Tuan was born in a small fishing village in South Vietnam. At age nine he had never seen running water, electricity, bathrooms, kitchens or even a building. His father was imprisoned for five years for working with the Americans during the war. When his father was released from prison he took his son and paid a fishing boat to take him out of the country in 1985. This is unimaginable to us here in America as at age nine we do not let our children cross the street. On route to Malasia, the small boat ran out of food and eventually resorted to cannibalism to survive. This child suffered from malaria and a form of leprosy ( yes it truly exist ), while in Malasia. After six months, the US government allowed him rights to enter the US. He flew from Malasia to Japan to Italy to San Francisco to Philadelphia - USA. The trip took over seventy hours. After two weeks of quarantine he was released to the agency who would monitor his care and was placed in my home. Tuan was a shy and frightened little boy with a torn personality. He longed for his country and parents yet lived in wonder of all the things we take for granted in America. I began to live through his eyes and it was a world of wonder, excitement, fear, confusion and enlightenment. I kept a translation sheet on the table with the basic information, sick, hungry etc. as this was the only way we could communicate.

To be Continued