In 2007, Le H. Thi, then only 25 years old, lived a quiet life in Vietnam with her boyfriend and his 2½-year-old son. One ordinary day, while preparing a meal outside their small home, tragedy struck. A gas leak ignited a fire that quickly engulfed the house—with the little boy still inside. Without hesitation, Le ran into the flames to save him.
She rescued the child—but in doing so, her life was forever changed.
Her boyfriend fled the scene and never returned. Le suffered devastating burns to her face, eyes, legs, arms, and hands. She lost her fingers and spent over a month in the hospital, her future uncertain and her spirit broken.
Years passed, and life was a daily battle. But then Le heard about Surgicorps International and Dr. Jack Demos, a plastic surgeon who volunteers his time and skill to help patients in need. After two years and three surgeries, Le’s hope began to return—though her journey was far from over.
One day, Dr. Jack asked Le a simple but powerful question:
“If you had three wishes, what would they be?”
At that time, Le was deeply depressed and had thoughts of ending her life. She replied softly,
“My first wish is to walk again. My second is to hold the handlebars of my scooter. My third is to have a family—to live, and to provide for them.”
Dr. Jack quietly left the room. When he returned, he handed her a surgical cap, a T-shirt, and a pair of shoes.
He told her, “These are for your journey—because you will walk again.”
That moment changed everything. Le promised never to give up again.
Her wishes also changed. Now, she wished to:
1. Walk and ride her motorbike again.
2. Meet the entire Surgicorps team to thank them personally.
3. Travel to remote parts of Vietnam to find and encourage others like her—patients with burns and deformities—to come to Surgicorps for free surgery and a chance to heal.
And she did just that.
Today, Le is 43 years old and a living testament to courage. She can walk. She rides her motorbike. She works hard every day—washing dishes in a restaurant in the morning, selling lottery tickets in the afternoon—to support her family. She is married to a man who loves her deeply, and together they are raising two young children. Le has also taken in two older children who were abandoned because of their burn scars, giving them the family she once dreamed of.
But perhaps the most touching part of Le’s journey is what happened years after the fire.
The baby boy she rescued that day—now a 20-year-old young man—has never forgotten her sacrifice. When Le underwent her 15th and 16th surgeries, it was he who brought her to the hospital and stayed by her side throughout her recovery. The child she saved has become part of the family she always longed for—a living reminder of the love and courage that changed both of their lives.
Each year when the Surgicorps team arrives in Ho Chi Minh City, Le is there—leading groups of patients, cheering them on, and giving them hope. Her presence alone tells them: healing is possible.
Recently, at a patient celebration, Le presented Dr. Jack with a bouquet of red roses for his birthday. It was a simple gesture—but behind it lay years of gratitude, love, and rebirth.
Because of Surgicorps International and compassionate volunteers like Dr. Jack Demos, Le not only found healing—she found purpose. Her story is one of true triumph over tragedy—a reminder that when skill meets compassion, lives are transformed.
