Hieu has taken his first steps with his new prosthetic leg, and we are rejoicing!

KTTC in Minneapolis reported on Hieu’s progress today. please follow this link to read the article about his first steps, or just read the article below! At REI, we are thrilled and blessed to be a part of work like this– this is truly, “Building People to Build Nations.”

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A new leg for Hieu
by Chris Conte

Updated: Sep 03, 2010 10:17 AM MDT

MINNEAPOLIS (KTTC-DT) — A Vietnamese boy brought to the United States a few weeks ago by a local choral group has a new prosthetic leg after doctors finished fitting him for one at Shriner’s Hospital in Minneapolis Thursday afternoon.

6-year-old Hieu Huynh was born with phocomelia, a condition that caused his femur to stop growing so his lower leg came directly out of his hip.

“You see this kids and they come in and they’ve got one goal and that’s to walk and run,” says Doctor Matt Morel of Shriner’s Hospital.

After learning of Hieu’s problem, the chorale group Bella Voce decided they’d turn in their concert profits for plane tickets. The six-year-old and his father were flown to Rochester from Vietnam a few weeks ago so he could get a new leg.

“He’ll have new legs, in Vietnam we call them new legs,” Hieu’s father said.

Through a Vietnamese translator, Hieu’s father talked about how much this day means to him.

“This year he’ll start to go to school, so he can walk with his classmates,” his father notes.

But little Hieu didn’t need a translator to convey one of the purest of human emotions, gratitude.

“Thank you,” Hieu said.

Shriner’s hospital in Minneapolis covered the entire cost of Hieu’s prosthetic leg. Doctor’s expect him to grow out of the one he has in about two years.