specialized hospitals, access to pediatric surgery remains scarce. Our mission to Nha Trang aims to bring complex surgical care directly to underserved children, while supporting local surgeons to sustain that care long after we leave.

what we do

Led by Dr. Nam Nguyen, a long-standing Mending Kids partner, this mission will address urgent surgical needs, including congenital anomalies such as Hirschsprung’s disease, esophageal atresia, imperforate anus, duodenal atresia, tumors, choledochal cysts, and ENT procedures ranging from tonsillectomies to complex head and neck surgeries. Dr. Uyen Tran, from Kaiser Permanente Downey Medical Center, will also be joining to provide anesthesiology mentoring and support, further strengthening local capacity.

Why Nha Trang?

Khanh Hoa Province is home to nearly 2 million people, many of whom live hours away from advanced surgical centers. Most families in need of complex care are forced to travel more than 400 kilometers to Ho Chi Minh City, a financial and logistical impossibility for many. The result is children left untreated, or treated under suboptimal conditions.

We chose Nha Trang not just because of the need, but because of the commitment. This mission builds on more than 15 years of relationship-building and skill-sharing with Khanh Hoa Hospital. We are not just filling a gap, we are partnering with local providers to elevate care standards for years to come.

Sustainable Impact

This mission is designed to provide:

• Life-saving surgeries for children who would otherwise go without
• Hands-on training in advanced surgical techniques for local teams
• Long-term improvement in outcomes through case-based learning and evidence-based protocols

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Past missions led by Dr. Nguyen have introduced transformative changes like the use of intraoperative biopsies for Hirschsprung’s disease, proper surgical approaches for imperforate anus, and laparoscopic excision of choledochal cysts, all of which are now routine practice at the hospital.

Support This Mission

local partners

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• Khanh Hoa Provincial Hospital
• Dr. Ton Thanh Nguyen (Lead Surgeon)
• Dr. Nam Nguyen (Millers Children’s & Women's Hospital Long Beach and CHLA)
• Dr. Uyen Tran (Kaiser Permanente Downey Medical Center)
• 10-member anesthesia department

join us as a Medical Volunteer

Join us as non-medical volunteer

Looking Ahead

This mission embodies the heart of Mending Kids: not just surgical intervention, but system transformation. Our goal is to build local capacity, reduce dependency, and ensure every child in Khanh Hoa and beyond has access to the surgical care they deserve.

Support This Mission

Help us reach more children.

Your gift helps fund travel, medical supplies, and hands-on training for local surgeons, building a stronger, more resilient healthcare system in Vietnam.

Support this mission because every child deserves access to life-saving surgical care, close to home.

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Vietnam Surgical mission

Help Us Mend Kids in Vietnam.

Our surgical team is donating their skills, time, and hearts — but getting them there, and giving them what they need to operate, takes resources.

Your donation helps cover flights from Los Angeles, hotel stays near the hospital, extra luggage fees to transport vital supplies, and the consumables needed in every surgery. It also supports the effort behind the scenes to make it all run smoothly.

Every dollar gets us closer to transforming lives — not just through surgery, but through the power of showing up.